Biosocial bases of aggressive and violent behavior--implications for nursing studies.
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.
Liu
Jianghong
J
Social Science Research Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0375, USA. jianghol@usc.edu
Wuerker
Anne
A
D000374:Aggression / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D001689:Biological Psychiatry; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000172:deficiency; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000172:deficiency; D019359:Knowledge; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D020149:Manganese Poisoning / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D008954:Models, Biological; D008960:Models, Psychological; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015399:Nursing Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D011295:Prenatal Care; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011322:Primary Prevention; D011634:Public Health; D012307:Risk Factors; D012701:Serotonin / Q000172:deficiency; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D014754:Violence / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D012701:Serotonin; D002784:Cholesterol; D006854:Hydrocortisone