Research within the social-stress paradigm, for example, has consistently found that stressful life events contribute to the onset and course of mental disorder (Aneshensel, 1992; Lin, Ye & Ensel, 1999; Thoits, 1995; Turner & Lloyd, 1999; Vaux, 1988). Theories and a number of studies from the field of criminology furthermore suggest that stressful life events are important mechanisms in understanding crime, delinquency and suicide attempts (Agnew, 1992; Dube et al., 2001). However, less is known about why these associations exist or how these mechanisms work. Despite the implications for social policy in education, criminal justice, and mental health, exactly how strain and other environmental factors translate into outcomes such as risky behaviour is not well understood.