hat biological factors do indeed play an important role in at least some forms of aggression. There are those who believe that aggression is caused by having access to guns, being a victim of abuse at the hands of parents and peers, or by being immersed in a culture that glorifies violence and revenge. But the fact is that there isn't one cause. You need a particular environment imposed on a particular biology to turn a child into an aggressor. The dawning realization of the constant back-and-forth between nature and nurture has resurrected the search for the biological roots of violence (Harris, 1998). Childhood experiences appear to be especially powerful, because a child's brain is more malleable than that of an adult. A young brain is extra vulnerable to hurt in the first years of life. A child who suffers repeated abuse, neglect as well as terror experiences physical changes in his brain. The result is a child who shows impulsive aggression. A child who hits others when made fun of or put down. Other children can become unresponsive when exposed to violence. These children can many times become antisocial. One example of such a child is Kip Kinkel, who murdered both of his parents and injured some school classmates. Opposingly, behaviorist theorists suggest that most behaviors originate through learning processes. Watson thought that people's behavior, whether good or bad could be explained by learning experiences (Nelson, Israel, 1997). In addition to a strong emphasis on learning and environment, Watson was committed to testing ideas by the experimental method (Nelson, Israel, 1997). The law of Effect contributed by E.L. Thorndike, states that behavior is shaped by its consequences. If the consequence is satisfying the behavior will be strengthened in the future; if it is uncomfortable the behavior will be weakened. Thorndike's claims were later substantiated by B. F. Skinner; another well respected leading theorist. During the e...
