...VIOLENCE: NATURE OR NURTURE? “It is easier to childproof your gun than to bulletproof your child.” It is a well-known quotation that one should dodge violence everywhere. We can’t agree more that nowadays, everybody can commit violence easier, let alone it is nature or nurture. Indeed, there are three reasons why violence is easily aroused. First of all, it's obvious that people become violent when they are trying to protect someone or something. An obvious example of this is when gang members want to protect their neighborhoods from the "invasion/n" of members of other gangs. However, even people who have never shown any violent tendencies might also commit a violent crime if a loved one is in danger. It is not in their nature to commit violence, but the circumstances (or environment) are causing the violence. In short, when a situation is threatening, not only gang members but also average people can act violently. It's clear, too, that in an environment where guns are readily available, more violent crimes are committed. When you compare the United States with any country that does not allow its citizens to own guns, you will see that this is true. In a volatile situation, it's easier to reach for the gun to make your point than to continue arguing. Again, this type of environment leads to violence in people not prone to violence; that is, the tendency to violence doesn't come from the genes that a person has. Most importantly, some people have been raised without...
Words: 369 - Pages: 2
...NATURE VS NUTURE 1 Nature and Nurture Development Mary Smith PSY 330 Tim Wilder January 26, 2014 NATURE VS NUTURE 2 The nature versus nurture debate, as it relates to human development, is unique and gravitates to all humans for decades. In the field of psychology, the question frequently arises as to how much of human behavior is due to environment and how much is due to genetic influence. There are various methods used to determine if violent behavior is a function of nature or nurture. There was a study conducted in Germany and the UK, which involved a child’s behavior due to their environment and how much is due to their genetics. “It is society (or culture, respectively) into which the children are born, with its prevailing behavioral norms, creeds, social structures, attitudes, mentalities, etc., which imprints and profiles the newborn humans” (Voland, E., 2000). Nature are the elements which make up a person such as their qualities. Nurture is to raise, educate, support and love a person. Violence is a natural phenomenon that should be treated, or violence is a learned behavior that children should be taught to avoid. Before making an assumption or decision, onlookers of the debate should consider how genetics may come into play in the behaviors of individuals, how environment may affect an individual’s behaviors, and how they both may interact to create violence as a whole. Nature refers to an individual's...
Words: 534 - Pages: 3
...British film that is presented in the form of a third person narrative in which the audience is a outside party looking in on the cast of the film. The film is about a group of young pre-teen to teenage boys who crash land on an island somewhere is the specific ocean as a result of their plane being shoot down. In the background of the movie there is some type of war but the film never mentioned which war is taking place. With the film being based on a book from the 1950s and the film taking place in the 1960 it can be assumed that the war in question is either World War II or perhaps a future war. In the film the overall theme is that violence and hate are inherently a part of human nature and even without outside interference from society or adults teaching the next generation those traits still have a way of overtaking our better natures. The film does one of the best jobs of demonstrating this concept which can be attested by its popularity and continue reference in other similar works. You can see how this theme develops based of viewing...
Words: 1593 - Pages: 7
...Nature Vs Nurture Karen Quave PSY 330 G May 6, 2013 According to the article this study aimed at investigating the contribution of polymorphisms shown to moderate transcription of two genes involved in serotonergic neurotransmission to the development of violence and to test for gene-environment interaction relating to adverse childhood environment. (Reif, Roster, Freitag, Scheider, Eujen, Kissling, & Retz 2007) Each person was assigned to either a violent group or a nonviolent group. High environmental adversity during childhood was associated scientifically with violent behavior while 45% were violent and 30% were nonviolent people that carried the low-activity, short MAOA allele. (Reif, Roster, Freitag, Scheider, Eujen, Kissling, & Retz 2007) Violent behavior was somewhat less common in older subject years and people with a history of drug abuse were more violent compared to those without a history of drug abuse. . (Reif, Roster, Freitag, Scheider, Eujen, Kissling, & Retz 2007) The major findings of the present study are MAOA genotype and adverse childhood environment independently of each other increased the risk for later-life violent behavior and the 5HTT polymorphism was associated with violence in a gene-environment-dependent manner. . (Reif, Roster, Freitag, Scheider, Eujen, Kissling, & Retz 2007) Violent behavior observed...
Words: 681 - Pages: 3
...University of Phoenix Material Development Matrix Part I – Developmental Stages For each developmental domain, physical, cognitive, and social, identify two major changes or challenges associated with the following stages: childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. |Stage of |Physical Development |Cognitive Development |Social Development | |Development | | | | |Childhood |Initial development of basic standards |Remembering what has been learned. |Interaction with others by asking | | |like, motor functions, quick thinking |Thinking skills increase within |questions, observing, and imitating | | |and expanding communication (Or |reasonable timeframe. |activities of others. | | |language) skills. |Family values are introduced and the |Aware of others, whether strangers or | | |Body changes in rapid growth spurts. |concept of “good and bad” begins to |family, nice or mean. | | |Realization and avoidance of physical |take shape. | | | |pain. | | ...
Words: 696 - Pages: 3
...2014 Nature vs Nurture The nature vs nurture debate has been a raging topic for decades now. It has caused much controversy in justifying human characteristics, especially concerning the defense of criminal behavior. Many people believe that our actions and conduct comes from the genes we possess, and that we are born with a higher likelihood to act in certain ways. Others believe that our behavior is a result of our childhood, and how we are brought up. Extensive research has been done on the nature vs nurture debate. Although both nature and nurture ultimately affect one’s behavioral characteristics, it seems nurture has a much greater impact. So, is our behavior affected by our heredity and genes, or by the environment we grow up in? What is nature? “Nature is your genes. The physical and personality traits determined by your genes stay the same irrespective of where you were born and raised” ("Nature vs Nurture." Diffen.com. Diffen LLC, n.d. Web. 3 Dec 2014). Taking in the consideration of I.Q., studies prove that genetics has a great effect. Adopted siblings have no more similar of an I.Q. than strangers, while blood related siblings have an I.Q. correlation of .6. Twins especially, having an I.Q. correlation of .86 (Nancy,L. Same-Age Unrelated Siblings: A Unique Test of Within-Family Environmental Influences on IQ Similarity. Journal of Educational Psychology. 1997 June; 89(2): 381-390.) DeNoto, 1 Nature vs Nurture The nature vs nurture debate...
Words: 1495 - Pages: 6
...Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein grapples with the long-contested issue of nature vs. nurture, which explores the concept of how much a person’s behavior and personality are mostly the outcome of nurture, genetics, or outer influences such as environmental factors. Within the text, nature vs. nurture is modeled by the Creature and one could argue that Shelley uses the Creature to emphasize that he was not born inherently evil, but rather his violence was a direct outcome of his abandonment and lack of nurture growing up. To begin, the Creature is a living being regardless of his genetics. He was “born” with no knowledge of the world around him like any other “child” and Victor Frankenstein was the “father” who was meant to guide him through his life. Instead, he went through life alone, confused and afraid. The Creature himself states how he was stripped of those rights and how “’No father had watched my infant days, no mother had blessed me with smiles and caresses’” (Shelley 91). He had never known the nurturing side of people and had only ever been shown rejection and violence. For example, when he first meets his “father” figure, Victor runs away in...
Words: 470 - Pages: 2
...they do, and the potential of human beings. There has been an ongoing debate whether human development is impacted by nature or nurture. If the growth of the individual were to be guided by nature, the individual would take the position that all or most of its behaviors and characteristics are the result of genetics inherited from their parents (Colella, 2013). Meaning that they were fully equipped with all the skills they need in their lives when they are born. On the other hand, if an individual’s growth were guided by nurture only, the individual would think and behave in a certain manner because that is how the individual was taught to do so or from experience (Colella, 2013). In this case the individual is also impacted by the environment surrounding them. Although nature has some impact on human development on an individual, nurture has a greater impact on an individual’s development. It has a bigger affect on human development due to early childhood experiences, acquired intelligences and socialization throughout their life. Early childhood is the most and rapid period of development in a human life. The experiences gained from birth to the four years of age are critical to the complete and healthy cognitive, emotional and physical growth of children (Collins, 2012). The conditions in the house greatly impact how a child develops. Having violence in the house affects the child. Regardless of whether or not our children have been physically abused, or watching their...
Words: 2217 - Pages: 9
...Abstract This essay identifies some of the factors that contribute to teenage delinquency. Many experts disagree on the fundamental ideas about the causes of teen violence. There has been long lasting disagreements surrounding the Nature Vs Nurture controversy. Nature refers to the idea that teenage delinquents are born naturally violent as a result of genetic disorders, it is assumed that the genes an individual has inherited makes some teens behave violently. Nurture refers to the ways that people learn to behave violently as a result of their surroundings. The causes of teenage delinquency are greatly based on nurture due to the juvenile youth experiencing or witnessing parental violence in the home, living in a violent neighbourhood and witnessing violence in the media. Teen violence is a growing epidemic that is increasing rapidly and the negative behaviours of teens can result in crimes murders, rape, robbery and threaten an individual with physical harm. Teenage Delinquency is the product of nurture. A person’s upbringing can be negatively influenced by the socialization agents’ family, peers and media. Firstly, Family has a strong influence on the individual’s positive or delinquent behaviour. The absence of family resources may cause youth to engage in criminal behaviour. Families play an important role in the development of children; however when children are brought up with parents that are too harsh, children start disrespecting their parents...
Words: 1254 - Pages: 6
...Nurture Over Nature Most males and females responsibilities are shaped by our society. As we grow up our parents hold us to the stereotypes that they were raised in during their generation. As a boy we were taught to never cry, to and show your feelings, and to be brave. As a female they were taught to be innocent, classy, and to be beautiful. I personally think that our gender is influenced by our culture/society (nurture). As a young adolescence we are taught to be in our lanes. Meaning that if you were a girl you would do girl things such as; playing with dolls, dressing up, and being innocent. As young boys we were taught that being tough was being a boy. Being that “tough” boy means being emotionally tough, physically tough, and verbally tough. Crying over something because you do not get something was not manly to a father. It is really intolerated by fathers to promote crying or expressing yourself. Parents play a major part in that also environment and media. Media has a major role on women and men from adolescence to adulthood. As women on media, media use stereotypes to project to our society their women roles. Women on T.V. are used to send most of the messages to the viewers. Advertisements use women in many ways to send a sexual message to a sports message to a food message. Women are usually centered by media. Most people do not know that the media has a role on their stereotypical lives. Men see it as cool and do not understand that they are affected too. In the...
Words: 610 - Pages: 3
...The age old question of why juveniles commit crime is one that will never end. There are multiple theories that attempt to explain this occurrence, but two specific concepts stand out above the rest. It’s the nature versus nurture debate. This debate involves the belief that it is either the environment or biological traits that eventually lead juveniles to criminal behavior. Does some type of “evil gene” exist that causes some to commit crimes? There are some that feel that criminal behavior is due to a person’s upbringing and/or life experiences (“nurture”). Others feel that criminal behavior is much more than environmental factors and involves a person’s genetic makeup (“nature”). Are people just born that way? Is criminal behavior...
Words: 1327 - Pages: 6
...Nature vs. Nurture Over the years there has been a pretty big debate over nature verses nurture and which one plays the larger role in human development and how they act. Nature is the genetics or hereditary influences of a person; basically nature is the genes you are born with that can’t be changed. Nurture is experiential or environmental influences that you develop over time after you are born, such as how your parents raise you which gives you a large variety to how you will act as you develop. The question is which one of these two determines what kind of person you are. Im going to try to give a better idea of the difference in nature and nurture. Lots of people believe nature plays the larger part. A person’s genes can determine whether a person is predisposed to a disease or illness for example people who are born with genetic disorder such as Down syndrome have trouble with information processing. Their mental hardware, which are cognitive structures including different memories where information is stored, and their mental software, which are organized sets of cognitive processes that enable people to complete specific takes like reading sentences, playing video games, or hitting a baseball. These things will ultimately effect the way they grow up and the way they see and do things. A person who is affected with those types of diseases shows how nature can directly effect the development of an individual. A new technique called developmental genetic analysis...
Words: 970 - Pages: 4
...Frankenstein was written by Mary Shelley and published in 1818. This novel contains notions about the roles of nature and nurture in the upbringing of living things. Is someone condemned by their DNA, or are they forced to reap the ideas their parents sowed in them when they were young? In Frankenstein, nurture, or lack of nurture plays a larger role than the nature of the creature; this idea can be seen by the relationship of Victor Frankenstein and his creation, and is also evident in the life of Mary Shelley and her child. In Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein creates a creature who isn't human but resembles one; he is very large and an alarming sight to most people. After Victor creates this thing out of dead body parts, he brings it to...
Words: 1207 - Pages: 5
...What made you into who you are today? For years psychologist have debated nature vs.nurture, something that has a great influence on a persons behaviour. Nature is a genetic material while nurture refers to the experiences you've had. In Truman Capote "In Cold Blood" Capote expresses that both nature and nurture play a role in a persons life. Richard "Dick" Hickock was a star athlete and a successful student. While Perry Smith has had a very traumatic life from moving, suffering from abuse, etc. What made these two very opposite people, come together to commit one awful crime? Smith had a terrible upbringing. Starting with parents that didn't get along, a mother who abandoned her family, and sister who committed suicide. Capote goes into full...
Words: 952 - Pages: 4
...depicts a narrow view of aggression, with the assumption being it will often manifest physically, this view does not take into account varying types of aggression that can be equally as harmful, such as verbal and psychological abuse (persistent abuse to the point of anxiety or stress). It should also be noted that aggression is a form of anti-social behaviour, a concept that varies culturally, for example one study concludes that Western cultures are far more likely to resort to physical violence, whilst Eastern cultures would more readily resort to verbal abuse (Andreu et al, 1998). The most interesting aspect of aggression, particularly in children, comes from the debate of Nature/Nurture. The debate is the belief that all behaviour can be explained in one of two ways. Nature states that biological factors are the most deterministic and behaviour is predetermined by said factors; Nurture implies that environmental factors are the cause of behavioural tendencies. The argument for Nature is most analogous with the Biological explanation of aggression, postulating that aggression originates from factors such as: hormone imbalance, faulty brain chemistry, genetic defects and...
Words: 1117 - Pages: 5
