Youth Violence Research Paper

1564 Words7 Pages

'Discuss and Evaluate Possible Factors That Might Contribute Towards Youth Violence'
Introduction
There are many various theories explaining why certain individuals may engage in violence, some focus on the individual and biological or psychological disorders they may have, while others focus on environmental factors such as poverty or social inequality. Psychologists, Sociologists and Anthropologists alike aim to identify possible causes of violent behaviour in youths in order to apply this information to the real world so work can be undertaken in order to prevent this violence occurring be it through treatment, punishment or rehabilitation.
Biosocial Theories
Nutrition
Research has suggested that nutritional deficiencies caused by lack of …show more content…

The reduction of sweets and sugary drinks in a juvenile facility resulted in a 45% decrease in institutional violence (Schoenthaler and Doraz, 1983). However, earlier research has implied that sugar can reduce aggression due to its calming effects (Gray, 1986). An explanation of this contradiction is that the way an individual's brain processes glucose may influence whether sugar will cause anti-social behaviour. People with hypoglycaemia require higher than average amounts of sugar due to the fact that the glucose in their system easily falls below the level needed for normal brain functioning. If it falls below this level, the individual may experience depression, insomnia, mood swings and so on. Many studies have found significant relationships between hypoglycaemia and violence such as homicide and assault and research into inmates have found higher than average levels of hypoglycaemia amongst particularly violent inmates (Seigel and McCormick, …show more content…

Additionally, it was found that a disproportionate number of women committed crimes during the premenstrual phase (Fishbein, 2001). Despite this research, the majority of women experience their menstrual cycle monthly and do not engage in excessively violent behaviour so it is questionable whether hormonal changes can truly account for violence in