About the Author
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About the Author
Robert Agnew is a Professor in the Department
of Sociology and in the Violence Studies Program at Emory University. He
has published three books and over 50 articles and chapters on crime and
delinquency. Dr. Agnew is recognized internationally for his development of
general strain theory. He has served on the editorial boards of Criminology,
Social Forces, Theoretical Criminology, and other journals. He is a Fellow
of the American Society of Criminology, and he is active in many professional
organizations and groups dealing with crime and delinquency
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Vita
Robert Agnew
Department of Sociology
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia 30322
(404) 727-7502
E-Mail: bagnew@emory.edu
Birth Date: December 1, 1953, in Atlantic City, New Jersey
Education:
1971-1975 Rutgers College
New Brunswick, New Jersey
B.A. with highest honors and highest
distinction in sociology
1976-1978 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
M.A. in sociology. Thesis title: "Anomie
and Success: A Study of the Effect of Goals on Anomie."
1978-1980 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Ph.D. in sociology. Dissertation title: "A Revised Strain Theory of Delinquency."
Employment:
Fall, 1980- Assistant Professor to Professor of
Sociology, Emory University. Courses taught in juvenile delinquency, criminology,
social research, violence studies (an interdisciplinary course), social
problems, introductory sociology, causes of crime (graduate), controlling
crime (graduate), biosocial bases of crime (graduate), teaching sociology
(graduate). Director of the Internship Program (1982-1985).
1977-1980 Teaching Assistant, University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill. Assisted in introductory sociology, social
problems, social psychology, and history of social thought (a graduate-level
course). Full responsibility for introductory sociology and social problems.
Professional and Community Service:
2003- Editorial Board, Criminology
2002- Editorial Board, Advances
in Criminological Theory series, Transaction Publishers
2002- Editorial Board, Justice
Quarterly
2002-2003 Hindelang Award Committee (top book award
in criminology), American Society of Criminology
2002 Invited Participant, National Institute of Justice
Workshop on Violence
2001-2002 Program Committee, American Society of
Criminology
2001-2003 Associate Editor, Journal of Crime
and Justice
2000-2001 Program Committee, American Society of
Criminology
2000 Board of Advisory Editors, Encyclopedia of Criminology
1999-2001 Editorial Board, Journal of Crime and Justice
1997- Editorial Board, Youth and Society
1998-2000 Ethical Issues Committee, American Society
of Criminology
1998- Associate Editor, Theoretical Criminology
1997-2001 Publications Committee (Chair, 1998), Southern
Sociological Society
1997-1998 Board of Advisors, Not Even One Program,
Atlanta Site
1997-1998 Program Committee, Academy of Criminal
Justice Sciences
1996-1997 Awards Committee, American Society of
Criminology
1996-1997 Program Committee, American Society of
Criminology
1996-1997 Faculty Liaison, Not Even One Program (an
anti-violence program), Carter Center of Emory University
1982- Tenure reviewer for several universities.
1995-1997 National Policy Committee, American Society
of Criminology
1993-1994 Program Committee, American Society of
Criminology, Division Chair in charge of Strain Theory
1993-1996 Editorial Board, Social Forces
1993- Peer Review Consultant,
National Institute of Justice
1993-1995 Institutional Research and Review Board,
Georgia Department of Children and Youth Services
1992-1993 Program Committee, American Society of
Criminology, Division Chair in charge of Macrosocial Theory
1992-1994 Awards Committee, American Society of
Criminology
1992-1994 Honors Committee, Southern Sociological
Society
1992-1994 Chair, Joint Emory/Southern Sociological
Society Committee on the "Award for the Promotion of Human Welfare."
1991-1997 Editorial Board, Criminology
1990-1991 President, Georgia Sociological Association.
1989-1990 Vice President, Georgia Sociological Association.
1989 Chair, Committee to establish
the "Emory University Award for the Promotion of Human Welfare."
1988-1989 Planning Committee of Alpha Kappa Delta,
the International Sociology Honor Society.
1987-1988 Executive Committee of the Georgia Sociological
Association.
1987 Georgia Representative
on the Membership Committee of the Southern Sociological Society.
1987 Member of the Local Arrangements
Committee of the Southern Sociological Society.
1981-1985 Organizer of the first through fifth Emory
Undergraduate Sociology Symposia: professional meetings for undergraduate
students from Georgia and surrounding states.
1981-1984 Core Committee and Evaluation Committee
of the Central DeKalb Youth Assistance Program, a diversion program for
juvenile offenders.
1980- Reviewer for American Sociological
Review; Social Forces; Social Problems; Criminology; Journal of
Research in Crime and Delinquency; Sociological Quarterly; Journal of
Quantitative Criminology; Journal of Marriage and the Family; Journal
of Family Issues; Justice Quarterly; Journal of Crime and Justice; Theoretical
Criminology; Sociology of Crime, Law, and Deviance; Studies in Crime and
Crime Prevention; Sociological Forum; Sociological Spectrum; Deviant Behavior;
National Science Foundation; West Publishing Company; and Roxbury Publishing
Company.
1980-1990 Faculty Advisor for Alpha Kappa Delta,
the International Sociology Honor Society.
1978-1979 Associate Editor, Social Forces.
Selected Departmental and University Service:
Acting Vice-Chair of Emory College Faculty and Chair of Executive Committee,
Spring, 2002
Social Sciences Representative-at-Large, Emory College Executive Committee,
2001-2004
Advisory Board, Barton Child Law Clinic, Emory University Law School,
2000-
Co-Chair, Reconciliation Symposium Committee -- the Symposium functioned
as Emory University's Millennium Celebration, 1998-2001..
Director of Violence Studies Program, Emory University, an interdisciplinary
program involving 70+ faculty from 20 departments and schools that offers
an undergraduate minor, 1998-2000.
Educational Policy Committee, Emory College, 1993-1996
University Research Committee, 1992-1994 (Chair of Social Sciences
Subcommittee, 1993-1994)
Conduct Council, Emory College, 1988-1991 (Chair in 1990-1991)
Director of Undergraduate Studies and Chair of the Undergraduate Curriculum
Committee, Department of Sociology, 1985-1990
Faculty Advisor to Alpha Phi Omega, National Service Fraternity; Alpha
Kappa Delta, the International Sociology Honor Society; Emory Animal Advocates;
G. Gordon Stipe Society of Creative Scholars; Volunteer Emory
Honors and Awards:
Faculty Research Award, Department of Sociology, Emory University,
2004.
Georgia Sociologist of the Year, Georgia Sociological Association (2003)
Fellow, American Society of Criminology (elected in 2000).
Participant in Last Lecture Series (Emory undergraduates vote on the
two faculty they would like to deliver a lecture), 1999.
Turner Broadcasting grant of $46,480 to fund a conference focusing
on the impact of and efforts to address media violence, 1999.
Emory University Center for Teaching and Curriculum grant of $10,420
to fund a Faculty Summer Seminar focusing on the core content for Violence
Studies 101, 1999.
Emory University Center for Teaching and Curriculum grant of $5000
for the development of a graduate course on the biosocial bases of crime
(with Patricia Brennan), 1999.
Award for Excellence in Teaching in the division of the Social Sciences,
Center for Teaching and Curriculum, Emory University, 1997 (note: I was
the first recipient of this Award).
American Suicide Foundation grant of $7500 for project titled "The
Approval of Suicide: A Social Psychological Analysis," 1996.
Emory University Center for Teaching and Curriculum grant of $5000
for the revision of my juvenile delinquency course, 1996.
Outstanding Teacher Award, Department of Sociology, Emory University,
1993.
Lilly Writing Across the Curriculum Program, 1991-1992.
Emory University Summer Research Grant, 1981, 1982.
Alpha Kappa Delta, the International Sociology Honor Society.
Omicron Delta Kappa, the National Leadership Honor Society.
Howard Odum Award for the Outstanding Graduate Student in Sociology,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1979.
National Institute of Mental Health Training Fellowship, 1976-1977.
Highest Honors and Highest Distinction in Sociology,
Rutgers College.
New Jersey State Scholarship, 1971-1975.
Professional Organizations:
American Society of Criminology
Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences
American Sociological Association
Southern Sociological Society
Georgia Sociological Association
Publications:
Books:
General Strain Theory: Essential Readings and New Research. (Edited
by Paul Mazerolle and Robert Agnew). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Under Contract.
Why Do Criminals Offend? A General Theory of Crime and Delinquency.
Los Angeles: Roxbury, 2005.
Juvenile Delinquency: Causes and Control. Los Angeles: Roxbury, 2001,
2005 (2nd edition).
Instructor's Manual for Robert Agnew's Juvenile Delinquency: Causes
and Control. (Stephanie Funk and Robert Agnew). Los Angeles: Roxbury, 2001.
Criminological Theory: Past to Present. (Edited by Francis T.
Cullen and Robert Agnew). Los Angeles: Roxbury, 1999, 2003 (2nd edition).
The Future of Anomie Theory. (Edited by Nikos Passos and Robert Agnew).
Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1997.
Articles and Book Chapters:
2005 "The Code of the Street: A Quantitative Assessment
of Elijah Anderson's Subculture of Violence Thesis and Its Contribution
to Youth Violence." (Timothy Brezina, Robert Agnew, Francis T. Cullen,
and John F. Wright.) Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice (forthcoming).
2005 "Strain Theories." In Encyclopedia of Sociology,
edited by George Ritzer. Blackwell (forthcoming).
2005 "Causes of Crime." In Encyclopedia of Law &
Society, edited by David S. Clark. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
2005 Essays on "Strain Theories: From Durkheim to
Merton," "Strain Theories: Recent Developments," and "Sociological Theories
of Crime: An Overview." In The Encyclopedia of Criminology, edited by Richard
Wright and J. Mitchell Miller. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers (forthcoming).
2004 "A General Strain Theory Approach to Violence."
In Violence: From Theory to Research, edited by H. Brownstein, M.A. Zahn,
and S.L. Jackson. Cincinnati: Anderson (forthcoming)
2003 "The Interactive Effects of Social Control Variables
on Delinquency." In Control Theories of Crime and Delinquency, Advances
in Criminological Theory, Volume 7, edited by Chester Britt and Michael
Gottfredson. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction.
2003 "An Integrated Theory of the Adolescent Peak
in Offending." Youth & Society 34:263-299.
2002 "Experienced, Vicarious, and Anticipated Strain:
An Exploratory Study Focusing on Physical Victimization and Delinquency."
Justice Quarterly 19:603-632.
2002 "Strain, Personality Traits, and Delinquency: Extending
General Strain Theory." (Robert Agnew, Timothy Brezina, John Wright, and
Francis Cullen). Criminology 40:43-72).
2001 "Building on the Foundation of General Strain
Theory: Specifying the Types of Strain Most Likely to Lead to Delinquency."
Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency 38:319-361.
2001 "The Root of All Evil? An Exploratory Study
of Money and Delinquent Involvement." (John Wright, Francis Cullen, Robert
Agnew, and Timothy Brezina). Justice Quarterly 18:239-268.
2001 Essays on "Strain Theory" and "Status Frustration"
for The Sage Dictionary of Criminology, edited by Eugene McLaughlin and
John Muncie. London: Sage Publications.
2000 "Crime Causation: Sociological Theories." In
Encyclopedia of Crime and Justice, edited by Joshua Dressler. New York:
Macmillan. Forthcoming.
2000 "Strain Theory." In Encyclopedia of Criminology
and Deviant Behavior, edited by Clifton D. Bryant. London: Taylor and
Francis.
2000 "An Overview of General Strain Theory." In Essays
in Criminological Theories, edited by Ray Paternoster. Los Angeles: Roxbury.
2000 "A General Strain Theory Approach to Families
and Crime." (with Cesar Rebellon and Sherod Thaxton). Families and Crime,
Volume 2 in the Contemporary Perspectives on Family Research Series, edited
by Greer Litton Fox and Michael L. Benson. JAI Press.
2000 "Strain Theory and School Crime." Of Crime
and Criminality, edited by Sally Simpson. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge
Press.
Reprinted in Forbidden Desires: Deviance and Social Control, edited
by Ed Ksenych. Toronto: Canadian Scholar's Press, 2003.
1999 "A General Strain Theory of Community Differences
in Crime Rates." Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency 36:123-155.
1998 "The Approval of Suicide: A Social Psychological
Model." Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior 28:205-225.
1998 "The Causes of Animal Abuse: A Social Psychological
Analysis." Theoretical Criminology 2:177-209.
1997 "The Nature and Determinants of Strain: Another
Look at Durkheim and Merton." In The Future of Anomie Theory, edited by
Nikos Passos and Robert Agnew. Boston: Northeastern University Press.
1997 "Gender and Strain: A General Strain Theory
Perspective." (with Lisa Broidy). Journal of Research in Crime and
Delinquency 34:275-306.
1997 "Relational Problems With Peers, Gender and
Delinquency." (with Timothy Brezina). Youth and Society 29:84-111.
1997 "Stability and Change in Crime Over the Life
Course: A Strain Theory Explanation." In Advances in Criminological Theory,
Volume 7: Developmental Theories of Crime and Delinquency, edited by Terence
P. Thornberry. New Brunswick: Transaction.
1996 "A New Test of Classic Strain Theory." (with
Francis Cullen, Velmer Burton, T. David Evans, and R. Gregory Dunaway).
Justice Quarterly 13:681-704.
1995 "Controlling Delinquency: The Policy Implications
of General Strain Theory." In Crime and Public Policy: Putting Theory
to Work, edited by Hugh Barlow. Boulder, CO: Westview.
1995 "Testing the Leading Crime Theories: An Alternative
Strategy Focusing on Motivational Processes." Journal of Research in Crime
and Delinquency 32:363-398.
1995 "Determinism, Indeterminism, and Crime: An
Empirical Exploration." Criminology 33:83-109.
1995 "The Contribution of Social-Psychological Strain
Theory to the Explanation of Crime and Delinquency." In Advances in Criminological
Theory, Volume 6: The Legacy of Anomie, edited by Freda Alder and William
S. Laufer. New Brunswick: Transaction.
1994 "The Techniques of Neutralization and Violence."
Criminology 32:401-426.
1994 "Delinquency and the Desire for Money." Justice
Quarterly 11:411-427.
1994 "Adolescent Drug Use and Leisure Activity"
(with David M. Petersen). In Drug Use in America: Social, Cultural and
Political Perspectives, edited by Peter J. Venturelli. Boston: Jones and
Bartlett Publishers.
1993 "Why Do They Do It: An Examination of the Intervening
Mechanisms Between 'Social Control' Variables and Delinquency." Journal
of Research in Crime and Delinquency 30:245-266.
1992 "An Empirical Test of General Strain Theory."
(with Helene Raskin White). Criminology 30:475-499.
1992 "Foundation for a General Strain Theory of
Delinquency." Criminology 30:47-87.
Reprinted in Youth Crime, Deviance and Delinquency, edited by Nigel
South. Hampshire, England: Ashgate. Forthcoming.
Reprinted in Crime and Criminals: Contemporary and Classic Readings
in Criminology, edited by Frank R. Scarpitti and Amie L. Nielsen. Los Angeles:
Roxbury, 1999.
Reprinted in Criminological Theory: Past and Present, edited by Francis
Cullen and Robert Agnew. Los Angeles, CA: Roxbury, 1999.
Reprinted in Criminology: A Collection of Classic and Contemporary
Readings, edited by Frank R. Scarpitti and Amie L. Nielsen. Los Angeles:
Roxbury, 1998.
Reprinted in The Criminology Theory Reader, edited by Stuart Henry
and Werner Einstadter. New York: New York University Press, 1998.
Reprinted in Juvenile Delinquency: Historical, Theoretical, and Societal
Reactions to Youth, edited by Paul M. Sharp and Barry W. Hancock. Englewood
Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1995, 1998.
Reprinted in Essays on Criminal Justice, edited by Marilyn McShane
and Frank P. Williams. Hamden, CT: Garland Publishing Company, 1997.
Reprinted in Crime, Volume 1 of Crime and Society, edited by Robert
D. Crutchfield, George S. Bridges, and Joseph G. Weis. Thousand Oaks,
CA: Pine Forge Press, 1996, 2000.
Reprinted in Exploring Delinquency: Causes and Control, edited by Dean
G. Rojek and Gary F. Jensen. Los Angeles, CA: Roxbury, 1996.
Reprinted in Readings in Contemporary Criminological Theory, edited
by Larry Siegel and Peter Cordella. Boston: Northeastern University Press,
1996.
Reprinted in Contemporary Criminology Theory, edited by Francis Cullen.
Hamphshire, England: Dartmouth Publishing Company, 1994.
1991 "A Longitudinal Test of Social Control Theory
and Delinquency." Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency 28:126-56.
1991 "The Interactive Effects of Peer Variables
on Delinquency." Criminology 29:47-72.
1991 "Strain and Subcultural Crime Theory." In Criminology:
A Contemporary Handbook. Edited by Joseph Sheley. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
(1995 and 1999 revisions).
1990 "Adolescent Resources and Delinquency." Criminology
28:535-566.
1990 "The Origins of Delinquent Events: An Examination
of Offender Accounts." Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency 27:267-294.
1989 "Leisure and Delinquency" (with David M. Petersen).
Social Problems 36:332-350.
1989 "A Longitudinal Test of the Revised Strain
Theory." Journal of Quantitative Criminology 5:373-387.
1989 "Adolescent Violence Toward Parents" (with
Sandra Huguley). Journal of Marriage and the Family 51:699-711.
1989 "Delinquency as a Creative Enterprise: A Review
of Recent Evidence." Criminal Justice and Behavior 16:98-113.
1988 "Adapting to Deprivation: An Examination of
Inflated Educational Expectations." (with Diane Jones). Sociological Quarterly
29:315-337.
1987 "On 'Testing Structural Strain Theories'."
Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency 24:281-286.
1987 "The Effect of Running on Mood and Perceived
Health." (with Martin L. Levin). Journal of Sport Behavior 10:14-27.
1986 "Work and Delinquency Among Juveniles Attending
School." Journal of Crime and Justice 9:19-41.
1986 "The Techniques of Neutralization: An Analysis
of Predisposing and Situational Factors." (with Ardith Peters). Criminal
Justice and Behavior 13:81-97.
1985 "Social Control Theory and Delinquency: A Longitudinal
Test." Criminology 23:47-61.
1985 "A Revised Strain Theory of Delinquency." Social
Forces 64:151-167.
Reprinted in Essays and Readings in Juvenile Delinquency, edited by
Robert D. Crutchfield, George S. Bridges, and Joseph G. Weis. Thousand Oaks,
CA: Pine Forge Press, 1996.
1985 "Neutralizing the Impact of Crime." Criminal
Justice and Behavior 12:221-239.
1984 "Appearance and Delinquency." Criminology 22:421-440.
1984 "Goal Achievement and Delinquency." Sociology
and Social Research 68:435-451.
1984 "The Work Ethic and Delinquency." Sociological
Focus 17:337-346.
1984 "Autonomy and Delinquency." Sociological Perspectives
27:219-240.
1984 "The Effect of Appearance on Personality and
Behavior: Are the Beautiful Really Good?" Youth and Society 15:285-303.
1983 "Social Class and Success Goals: An Examination
of Relative and Absolute Aspirations." Sociological Quarterly 24:435-452.
1983 "Physical Punishment and Delinquency: A Research
Note." Youth and Society 15:105-117.
1981 "The Individual and Values in Human Ecology:
An Examination of Adaptive Processes." Sociological Quarterly 22:105-117.
1980 "Success and Anomie: A Study of the Effect
of Goals on Anomie." Sociological Quarterly 21:53-64.
1979 "Alienation and Anomie as Manifested in the
Individual: An Analysis of Marx and Durkheim." Sociological Research
Symposium: IX.
Technical Reports:
1993 A Risk Assessment Instrument for the Fulton
County Juvenile Court.
1992 The Development of a Risk Assessment Instrument
for the DeKalb County Juvenile Court.
Numerous papers presented at professional meetings, including the American
Sociological Association, American Society of Criminology, Academy of
Criminal Justice Sciences, and Southern Sociological Society meetings.
Teaching and Research Interests:
Crime Theories, Causes of Crime and Delinquency, Strategies for Controlling
Crime, Overview Courses on Criminology and Juvenile Delinquency, Social
Research.
Return to: Juvenile Delinquency Dedicated Site Main Page || Table of Contents || Key Terms || Chapter Outlines || Learning Objectives || Suggested Links || Course Syllabus || Roxbury Publishing Company's Main Page