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Cross‐national variations in violence
Author(s) -
Rahav Giora
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
aggressive behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.223
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 1098-2337
pISSN - 0096-140X
DOI - 10.1002/1098-2337(1990)16:2<69::aid-ab2480160202>3.0.co;2-d
Subject(s) - sociobiology , aggression , argument (complex analysis) , homicide , criminology , property (philosophy) , modernization theory , poison control , psychology , suicide prevention , human factors and ergonomics , social psychology , medical emergency , sociology , political science , medicine , law , epistemology , philosophy , anthropology
This study tries to explain why modernization is positively associated with property offenses, while it is negatively correlated with violent offences. The explanation is based on sociobiology and on the distinction between r and K evolutionary strategies. It is argued that modern societies are more likely to benefit from channeling their aggressive drive to the relatively less serious property crimes. Another derivative from the same theoretical argument is the hypothesis that in modern societies lethal aggression would be directed toward the self (resulting in suicide) rather than toward others (a behavior which would lead to homicide).