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A
man's world
Violence is a common feature of
most societies. Statistically, we know that it's
predominantly a male characteristic, particularly
one of young males. In England and Wales for
example, more than 90 per cent of violent
offenders are male, and half of those are aged
between 17 and 24. So why are men, and
particularly young men, so prone to acts of
violence?
Natural-born fighters
One theory, known as the instinct
hypothesis, proposes that aggression is a natural
instinct, and has the biological function of
ensuring the proper spacing of animals, thereby
helping to maintain the stability of the group.
The originator of this idea, Conrad Lorenz,
observed that members of the same species were
aggressive towards each other when they were
subject to specific threats. He believed that
violent instincts in man are normally expressed in
a socially approved way in the modern world, for
example through sport, and that failure to find
such expression leads to undesirable aggressive
acts.
Driven mad
Another view is the
frustrated-drive theory. Put simply, this states
that aggression arises as a result of the
frustration of not getting one's own way. In other
words, when an individual is prevented from
achieving a goal, this leads to frustration and,
possibly, aggression/violence. The degree of
aggression that results from this frustration
depends on how important the person perceives
their goal to be, and on the number of times they
have been thwarted in achieving it. Frustration
may not necessarily lead to aggression if other
inhibiting forces are present, such as awareness
of the anticipated consequences of aggression (eg
punishment). And aggression, when it occurs, may
be displaced onto objects other than the
frustrating agent (eg kicking a cat when you're
actually angry with the cat's owner).
This view may explain some aspects
of aggression but it cannot account for the whole
picture. Frustration leads to different responses
in different people. Some respond with dejection
and resignation, others with a positive, active
effort to overcome whatever barriers are in their
way. This theory also fails to explain some types
of violence, including sadistic acts or those
carried out in defence of a reputation.
Chemical reaction
So, if violent acts are not simply
the result of frustration due to external stimuli,
perhaps we need to look at the human body
(particularly the male |
