Violence can occur in many ways under a variety of circumstances. Violence can have a huge impact on a wide variety of people. The act of violence stems from the emotion of anger. Everyone experiences a range of emotions from happy and excited to sad and angry, it is part of our biological makeup. However, when the emotion causes us to behave in anti-social ways, we need to understand what drives it and how we can intervene to reduce or prevent it.
The act of violence can be a range of behaviours which stem from emotions and reactions to various stimuli. Psychologists have suggested that acts of violence can be explained as being an extreme response to a normal emotion. This can happen with a range of emotions. For example, everyone feels sad at times but only some develop depression. We all feel angry at times but not everyone resorts to aggression.
However, it is not as simple as this. Because if this were the case, then anger management programs would be 100% effective and they aren’t.
Anger may play an important role in violent behaviour for some. However, it is not necessary or sufficient on its own to cause violence. Other factors such as drug use and mental health problems have been linked to acts of violence. However, there is little evidence to suggest that these things cause violent behaviour. For example, fights at football matches can occur between rival fans, but some people have no interest in the team that attend matches so they can be a part of the violence. They are not angry at the time, not all will be on drugs or have mental health issues. They simply enjoy being violent.
It is unsurprising then, that rehabilitation programs and anger management programs are not 100% effective. Research has established that the most accurate predictors of violent behaviour are gender, age, and a history of involvement in violent acts.
Psychological research has established that there are two types of aggression: Instrumental or Expressive. It was Feshbach who coined these terms in his studies of aggression. Feshbach suggested that Instrumental aggression is defined as the violent act being carried out as a means of achieving something or getting an item. For example, if a thief punched a shopkeeper in the face to steal money from the till or goods, then the act was carried out so that they could achieve another aim. Alternatively, Expressive aggression is driven by emotion and the violent act is carried out as an emotional reaction. For example, if someone batters their partner because they are angry then the violence was the main aim of the act.
Several theories within psychology suggest that we learn how to behave through our experiences. By learning throughout our lives, we develop ways of interpreting and understanding the world and social processes. We have learned things as a young child such as our mother will protect us and feed us. As we grow we learn the positive and negative consequences of our actions. For example, a child might learn that if we kick the dog, their toys are taken away as a punishment or they get shouted at. The same principle can be applied to violence. For example, a person may have learned that when they feel angry and are aggressive to someone it makes the feeling go away. They might learn that if they need money or want an item, they just have to use violence on a person to get it.
This process can be highly dependent on the individual contexts people come into contact with. However, some research has begun to explore what factors can trigger acts of violence. Research with high-risk, violent offenders indicates that low self-esteem, developed from a young age, can play a key role in triggering violent behaviour. For example, a person may have a negative view of themselves and have low self-esteem following a difficult, traumatic, abusive or neglectful childhood. This person may appear confident, even arrogant to other people. Researchers suggest that this is a defence against inward feelings of shame, weakness, vulnerability and inadequacy.
The research in this area has suggested that these feelings are so painful, that if the individual perceives that someone humiliates them or shows them disrespect, they are unable to tolerate it. A violent response restores a sense of self-worth and pride, while also punishing whoever caused that sense of injury or humiliation. It is not yet well established whether this assumption is true across a range of offenders, however, early indicators are hopeful.
As well as psychological explanations of violence, biological explanations also exist. Early in our evolution, violence and aggression have been important in keeping us safe and killing prey to eat. If a person shoots a man, it is a violent crime. However, if a hunter shoots an animal it is survival. It is the same act of shooting. As a species, we have developed a fight or flight response. Our brain shuts down normal functions and reverts to using the sympathetic nervous system. It happens very fast and is beyond our conscious control. We get massive doses of adrenaline and noradrenaline which change our body to prepare to fight for your life. Therefore, if a person feels threatened by real or imagined people, places, or things the automatic process takes over and can result in violence.
Hormones have also previously been suggested to increased acts of violence. Specifically, the hormone testosterone. However, research in this area now accepts that it is not testosterone in isolation that triggers aggression. Increased levels of testosterone have an impact on the amygdala, hypothalamus and periaqueductal grey and can increase aggression levels.
In conclusion, then, research in different areas has shown that several factors can increase aggression and as such impact on violent behaviour. However, it is most likely that aggression and violence are the results of an amalgamation of factors creating the ‘perfect storm’.
