Deleted member 6403
Made It Out The Hood
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Most crimes of violence are in some sense crimes of passion which means that they often lack objective motivation but are committed for emotional reasons. According to police reports of homicides in Detroit, the majority were classified as “trivial altercation” incidents (1). This means that a fight erupted over some trivial matter such as who jostled whom in a crowded bar, or who was next in line to play pool.
So as far as the police are concerned, most murders are essentially over nothing! Evolutionary psychologists believe that the men were really fighting over face, or status. A young man who backs down in such situations is mocked as a coward and loses status amongst peers.
The real problem about walking away from such confrontations is that a youth who loses in this way is less attractive to women.
Research suggested that young men join gangs so as to obtain sexual access to women. Gang members had more sex partners than non gang members (2). Moreover gang leaders, who got their positions through ruthless aggression, had more partners than rank-and-file members.
The context of violent crime is sexual competition, the motivation for violence is also (indirectly) sexual. What of biology?
The impact of biology relates both to brain development and to the impact of sex hormones at puberty and thereafter.
TLDR: Violence is a part of survival and reproduction of many species including us
So as far as the police are concerned, most murders are essentially over nothing! Evolutionary psychologists believe that the men were really fighting over face, or status. A young man who backs down in such situations is mocked as a coward and loses status amongst peers.
The real problem about walking away from such confrontations is that a youth who loses in this way is less attractive to women.
Research suggested that young men join gangs so as to obtain sexual access to women. Gang members had more sex partners than non gang members (2). Moreover gang leaders, who got their positions through ruthless aggression, had more partners than rank-and-file members.
The context of violent crime is sexual competition, the motivation for violence is also (indirectly) sexual. What of biology?
The impact of biology relates both to brain development and to the impact of sex hormones at puberty and thereafter.
TLDR: Violence is a part of survival and reproduction of many species including us
