1 Crime and Violence: Forces for Good or Evil? Lecture Four Biological Influences

2 What do we know so far…? It is really hard to define violence Violence is difficult to quantify

3 Recap The act itself The relationship of the participants to each other The location of the act The outcome Social rules – because different rules apply in different situations Social roles – because who we are might determine how we act Social power

4 Causes of Violence Is it natural?

5 Brain dysfunction In 1966, Charles Whitman killed his wife and mother and 14 people from a tower on the University of Texas campus. He had a large brain tumour in the part of the brain where aggression processing is believed to be located (Meyers, D. G. (1998). Psychology (5th ed.). New York: Worth). Link between serotonin and aggression

6 Bad, sad or mad? Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Psychopaths - glib and superficial; egocentric and grandiose; to lack remorse or guilt; to lack empathy; to be deceitful and manipulative; and to have shallow emotions.

7 Jack Abbott killed a waiter John Wayne Gacy murdered thirty-three young men and boys Kenneth Taylor battered his wife to death Aggression instinct - Konrad Lorenz

8 Sociobiology (See Demonic Males Apes and the Origins of Human Violence) srv/style/longterm/books/chap1/demonicmale s.htm srv/style/longterm/books/chap1/demonicmale s.htm

9 Hormones – a gendered biology? Adrenaline testosterone Testosterone levels in women prisoners: htm htm Dr Michel Odent– oxytocin