For serial killers, the strain of not being able to achieve what they want in life is generally what drives them to kill. The Strain Theory: The Serial Killer Of John Wayne Gacy To become a serial killer by definition you would have had to kill two or more people over a period of time from hours to years. For those mass murderers, it is the constant frustration at not being able to be acclaimed by peers and failures to achieve various objectives that either the individual has or the individual has been put up to. The general strain theory later opened up the path for mental and social strain to become applicable to negative and disappointing events in the individual’s life. Those who become mass murderers, especially in the academic scenario, usually suffer from chronic strain, and their frustrations are not just from school, but home as well. Levin states that it is “the antisocial and non-state-sponsored killing of multiple victims during a single episode at one or more closely related locations”. Strain theory is the main driving force behind research into serial killers and those who are mass murderers and/or school shooters. First, it is necessary to explain the concept of a mass murder. That gap of inability is considered strain and thus causes deviance in order to make up for what is lacking and achieve the desired goal.

Basically, strain theory states that the driving force behind deviance relies on the gap between goals and the means of individuals to achieve them. General strain theory really started to become well known in 1992 with Robert Agnew. In our modern society, labels create a huge impact on the amount of acclaim or condemnation a person can get, even if their behavior is oddly similar. Three concepts contribute to our varying opinions of those “murderers”: general strain theory, labelling theory, and career deviants. In addition, this theory could explain each component of serial murder definition. Opposing former theories, this theory tested in laboratory conditions (magnetic resonance imaging, handwriting analysis, and eyesight test). A decorated military sniper, a serial killer, and an abortion doctor all have one thing in common: they are responsible for the death of multiple lives. This article presents the current theory explaining serial murder and murderers.

Strain theory and serial killers