This very topic is heavily debated. Allow me to shed some light from my point of view and, hopefully, instill some actual thought on the subject, some real research and knowledge found, not just conjectured theories or subjective ideals. This is only touching base on a few ideas, it may be greater expressed upon.
The argument has been ongoing for years that there may be the possibility of a misfiring of the electrons within the brain itself, it’s very hardwiring, of those who have been found to be violent offenders, serial murders, rapists and those who have committed domestic violence. True, it is said that the largest portion of these are men. I feel this is wrong. I feel woman are just as subjective, to violent acts, perhaps even more so, than men. Let me explain how.
Women have a rage and fury deep within themselves that is often very hard to control. I mean every single woman, due, in part, to hormonal imbalances. The change of these hormonal imbalances are constant and in chaotic construct. This, of course, will lead to mental imbalance. Some would say women are more apt to ‘silently’ kill, by use of poisons, I say women are more apt to do more hands-on violence, especially in the act of murder. Women, in my opinion, are also more apt to make their victim suffer to a greater extent and for a longer period of time, especially if she feels she has been slighted in some way, including but not exclusively matters of the heart or the protection of her family or those she cares a great deal for. Women also plan out, in most cases, to a greater extent than men will, they will think of every possible variable, affording them the luxury of either never getting caught for their deeds or not for a great length of time after the fact, normally caught because she made the mistake of trusting someone else in her plan or used overkill.
So why is it that women are able to control these imbalances that violent men seem to have no control over? The answer to me is simple, Conditioning. From the time the girl is born she is taught to act this way or another and how to conduct herself. Essentially teaching her how to hide what she is feeling. She is taught that it is wrong to show her rage. In some of these girls, they grow up penting up their anger, having it eat at them their entire lives until one day, a trigger sets them off, especially when coupled with some other physiological or neurological disruption, in many cases, these being post traumatic syndrome or even premenstrual syndrome. In a few other cases certain things such as their loved one cheating them in some way or leaving them, or even negative things that happened to them in childhood or some other stresser will set it off. This does not mean all women are natural born killers or will ever harm anyone, but that, same as men, can be at any time if they are without the element of control over self and mind.
Whereas men are taught from birth to “cowboy up”, to “be a man not a sissy”. Basically to not show any emotion except aggression. This many may confuse with violence, as it is a similar emotion and many do not have the hardwiring to recognize the difference. The “hunter/gatherer/protector” element may have to do with the same.This is the case in many households and family units from what I have observed. In my opinion, both of these methods are wrong. There should be no difference in treatment between the sexes.
But what if there truly is a misfiring in the brain? What would be the cause? Could it have been made on a molecular level? Genetic? Could it be true that some are “just born evil”? I don’t’ think so. I believe in personal responsibility. This means that each and every one of us is personally responsible for each and every one of our actions or inactions. Why? Because we each choose whether to do or not to do something. We may have precursors, be they genetic, encoded DNA, learned, or perhaps learned survival by situation or circumstance.
In the end, it is we who choose, it is not chosen for us. There is no scary monster in some fiery pit to blame it on, it is simply our own.
Now for the question of what makes one violent as opposed to aggressive. Very simple once again, choice. Let us take the Alpha personality for example. Why are they so much more aggressive and driven than their siblings or the Beta? Conditioned that way along with, perhaps for some, they have the genetic coding to be so. Since no study has actually been done on this, it can only be presumption and nothing more as far as it being stated for fact. Perhaps only the first-born is given this certain gene or coding. Whatever that case may be, I feel it is conditioning and a taught trait. They are taught to be more independent, self-sufficient, and responsible. Aggressive and responsible, to be violent would be irresponsible.
As for what makes one violent; I feel it is mainly societal and cultural, as well as religious, and yes, also have the precursors for violence. But why is it that so much pleasure is taken in it? Perhaps it fulfills some inadequacies that one feels within themselves and violence and control, makes someone fear them, or fills them with a sense of power over that person or animal for what they, in their own lives, do not have. Perhaps they are simply fed up with being or feeling they are mistreated or ignored, invisible. I have noticed many of these are generally a combination of physiological, neurological and societal.
Let us look at the serial murderer. It is a combination of a set of all three of these, physiological along with neurological precursors in which are normally set off or put into place by some variation of sociological disruptions or circumstances. But if that be the case, they would have zero ability to control at all. Not being able to organize, plan, put into motion any successful action such as the choosing of the victim, the period of stalking, the successful abduction, the control of him/herself while the victim is in actual physical reachability, the torture, sexual, physical or otherwise, staving off of the actual murder of said victim and the actual disposal of the corpse. All these take great mental stability, patience and control. So all this about it being out of their control or htt they can’t ‘help’ themselves or have no choice, in my view, is plain and simply imbecilic. Take a look at all the control they must have to be so methodical, patient and in complete control over themselves, for this reason I say it is no more than and excuse, bovine feculence.
In the end my opinion is; whatever the circumstance, condition, precursors is, self-responsibility and self-accountability, no excuses. If someone commits a violent offence, do not let him or her out of the full punishment deserved based on some fecal fed excuse about how they are unable to have control. If they can control themselves to commit the act, which each of us is, than they must pay to the full extent of the crime they committed.
