Does Sexual Violence Victimization Contribute to Deviant Behavior? A Test of General Strain Theory

According to general strain theory (GST), individuals engage in deviant behavior to reduce feelings of negative affect that occur because of strain. In this paper, we examine the relationship between a unique type of strain – sexual violence victimization – and several deviant outcomes. Drawing on GST, we hypothesize that sexual violence victimization will increase the odds of substance abuse, alcohol use, and violent/aggressive behavior and...