Violence Nursing 509 Summer, 2007

Challenge of defining violence or aggression Range of acts and behavior constituting violence Mixture of factors –Heredity, hormones, stress/life experiences –Exposure to media –Violence life experiences –Social and cultural influences

Violent behavior likely stems from an interaction among an individual’s psychosocial development, genetics, neurological and hormonal differences, social processes and learning. Taking an epigenetic perspective violence is a complex interaction among neural and social development, neural plasticity and social systems….

Definitions Violent behavior is defined as overt and intentional physically aggressive behavior against another person. Can be impulsive or premeditated Premeditated can be either predatory or pathological

6 dimensions used to analyze violent behavior verbal or physical direct or indirect active or passive

Correlates of violent behavior Substance use disorders Urine tests show positive for illicit drugs in 37 to 59% of males arrested for violent crimes Urine tests show positive for alcohol in 40% of homicides Major Mental Disorders 4% risk for violence crimes –Frequently co-morbid with ETOH –Risk in persons who stop taking medications Personality Disorders

Correlates of violent behavior, continued Brain Injuries –Frontal or temporal lobes Failure of inhibitory control (gage) Fetal Alcohol sydrome Brain Disorders –Dementia –Mental retardation Victims of child abuse –1/3 grow up to continue pattern of neglectful, abusive parents. Attachment disturbance

Etiology Social biology Biological/genetic Psychoanalytic model: Freud Learning Theory: Bandura Approach ‑ avoidance: Thorndyke, Hull & Spence, Guthrie Pro ‑ Feminist

Social biology Aggression and violence adaptative responses, instinctual. (exclude predation) Lorenz: universality of fighting among all species. Aggression evolved as a mechanism of species survival. Intraspecies aggression: adaptative evolution functions, promotes survival of the fittest with consequent genetic benefit to species. Animals attack when challenged or fearful Maternal defense aggression Intermale territorial aggression

Seven kinds of aggression Predatory Competitive dominance Defensive and maternal-protective Hostile Defensive conquest of territory Sex related Can be impulsive or premeditated Premeditated can be either predatory or pathological social aggression is another term for competitive dominance