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Crime and Violence: Forces for Good or Evil?

Crime and Violence: Forces for Good or Evil?. Lecture Four Biological Influences. What do we know so far…?. It is really hard to define violence Violence is difficult to quantify. Recap. The act itself The relationship of the participants to each other The location of the act

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Crime and Violence: Forces for Good or Evil?

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  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) • http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/books/chap1/demonicmales.htm

  9. Hormones – a gendered biology? • Adrenaline • testosterone • Testosterone levels in women prisoners: • http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1997/09/970927110900.htm • Dr Michel Odent– oxytocin • http://www.birthpsychology.com/violence/odent1.html

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