The Continuing Relevance of Strain Theory Merton’s strain theory is an important contribution to the study of crime and deviance – in the 1940s it helped to explain why crime continued to exist in countries, such as America, which were experiencing increasing economic growth and wealth.

The American sociologist Robert K. Merton studied the causes of anomie, or normlessness, finding it severest in people who lack an acceptable means of achieving their personal goals. Greater emphasis on ends rather than means creates a stress that leads to a breakdown in the regulatory structure—i.e., anomie.

Anomie theory was popularized by the classic works of Émile Durkheim and Robert Merton.

One of the major limitations of Merton’s theory is that it does not explain why poor people choose one adaptation over another. According to the status frustration theory, delinquency results from school failure and the related need to regain self-esteem by being successful in criminal activities.

Retreatism refers to rejection of both the goals and the means, and rebellion occurs when individuals reject both and then create new goals and means to pursue. Yet, most will still engage in the behaviors that are meant to achieve this goal.

Functionalist believe that crime is actually beneficial for society – for example it can improve social integration and social regulation. The Functionalist analysis of crime starts with society as a whole. It seeks to explain crime by looking at the nature of society, rather than at individuals.

Deviance is any behavior that violates social norms, and is usually of sufficient severity to warrant disapproval from the majority of society. The sociological discipline that deals with crime (behavior that violates laws) is criminology (also known as criminal justice).

The causes of hypersexual behaviour are not well understood. However, sex addiction and hypersexuality may sometimes be caused by traumatic experiences, distress, or by mental illness, such as bipolar disorder. Adults who have been sexually abused as children may display increased sexual behaviour.

Those studies have shown that treatment only tends to work if the person with pedophilia is motivated and committed to controlling his or her behavior and when treatment combines psychotherapy and medication. Psychotherapy for pedophilia and other paraphilias tends to use cognitive behavioral therapy.

Common Characteristics Paraphilias all have in common distressing and repetitive sexual fantasies, urges, or behaviors. These fantasies, urges, or behaviors must occur for a significant period of time and must interfere with either satisfactory sexual relations or everyday functioning if the diagnosis is to be made.