Are Genocides, Massacres the Main Traits in Human Nature - Literature review Example

Forensic Psychology and Criminal Investigation number PART Introduction: Theodosius Dobzhansky held, “Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution” (Dobzhansky, 1964). Genocides, massacres and other forms of violence have characterized human nature since the inception of the world. The lingering question here is that if violence is such a core part of human nature through evolution, then why we exhibit emotions antithesis to it, such as empathy. Is violence a core part of human nature through evolution? Undoubtedly, violence is not an acquired trait but an innate human reaction rooted in the folds of our brains, caused from the inter-play between genes and environment. However, predictable and stable patterns of violence can be best explained through evolutionary history (Staub, 1989). The presence of genetic pre-programming for violent attitude resultant from evolution is undeniable; however, it the particular environment that determines how and if that biological programming will be triggered. The evolution of aggression in humans has escalated their probability of survival, defense, and reproduction. While there are numerous grounds for this notion, the most powerful lies in the fact that humans today exhibit unimaginable levels of violence from street crimes to wars. Humankind is the only specie that exercises premeditated homicide and war on all. The facts that humans practice can and do practice violence in forms that other animals do not has led to theorists to conclude that this violence, this inner beast, is indeed a component of evolutionary heritage. Why has empathy evolved to counter balance aggression and violence? A research into the brain structure of empathy has revealed that surprisingly the brain circuits that arouse empathy are the same as those that rouse violence (Moya-Albiol, Herrero, & Bernal, 2010). Thus, promoting empathy inhibits violence as the movement of neurons in one way decreases their activity in the other direction. In plain terms, it is hard for an empathetic brain to act violently. Hence, encouraging and educating people to adopt a more empathetic attitude could in effect reduce conflicts and violence. Moreover, empathy might be an autonomous act yet it produces evolutionary beneficial results in the longer span. Many researched believe that humans perform altruistic acts to reap return-benefits later. These theories emphasize that actions for gaining instant advantages are widespread; however, the return-benefits of empathetic behavior are beyond human cognition. In other words, humans gain so distantly in time from altruism that they fail to connect with them (De Waal, 2008). Furthermore, empathy has helped humankind to survive by being considerate towards its offspring. In addition, co-operation with healthy, competent mates has human species to survive as well as thrive. Thus, empathizing with them is a matter of enlightened self-purpose. Conclusion: Plato remarked while comparing a human soul to a chariot “the intellect is the driver and the emotions are the horses”. Indeed, life is a continual strife to keep the sentimental side in check. These innate traits at most give us a sense of direction and what can be done (Decety & Lamm, 2006). However, they do not decide our particular attitude in any aspect. Humans are capable of violence but they are flexible enough to be directed towards violence or non-violence through the process of socialization. In principle, empathy and violence both have evolved in a way to let humankind thrive and survive. PART 2 Youth like Thomas Davies are driven towards violence due to myriad reasons such as the following: 1. Family Factors Undeniably, family immensely influences children’s perception and attitude. The degree of closeness between parents and children in combination with parenting techniques’ are of fundamental importance (Dekovic, Janssens, & Van As, 2003). Unfortunately, Davies was devoid of such attention as he quotes, “Me dad was drunk half the time. And me mum didnt care much for us children”. Studies have revealed that individuals who are on bad terms with their parents are more susceptible to delinquency. Negative family terms caused Davies to runaway and engage in delinquency as he recalls about his mother, “See she kept blaming him, so I lost my temper and she threw me out”. In addition, studies have demonstrated increased risk of delinquency amongst males who witness frequent, vicious family conflicts (Farrington, Loeber, Yin, & Anderson, 2002). This is illustrated in the case of Davies as he recalls, “I seen him knock her on to the ground kick her, punch her face, make her mouth bleed. If I tried to stop him then hed whack me as well”. These early on violent conflicts between his parents ensued in Davies adopting such a role himself. 2. School Factor Various studies have concluded that committed students are less prone to delinquency in comparison to nonchalant students (Hirschi, 1969). This point is supported by considering Davies academic record, “I started dipping out of lessons...I never took any exams”. Additionally, it has been proven that disciplinary measures such as suspension or expulsion have shown to result in increased delinquency instead of curtailing misbehavior. Bilchik proved that suspended boys ended up doing more delinquent crimes, perhaps because of idle time at their disposal (Bilchik, 1999). This point is verified by considering Davies’ expulsion, which proved to be his first step towards delinquency. He quotes, “I started dipping out of lessons; started hanging out with wrong crowd. Wed be gone from school for several days at a time; smoking and drinking, shoplifting at times”. Within 3 years, he “left school” 3. Community Factor Community plays an imperative role in shaping a child’s behavior, by delineating acceptable social norms. Hence, a child brought up in an area with high criminal activity will perceive that behavior as ordinary and acceptable; thus, adopt it (McCord, C.S., & Crowell, 2001). In addition, the social behavior that governs a particular neighborhood affects the crime rate. For instance, “all sorts of stuff being passed around” signifies that drug abuse was rampant in the community Davies lived in. Likewise, living up to social expectations led to Davies’ first delinquent conviction, “See me mates said that I wouldnt dare do it, so I proved them wrong”. Moreover, a lack of trust in the police also escalates the vulnerability of victims to criminal offences, as the offender believes that the crime will go unreported; thus, he will go unpunished. Davies got encouraged towards delinquency after witnessing that ever day low profile crimes do not result in punitive measures, “police took no action on that”. He was of the opinion that such thefts go unreported, “Maybe if the buzzies lost a few pounds, the jails would be more full”. This in turn escalated his tendency towards violent crimes. 4. Antisocial Behavior and Victimization Certain subcultures advocate retaliation and violence to deal with conflicts; thereby, victims may turn into offenders and vice-versa (Singer, 1981). Unfortunately, Davies lived under such a culture as he narrates “one of me mates was trying to take the mickey out of me because I got caught, and we ended up in a fight”. To him, his actions seemed justified as he quotes, “But it was more of an equal thing”. Additionally, victimization and insecurity develop a chronic threat, which drives an individual towards defiant attitude (Schwab-Stone, et al., 1995). After feeling victimized by his boss, David unconsciously pointed the knife towards him, “I was just so annoyed at the time; self-defense, I suppose”. Development of Violent Behavior A study conducted by Bowers, Smith and Binney provided great insight into the minds of bully-victims (Bowers, Smith, & Binney, 1994). They study concluded that bully-victims were being brought up under an unloving, unsupervised, undisciplined parenting. The victimization results from the lack of family support. Davies, a bully victim at the hands of his two elder sisters found himself powerless as his mother, “started hitting me before she found out what the truth was”. This played a crucial role in turning him into a delinquent as he learnt to use violence for self-interest and defense. His childhood experiences together with victimization fostered anti-social behavior in him. Studies have revealed where individuals resort to defensive aggression or revenge in the face of victimization. Additionally, it has been proven for youth to react antisocially when figures of authority such as teachers or parents fail to protect them. Following this principle, Davies took matters into his own hands, when no teacher protected him as he narrates, “fighting with another boy after he showed me up in front of group of girls”. Moreover, a deplorable environment desensitizes youth towards violence; thus, accelerating the probability of involvement in high-risk activities. From the interview, it can be construed that Davies lived in a community where drug use, thefts, beating were ordinary matters. This in combination with his father’s violent attitude desensitized him. Overall, it can be concluded that family ignorance and victimization ultimately turned Davies into a delinquent. References Bilchik, S. (1999). Violence After School. Washington: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Bowers, L., Smith, P. K., & Binney, V. (1994). Perceived Family Relationships of Bullies, Victims and Bully/Victims in Middle Childhood. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships , 215-232. De Waal, F. B. (2008). Putting the Altruism Back into Altruism: The Evolution of Empathy. Annual Review of Psychology , 279-300. Decety, J., & Lamm, C. (2006). Human Empathy Through the Lens of Social Neuroscience. The Scientific World journal , 1147-1149. Dekovic, M., Janssens, J. M., & Van As, N. M. (2003). Family predictors of antisocial behavior in adolescence. Journal of Early Adolescence , 223-235. Dobzhansky, T. (1964). Biology, Molecular and Organismic. American Zoologist , 443-452. Farrington, D. P., Loeber, R., Yin, Y., & Anderson, S. (2002). Are within-individual causes of delinquency the same as between-individual causes? Criminal Behavior and Mental Health , 53–68. Hirschi, T. (1969). Causes of delinquency. Berkeley: University of California Press. McCord, J., C.S., W., & Crowell, N. (2001). Juvenile Crime, Juvenile Justice. Panel on Juvenile Crime: Prevention, Treatment, and Control. National Acadmey Press: Washington, D.C. Moya-Albiol, L., Herrero, N., & Bernal, M. (2010). Bases neuronales de la empatía. Revista de Neurología , 89-100. Schwab-Stone, M. E., Ayers, T. S., Wesley, K., Voyce, C., Barone, C., Shriver, T., et al. (1995). No safe haven: A study of violence exposure in an urban community. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry , 1343-1352. Singer, S. (1981). A review of some research . Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology , 188-779. Staub, E. (1989). The origins of genocides and mass killings: core concepts. In E. Staub, The Roots of Evil: The Origins of Genocide and Other Group Violence (pp. 13-33). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Read More