One of the saddest and most notorious crimes in recent history involved the murder of five young children by their mother, Andrea Yates. On June 20, 2001, Yates drowned her five children in the bathtub of her Houston, Texas home. Her children ranged in age from six months to seven years. At the time of the murders, Yates suffered from severe postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis. She and her husband, Rusty, declared they would have as many children as God gave them. However, Andrea suffered from severe mental problems as a result of her pregnancies and motherhood duties (Morales, 2007).
After the birth of her fourth child, Andrea suffered a series of mental breakdowns, including multiple suicide attempts. Her physicians diagnosed her with postpartum psychosis, a form of mental psychosis that develops after the birth of a child. As a result of these medical and mental conditions, her psychiatrist urged Andrea and Rusty not to conceive any more children. Her psychiatrist informed them that further pregnancy and childbirth would result in postpartum psychosis. Despite this warning, Andrea quickly conceived a fifth child after her release from psychiatric care (Morales, 2007).
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"Andrea Yates and the Strain Theory of Criminology".
Several months after the birth of her fifth child, Andrea suffered the loss of her father. His death appeared to strain her mental stability to the breaking point. Andrea began to engage in self-mutilation. She endured several hospitalizations for her severe psychosis in the months following her father’s death. Due to the severity of her mental condition, her husband would not leave her alone with their children. However, on the tragic morning of June 20, 2001, Andrea was left alone with her children for a short period of time. She drowned the children in the bathtub. She confessed to the killings and was sentenced to life imprisonment. However, in a retrial, she was found not guilty by reason of mental insanity. Since then, she has stayed in a mental facility (“Jury: Yates not guilty by reason of insanity”).
The tragic case of Andrea Yates clearly can be interpreted by the general strain theory of criminology. This theory represents a rather simple concept: individuals are more likely to commit crime when faced with strains or stressors in their lives. Often the strains and stressors described revolve around monetary success and financial motives. However, any number of conditions may result in significant strain and stressors on a human being. While there are several forms of strain theory in criminology, the concept of general strain theory evolved from the work of Robert Agnew (Seepersad, 2010).
General strain theory posits that individuals may respond with delinquent behavior when they perceive a significant level of strain and stress in their lives. Often, anger results when an individual believes another person creates adversity for them. In cases when an individual believes that he or she is responsible for the stressful circumstances, the person responds with depression and anxiety (Seepersad, 2010).
However, all strain and stressors in the lives of humans do not result in criminal activity. Agnew believed that some individuals suffer from a lower tolerance to stress than do others. Those who do not display resilience to the stressors and the strains of their lives are more likely to engage in criminal behavior. Furthermore, individuals who lack a strong social support system are also at a higher risk for turning to criminal actions. Personality traits in individuals, such as negative emotionality, also significantly impact whether or not a person engages in crime when under strain (Seepersad, 2010).
Andrea Yates clearly suffered from significant stressors in her life. First, both Andrea and her husband, Rusty, decided to practice the “Quiverfull” religion. The Quiverfull Christianity movement believes that children are a gift from God and therefore, more children are a blessing. Furthermore, many in this movement believe in home schooling, which further puts strain on the family and in particular, the mother. Yates’ significant religious devotions actually masked her psychotic delusions. While she read the Bible at a feverish pace, she actually was experiencing auditory hallucinations as a part of her psychosis. Despite the warnings of medical professionals, Rusty and Andrea continued with their desire to have as many children as possible. Andrea also was under the tutelage of a pastor who advocated that women should be wives and mothers. Since this was the true role of a woman, for Andrea, the stress of living up to the ideal as well as the stress of failing in it created a significant strain in her life. The death of her father appeared to be a final stressor that pushed her fragile mental stability to the breaking point.
Raising a family of five children is stressful for any mother. However, when the woman suffers from severe postpartum depression and psychosis, the strain of motherhood can reach the breaking point. The hormones and chemicals present in the body during postpartum psychosis also create additional stressors and adverse health outcomes for the individual. Andrea Yates should not have sought another pregnancy and childbirth since the stress would create additional psychoses for her. While her husband, Rusty, could not legally be charged with a crime, many individuals in the press and public felt that he was morally responsible for the deaths of his children. He failed to follow the advice of medical professionals concerning the mental stability of his wife. Furthermore, he had been instructed to never allow his wife to be alone with her children. He failed to follow this directive as well (Zolovska & Bursztajn, 2004).
The most tragic aspect of the Andrea Yates case remains that it was a preventable crime. If Andrea and Rusty Yates followed the warnings of her physicians, she may not have underwent another psychotic breakdown. Furthermore, if she had not been given a shallow window of opportunity, she may not have killed the children. Sadly, five young children paid the price for the crimes of others.
