There are many factors that come into play when it comes to violent behaviour. Whether or not violent behaviour is inherent within us when we are born, or whether it is learned as we are raised, is something that still occupies the minds of psychologists everywhere. What makes somebody violent? Indeed, what makes somebody violent to the point of murder? This is a question that has still yet to be answered by psychologists. Of course we could hypothesize and give any number of reasons as to why, and how violent behaviour begins, but are the clues they provide truly to our satisfaction? In this short article I shall endeavour to the best of my ability, to at least touch upon some of the reasons I believe that violent behaviour is connected to both our birth {genetics} and to how we are raised.
A child raised within a family that is, at best unloving, shows no care or attention to its needs or wants, is neglectful or blase as to where that child is when it is out, bares all the hallmarks of potential violent behaviour being continued within the child. When the child is cussed at, at every given opportunity, is abused both mentally and physically and is starved of love and attention, then one could well say and maybe predict, that that child will carry on the cycle both during childhood and in later life too.
In this day and age where feral youths are running rampage through our city centres, or hanging around on street corners causing trouble, is it any wonder that the older generation stop and stare in fear and trepidation, wondering where it has all gone wrong? When parents {who in some cases themselves are kids now, and have been classed as kids having kids} don’t care enough about their own actions within the home of the child, then it is only a short step before the child themselves copy what they see at home. Because all they have known within their short lives is violence, both physically and mentally toward them then they give it back.
It is normal, and it is the only life they have known. Indeed, their behaviour becomes the ‘norm’ for them and the breakup of society begins in them, within their homes. Indeed, it begins with the parents, who couldn’t give a damn, and ends in the children, who couldn’t care less either way what happens to them. When the fear of authority is taken out of the equation then is there really any hope at all?
But, what if the child is born and brought up in a loving family? With strong family values to guide its way through life how can they possibly go wrong? If a child is raised in such conditions, a loving, caring family home, but yet still shows signs of violent behaviour at an early age, you then have to look at the root cause. Indeed, some of the cause for violent behaviour could be down to the additives in our food. Much food nowadays is processed, and this processed food can, in some cases, trigger off violent mood swings in people.
This is a fact due to studies that have been done in the past. The same could be said for violent films, or video games, somebody who is easily led could carry out what they see on the screen and be influenced by it, A simple case of changing the diet of a child, normally works when it comes to food, and lessens their violent urges.. But what about games and films? There is such a plethora of violent films and PC Games that again, their influence is strong within the minds of those that play and watch them. But that is not the question, the question is whether or not violent behaviour is with us when we are born?
Violence in fact, is a natural thing to possess. It dates back thousands of years, maybe millions of years to Neanderthal Man and beyond. It is a natural form of defence {to defend we have to attack} and was used by Early Man, as a tool in order to hunt for food, and territory. But, if we are saying that violence is born with us, it stands to reason that the question has to be asked, about psychosis. It has been long known in medical circles that if somebody within the family in the past, suffered with a mental genetic disorder, then chances would be that any children in the future would also suffer with the same condition. Indeed, serial killers are a very interesting study in this.
One has to say that thousands of us have maybe been brought up in conditions that where far worse than I have written about above, and yet have not become violent in any way shape or form {let alone murder}. This is a mystery that has still yet to be cracked. The abuse some of us maybe have suffered in the past, the physical, sexual, mental or violent abuse, is to the large part, ‘hidden’ away from the outside world.
Only within the last 20 years or so has the full extent of such abuse been brought to the fore. Indeed, a paradox has been allowed to fester and grow here, for when someone as a child is constantly punished and then told, it is for ‘their own good’, that breeds confusion within the mind of the child. A situation then arises in which the child then begins to equate punishment as being ‘good’. Serial killers who have been interviewed often said that they killed the victims for ‘their own good’.
So, to sum up: I would have to say that the answer to the title of this piece cannot really be answered to a satisfactory end. This is simply because violent behaviour in the home really does have an affect on a person, and shapes how they view themselves and others during their lifetime. Also the question of being born and carrying around the stigma of violence has again never been answered fully. Psychosis plays a part here, {especially if it runs in the family, genetic} and this has to be looked at and studied fully for us to reach any type of conclusion to this subject.
