International Journal of Nursing Studies
Volume 42, Issue 2 , Pages 229-241, February 2005

Biosocial bases of aggressive and violent behavior—implications for nursing studies

  • Jianghong Liu

      Affiliations

    • Social Science Research Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0375, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +1-213-740-6956.
  • ,
  • Anne Wuerker

      Affiliations

    • School of Nursing, University of California, Los Angeles, USA

Received 18 February 2004; received in revised form 13 May 2004; accepted 8 June 2004.

Abstract 

Although aggression and violence have been increasingly viewed as a major public health problem with a biological and health basis, it has been under-researched in the nursing and health context. This paper reviews early biological risk factors for violence. These factors include pregnancy/birth complications, fetal exposure to nicotine, alcohol, and drugs, low cholesterol, malnutrition, lead and manganese exposure, head injuries and brain dysfunction, low arousal, low serotonin, low cortisol, and high testosterone. A biopsychosocial violence mode is proposed. Finally, the paper argues that nursing is ideally placed to develop a new body of knowledge based on a biosocial perspective that can lead to more effective prevention programs for violence.

Keywords: Aggression, Aggressive behavior, Antisocial behavior, Biological risk factors, Biosocial interaction, Delinquency, Prevention, Violence, Crime

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PII: S0020-7489(04)00113-0

doi:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2004.06.007

International Journal of Nursing Studies
Volume 42, Issue 2 , Pages 229-241, February 2005