A violent brain is caused by a combination of factors: some environmental, others genetic. It is extremely difficult to pinpoint one area of a person’s life that causes them to act violent. Violence is constantly all over the news, media, and has been the unfortunate cause of school shootings.

While most people (myself included) prefer not to watch the news coverage of negative acts of violence in our society, it is not a problem that can easily be ignored. There are always ways that we can help each other and one of the ways is helping others boost their brain power! To get an idea of where violence comes from, I did a little bit of research.

Some quick facts about violence:

  • Violence is caused by a complex combination of factors – Violent behavior is never caused by just one factor. Violence is the result of an extremely complex combination of things including: neurotransmitter levels, brainwaves, brain anatomy, past experiences, genetics, social influences, and other environmental factors.
  • Men are more at risk for physical violence – Research has proven that men are more at risk for being involved in violent behavior or lash out with aggression than women. So if you’ve ever heard the stereotype that “boys are more aggressive than girls,” it’s true. Women don’t lash out with physical aggression as much as men do. Women have a tendency to use negative verbal comments and “trash talk” one another when getting angry.
  • Violence caused by abnormal frontal lobe – An abnormal development of the frontal lobe, specifically the prefrontal cortex results in less emotional control and less control of impulsive action. Criminals tend to have brain development problems and actually have less brain activity in their prefrontal cortex than others. The less activity in their frontal lobe results in the inability to control their violent urges.
  • The limbic system plays a role – Also, the limbic system, or emotional center of the brain, may be abnormally developed. Specifically, the communication between the hippocampus and the amygdala. This results in lack of proper emotional processing.
  • Do criminals even have control? – If violence is hardwired into the lives of people through so many complex factors, do violent people even really have control of their actions and of their life? Many experts still ask the question and still debate whether a certain criminal actually had “free will” when committing a crime!

What drives a person to kill for little or no obvious reason?

Why do so many criminals return to prison for the exact same crime after getting released? Researchers know that many complex risk-factors like childhood trauma, inherited tendencies, and negative experiences can all shape a person’s behavior patterns. Researchers from the University of Wisconsin have examined antisocial behavior and how it relates to violence. What did they find?

Researchers found that people of antisocial behavior fall into 2 distinct groups:

  1. Most are between 13 and 15 years old, beginning the teenage years and new neural growth.
  2. A small minority show signs of extreme antisocial behavior throughout childhood: in some cases, as early as age 5 that continues throughout their adult life.

Repeat criminals offer cues. They found that repeat-criminals or offenders usually: cannot control their urges, have a low tolerance for frustration, are antisocial, have a lowered I.Q., and are extremely impulsive. Repeat criminals are unable to control their urges. When prisoners were questioned as to why they committed the same crime, they responded “I don’t know.” Even though they knew the consequences and resolved to act with greater self-control, they weren’t able to control impulses.

Prefrontal and Orbitofrontal cortex offers clues. Some neuroscientists think that the orbitofrontal cortex, a specific part located in the prefrontal cortex where decisions are made, has less activity than normal individuals. The primitive brain regions of the hypothalamus and the amygdala seem to be in overdrive, which causes aggression. If there is some sort of communication blockage in the brain between the prefrontal lobe and the primitive brain regions, the individual may be unable to control his or her emotional reactions. PET scans of inmates’ brains were taken and those that “killed on impulse” showed less overall metabolic brain activity in the prefrontal region.

Men are more susceptible. For some reason men are much more susceptible for being involved in acts of violence. In fact, being a male is the strongest risk-factor for being violent. Stats show that males commit the majority of physical assaults. According to the F.B.I., roughly 90 % of all 2004 murderers were men Men also were responsible for roughly 82 % of all violent crimes that resulted in arrest.

Are women perfect? Women are not as unaggressive as popular stereotyping suggests. However, women usually are more indirect and “hold in their aggression” better than men. Men are much more likely to act on a physically aggressive urge to cause harm to another. The cause of these differences can be due to many societal factors (i.e. “girls don’t fight” and “boys can fight to settle this”). Girls also have a tendency to develop earlier social intelligence than boys, which helps to prevent impulsive urges to fight.

The testosterone connection. It turns out that the sex hormone testosterone offers some clues. In a wide-variety of animals, male aggressiveness is linked to testosterone. In humans, researchers have proven that violent people tend to have elevated levels of testosterone, when compared to peaceful criminals. Testosterone increases during competitions like football games, hockey games, or basketball games.

Testosterone levels reach their maximum during mid 20′s (the age group that is most linked to violence). Studies were conducted on women inmates’ testosterone levels as well. The exact same connection as men was found: more violent women had higher levels of testosterone. As you can see in the article 50 things that kill brain cells, elevated testosterone levels is at # 20.

Head injuries or tumors. People that suffer head injuries or develop brain tumors can also become more susceptible to violence. Not all people that have head injuries or tumors do, but if the injury or tumor affects certain areas of the brain, they definitely can develop violent behaviors.

Low levels of serotonin. Lowered levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin have been linked not only to violent crime, but the male population in general. Serotonin is linked to relaxation, the 10 Hz Alpha brain wave, and a sense of peace with yourself and the world. When it is lowered, stress can overtake the brain and cause things like depression and anxiety.

Brains of psychopaths. When compared to criminals that killed on impulse, the brains of successful psychopaths (i.e. those that planned out their crimes) showed almost 23 % more gray-matter when compared with the impulsive criminals. Testing and research also showed that the frontal cortex of successful psychopaths performed “better than average on a variety of neuropsychological tasks.

Abnormal activity in the limbic system and amygdala has been linked to successful psychopath behavior. When the amygdala isn’t properly functioning, individuals become more antisocial, unable to feel empathy, guilt, or other emotions.

Some signs that a person may be violent:

  • Anti-social behavior – Anti-social behavior is a sign that someone needs some friends and some help. Yes, some people are introverted and non-violent. A violent person usually has more than just “antisocial behavior” as a sign.
  • Aggressive behavior – Aggressive behavior that causes physical or verbal damage to another needs to be dealt with and is a sign that a person is violent. If someone is consistently harming others whether it be with words or punches, it’s a sign that the person needs some support and help!
  • Short-temper – Anyone can be short-tempered at times. When a person is constantly short-tempered and ready to snap at others (i.e. always takes a joke seriously) then there is a problem.
  • Impulsive action – Impulsiveness means that a person acts on their emotions without thinking through the consequences. Impulsiveness is a common trait of violent people.
  • Breaks laws – If someone is constantly breaking laws, rules, and regulations, there is definitely a likely possibility that they are violent and need some sort of support.
  • Makes threats – Someone who makes threats to harm others or even themselves really needs some psychological help. Do them a favor and check into things you can do to help them out!

What you can do to help prevent violence in an at-risk person’s life:

  1. Be around for emotional support – The absolute best thing you can do to make a difference in anyone’s life is to be around for emotional support. Violent people need someone to talk to even if they may not show it. Ask them to talk sometime and hang out with them. Most violent people have been socially isolated for awhile. Be around to help – deep down they’ll definitely appreciate it.
  2. Monitor their daily activities - To ensure the safety of themselves and others, try to monitor their life as much as possible. Make sure they are getting involved in the community and are not locking themselves away in a room. Try not to come off as a “snoop” or nosy person, but don’t be afraid to monitor activities. It is much better to prevent violence before it starts.
  3. Get them extra help in school - School may be the most difficult place for the at-risk person. He or she may not have many friends and may truly need some in-school-intervention. Step up to the plate and notify a counselor or school psychologist of a person’s violent tendencies.
  4. Get them involved at church - Getting involved at church is always positive because the person at-risk will be able to interact with other members of the community and feel appreciated for his or her contribution to the community. Church is also great because it brings forth hope in their lives. When they are able to shift their focus from negativity to having faith in God or another form of spirituality, it could really help turn their life around!
  5. Push them to interact with positive social groups - Having a positive social group can make a huge difference in your life and your brain. Being around negative people trigger stress-related hormones and make people feel sad, depressed, insecure, and anxious. Hanging around a positive social group is stimulating, fun, adventurous, and can really make a person better. Most people share similar characteristics of the people that they hang out with. Get the at-risk person around a positive crowd.
  6. Help them build healthy friendships - Having close friends is also a huge part of staying healthy and preventing violence. Building healthy friendships shifts focus away from violence and towards conversation, activity, and feelings of well-being. It is important to help the at-risk person hang around people with healthy lifestyles.
  7. Have them try brainwave entrainment - Violent people tend to have certain sets of brainwaves that are different than the rest of the population. Since most lack activity in the prefrontal lobe, some beta brainwave training may greatly help them think through their decisions. Another brainwave rhythm that my help them out greatly is the alpha brainwave. 10 Hz is considered the safest brainwave frequency and may actually do them a world of good. Let them experiment with the brainwaves to see which ones work best. I do encourage you to check out the brainwave entrainment products in my “recommended products section” and at least give them a free trial if you are eligible. I am not a medical professional, so do some more research and see a licensed practitioner if you have any questions or concerns about brainwave entrainment.
  8. Have them talk to a therapist - There are some great therapists out there, though you may have to do a little digging to find a therapist that your child or friend likes. It may take some work to find the best therapist to fit the “violent person’s” specific needs, but once the person finds the proper therapist, it may make a world of difference and help turn their life around!
  9. Try to get them to take fish oil - I believe I’ve previously emphasized just how big of an impact fish oil has made in my life and the positive changes I’ve seen from fish oil. Show them the article: Take fish oil to boost your brain’s performance if they do not believe the tremendous benefits it can have in their life. It may be a challenge to get them to take fish oil for a day, let alone a month, but every bit is better than nothing at all! For those of you that haven’t read my article discussing fish oil, I highly recommend you check it out! Fish oil has been proven to improve mood, increase focus, and boost overall brain power.
  10. Have them volunteer – Though they may not be interested in volunteering, try to encourage it. Have them at least try volunteering once. Others will love them for helping out, they will get a chance to interact with others, and most importantly they will feel much better about themselves.
  11. Help them find an area of interest in life – An area of interest could be anything. Help them be productive in some way. Have them take a skills test and find out what they are good at. Maybe they really enjoy music or are a really good writer. You could even have them start a blog to document their journey, or help them blog about a topic that they love! This shifts their focus away from negativity and towards a part of life that brings them joy and satisfaction!

Are you really in position to make a difference?

If you feel that you can make a difference in an at-risk child or teenager’s life, by all means do it. If you can’t, at least do them a favor and show them 4 Mind 4 Life or an article that you think they’d find useful. You can always try to help: no matter how small the contribution you make to someone’s life, it could make a world of difference in the long-run.

My goal is to provide you with powerful, healthy, brain development tips and information so that you can improve your own life and the lives of others! Anyone is in position to make a difference by helping another person boost their brain power, work towards improving their life, and bringing forth peace and goodness instead of violence. Be bold, step-up to prevent violence, and help bring joy and peace on Earth.

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References: Scientific American Mind December 2006 / January 2007 Issue. Article: “The Violent Brain” by Daniel Strueber, Monika Lueck, and Gerhard Roth (pages 20 – 27).

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