Explaining Violence H174, Prevention of Violence in American Society Cheryl L. Holmes Why are humans violent?Answer is not straightforward!No SINGLE answerEven with a single precipitating event, perpetrator has a multitude of reasons for choosing to use violenceA number of factors influence violent behavior * Factors Influencing Violent BehaviorOur behavior is the result of numerous elements that interact and sway our behavior in complex ways.Many factors influence behavior and there is NO ONE factor predictive of behavior.Some factors work consciously; some work subconsciously.No time in history and no location on our planet has been free of violence.Given the same situations, different persons react differently. * EvolutionaryHumans evolved to inhabit a world where violent behavior proved necessary for survival. * ChimpanzeesGenetically humans are most closely related to chimpanzees, sharing 96-99% of the same DNA.Humans are closer genetically to chimps than chimps are to gorillas.Chimpanzee violence can demonstrate the evolutionary root of human violence.Jane Goodall popularized the perception of the peaceful chimpanzee. * ChimpsResearchers have documented chimps:Attack and kill males from rival groupsStalk and ambush males from rival groupsPatrol boundaries of their territory and attack trespassersEngage in raids of rival groups, kill the males, incorporate the females into their groupMale on female violence, similar to human domestic violence.Also attack humans! * Human and Chimp Violence - SimilaritiesChimp violence in general, battering in particular, are largely male perpetrated.Female chimps are less aggressive and less violent than male chimps.Same is true for humans.One of the most consistent patterns of violence: it is mostly perpetrated by males.True the world over.Most violence victims and offenders are men. * Humans and ChimpsOften violence revolves around issues of status and dominance.Once a male chimp achieves high status, his use of violence falls dramatically.Much chimp violence is used to achieve and maintain a higher rank.How does this differ from humans? * Is Everyone Capable of Violent Behavior? Under what circumstance(s) could you become violent? * Evolutionary TheoriesEarly work = faulty researchCrime was perpetrated by DEFECTIVE individuals.Criminals were born not made.Only “nature”, DNA, mattered. * Later ResearchCriminal characteristics are no more common in criminal populations that in the general population.However, these theories have had long term influence.Do we still use physical characteristics and appearance to categorize other people? How? * Like Minded TheoriesViewed crime and violence coming from certain types of individuals and populations.Inherently crime prone and violent.Often feeble minded and defective.Implications of these theories used to justify:RacismDiscriminationOppressionSlaveryGenocide * One example: EugenicsAttempts to.

1. Explaining Violence
H174, Prevention of Violence in American Society
Cheryl L. Holmes
Why are humans violent?Answer is not straightforward!No
SINGLE answerEven with a single precipitating event,
perpetrator has a multitude of reasons for choosing to use
violenceA number of factors influence violent behavior
*
Factors Influencing Violent BehaviorOur behavior is the result
of numerous elements that interact and sway our behavior in
complex ways.Many factors influence behavior and there is NO
ONE factor predictive of behavior.Some factors work
consciously; some work subconsciously.No time in history and
no location on our planet has been free of violence.Given the
same situations, different persons react differently.
*

2. EvolutionaryHumans evolved to inhabit a world where violent
behavior proved necessary for survival.
*
ChimpanzeesGenetically humans are most closely related to
chimpanzees, sharing 96-99% of the same DNA.Humans are
closer genetically to chimps than chimps are to
gorillas.Chimpanzee violence can demonstrate the evolutionary
root of human violence.Jane Goodall popularized the perception
of the peaceful chimpanzee.
*
ChimpsResearchers have documented chimps:Attack and kill
males from rival groupsStalk and ambush males from rival
groupsPatrol boundaries of their territory and attack
trespassersEngage in raids of rival groups, kill the males,
incorporate the females into their groupMale on female
violence, similar to human domestic violence.Also attack
humans!
*

3. Human and Chimp Violence - SimilaritiesChimp violence in
general, battering in particular, are largely male
perpetrated.Female chimps are less aggressive and less violent
than male chimps.Same is true for humans.One of the most
consistent patterns of violence: it is mostly perpetrated by
males.True the world over.Most violence victims and offenders
are men.
*
Humans and ChimpsOften violence revolves around issues of
status and dominance.Once a male chimp achieves high status,
his use of violence falls dramatically.Much chimp violence is
used to achieve and maintain a higher rank.How does this differ
from humans?
*
Is Everyone Capable of Violent Behavior?
Under what circumstance(s) could you become violent?
*

4. Evolutionary TheoriesEarly work = faulty researchCrime was
perpetrated by DEFECTIVE individuals.Criminals were born
not made.Only “nature”, DNA, mattered.
*
Later ResearchCriminal characteristics are no more common in
criminal populations that in the general population.However,
these theories have had long term influence.Do we still use
physical characteristics and appearance to categorize other
people? How?
*
Like Minded TheoriesViewed crime and violence coming from
certain types of individuals and populations.Inherently crime
prone and violent.Often feeble minded and
defective.Implications of these theories used to
justify:RacismDiscriminationOppressionSlaveryGenocide
*

5. One example: EugenicsAttempts to improve human race through
selective breeding, forced sterilization programs, genocide, and
other practices.Holocaust may be the best example of this.
Nazis murdered:6 million Jews5 million others
*
Why Have We Favored These Theories?Can be used to avoid
examining potentially difficult social and economic
issues:RacismDiscriminationPovertySocial inequitiesProvides
an easy solution: “Lock ‘em up and throw away the key!”In
effect, these attitudes can be used to justify policies that
decrease competition for positions in the middle and upper
classes.
*
Neurotransmitters and HormonesSerotoninNeurotransmitter
produced in the brainActs as a chemical messenger allowing
nerve impulses to travel between synaptic gaps Helps signals
over the gap and allows the signal to proceedActs as impulse
inhibitorDeficiency is linked to depression, anxiety, suicide.
Also linked to impulsive, aggressive acts.
Neurotransmitters and HormonesTestosteroneSome have

6. suggested that male aggression is linked to testosterone.Some
animal studies show a strong relationship between testosterone
and aggressionIn humans, the relationship is far more
complicated.Some research has linked higher levels of
testosterone in violent offenders than non-violent offenders.
Some research has not.
Brain InjuriesIncludes lesions of the brain caused by injuries,
tumors and other types of traumaAntisocial and violent
individuals have been evaluated by MRI and PETThese studies
indicate that violent offenders, particularly impulsively
aggressive individuals, often have brain dysfunctions believed
to have predisposed the violent behavior It’s not unreasonable
to expect that someone prone to violence is more likely to
experience head injuries
Psychological FactorsRoy Baumeister and W. Keith
CampbellSuggest that violence has an “intrinsic” appeal for
some peopleRisk taking behavior provides thrills, kicks,
excitement to the bored
Psychological FactorsBaumeister and Campbell (cont.)Three
reasons why violence can be enjoyableSadismGratification from
performing high risk, potentially destructive
behaviorSatisfaction gained from harming someone who has
damaged your self image
Psychological FactorsStress and violenceCertain minority

7. groups are overrepresented as both perpetrators and victims of
crimeIncludes homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assaultBlack
victimization rates uniformly exceed that of whites
Psychological FactorsPatterns largely due to overrepresentation
of minority communities among the poor where they suffer
economic deprivation, discrimination, and racismViolence is not
distributed equally across our society; it occurs more frequently
among some groups and in some locations
Psychological FactorsChronic stress puts tremendous strain on
organs and systemsShort term OKLong term, wears out our
body’s ability to reactViolence in poor communities may result,
at least in part, from a declining ability to cope with stressful
life situations
Economic DeprivationSince early 20th century, found poor
neighborhoods have higher rates of violence than those with
higher incomesBut most poor people don’t engage in
crime/violenceScholars believe inequality (relative deprivation)
is linked to violence
Economic Deprivation 2 Greater the gap between haves and
have-nots, greater likelihood of violenceMuch research
indicates most powerful predictor of homicide rates between
cities, states, counties, is the income inequality between rich
and poor (51)

8. Strain TheoryContend that blocked or frustrated needs and
desires may result in criminality and violencePoor people are
under strain when they are denied access to conventional and
legitimate means of success
*
Merton’s anomie – a state of anomie would result when
individuals live under conditions where legitimate means are
not available to meet societal goals.
Anomie: social instability resulting from a breakdown of
standards and values; also : personal unrest, alienation, and
uncertainty that comes from a lack of purpose or ideals
Social Learning TheoryViolent behavior is learnedLearn
through:ConditioningReinforcementImitationModeling
Social Learning Theory 2Individuals learn to respond
aggressively and violently when they –Are rewarded for
it,Observe it, Are victimized by it, andWhen they don’t develop
strong personal connections with others.
Social Learning Theory 3Differential Association TheoryIf you
associate with individuals and groups who use violence and
have attitudes supporting and justifying the use of violence,
then you are more likely to engage in violence yourself.Friends,

9. family, and acquaintances teach not only techniques of violence
but motivations and attitudes supporting that behavior.
Social Learning Theory 4Violent media images:Help teach us
how to interpret and react to conflictual situations and make a
violent reaction more likely.Desensitize people to
violence.Lower our threshold of acceptance to violent
behavior.Increase the chances we will resort to violent
behavior.
Cycle of ViolenceIntergenerational Transmission of Violence
Theory.Literature on domestic violence consistently finds that
those who are witness to or experience violence and abuse as
children are more likely to perpetrate it or fall victim to it as
adults. Risk of chronic disease increases for them as well.