Is Violence Genetic or Environmental?
Over the centuries, violence — in any shape or form — has increasingly affected many in a negative light. In relation to nature, violence as a whole is very prevalent in our day-to-day lives. It is often promoted in sports and in video games, which many have a problem with, as it is not only encouraging negative behaviour but is also keeping them secluded inside and not out socializing. Socioeconomic statuses (SES) can also push someone to become aggressive due to where they fall on the spectrum. It is believed that ones genetic makeup dictates whether or not a person would have aggressive tendencies towards others. I believe that another reason as to why people are or become violent, and that is because an individual’s environmental upbringing can influence their behaviour. Therefore, I have come to the understanding that there are strong correlations between sports and video games, socioeconomic status, and an individual’s upbringing.
Sports and video games are seen as a form of entertainment. From watching the games to keeping up with your favourite teams, or to kick your feet up and relax after a long day at work, different attitudes have been formed about both. One can see them as fun and engaging for all, while others may feel they involve too much violence, or are setting a bad example for the children of today. I feel as if both attitudes have a point, depending on the sport they are watching and the video game they are playing. Most sports that are televised don’t come across as violent, however, UFC can be seen as a very aggressive, but organized sport. I never really understood why people were so intrigued by two professional fighters throwing punches at one another to try and win, and I still don’t but it gave me the sense that maybe organized fighting isn’t the problem. Maybe it is the aftermath of watching a match, depending on the setting you are in. I work at a local restaurant and customers would ask why we don’t televise fighting of any kind. I later found out that we don’t because it is a family friendly restaurant and also if you have been drinking and are watching a fight, you are more likely to start or engage in a fight than if you had not been watching in the first place. Video games can be very educational or very violent, again depending on the games selected. One game that really made me question whether they were good or bad was Call of Duty. This is because the game encourages you to kill people and zombies multiple times when and if they are coming after you or you are pursuing them. This game alone out of many, leads me to believe that this can cause violent behaviour at a very young age.
Ones socioeconomic status can play a big role in a person’s life and whether or not they will become a violent individual. If a person feels inferior to others due to not being able to afford certain luxuries, or being able to follow their career path, one will/may experience a sense of strain. Merton’s Strain Theory explains that frustration can come from not being able to achieve certain goals you have made. When not being able to attain these goals, you feel a sense of judgement, which can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy. This can lead to the individual doing whatever it takes to reach that final goal and violence always seems to be the answer to their problems.
Lastly, whether you are born or learn to be violent is one of the biggest controversies of all time. Your genetic makeup makes you who you are, but does not mean a violent trait will necessarily be passed down through the generations. I strongly believe ones environmental upbringing plays a big role in whether someone has a sense of aggressiveness or not. Children are like sponges — what they see, they do — depending on the environment, the behaviours can be good or bad but that is how they learn and grow. Children don’t only follow after their parents or guardians; they pick up on these behaviours from everyone they interact with making it that much easier for them to learn these bad behaviours and start acting the way they think is normal. Nonetheless, if you come from a violent environment, it does not automatically make you a violent person; many grow up in these situations and are able to turn their lives around.
Therefore, I see violence as something we all potentially contribute to through our actions but environmental upbringing being the main contributor. Through this course I would like to further understand the multifaceted reasons as to why aggression, agitation, and or violent behaviours are expressed and how global interventions could be implemented to decrease or eradicate violence.
