Essay about The Brain and The Origins Of Violence

Is The Brain To Blame? Searching For The Origins Of Violence From the dawning of man, violence has always been one of the defining characteristics of humankind. Throughout all of history we see evidence of mans tendencies toward acting violently in response to his emotions - everything from anger, fear, to just plain enjoyment. But to where can we trace the true origin of violence, the place where it all begins? Does the root of violence stem from societal and cultural values or can we point the finger at a deeper cause, one with a neurobiological basis? Can we successfully predict the violent tendencies in individuals, and if so, how? And if there is a biological basis for violent behavior, where does that leave our society and our†¦show more content†¦From the amount of school shootings that have occurred in the past 5 years, as well as a plethora of unpublicized acts of intimidation, threat, and simple assault occurring in the classroom, it is reasonable to conclude that for many young children, school is not the safe haven that it was once believed to be. Instead, it is a place of constant fear, where the possibility of harm is an undeniable threat. In places where violence in the community is not a threat, children are still bathed with violent images at every turn, simply at the click of a button. Now more than ever the media has been flooded with aggressive acts ranging from the punches and kicks of the newest videogame, to the gruesome murders of the last big-screen thriller. It has also been estimated that by the time a child turns 18, he or she will have viewed at least 200,000 acts of violence on television (1). Even if the child has grown up with a solid, emotional and social background, he is still vulnerable to these overwhelming displays of media violence and is often left with a greater tendency towards aggressive and antisocial behavior (1). For those who do experience violence in the household, watching these powerful acts on television serves to reinforce the cultural values they see modeled in their everyday lifestyles (1). But for the majority of children, the greatest threat of exposure to violence comes from the home. In a 1995 FBI report, it was concluded that 27% of all violentShow MoreRelatedBrain Dysfunction913 Words   |  4 Pages Brain Dysfunction in Criminal Behavior Jose Luis Abreu CRJ308: Psychology of Criminal Behavior (BLG1319A) Instructor: Cheryl Cabero May 27th, 2013 Brain Dysfunction in Criminal Behavior After viewing the ABC video â€Å"The Brain and Violence: Secrets of Your Mind† I do believe that people are predisposed to violence. 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