NCJ Number
57521
Date Published
1975
Length
42 pages
Annotation
THIS ARTICLE FROM THE SYMPOSIUM ON NEURAL BASES OF VIOLENCE AND AGGRESSION REVIEWS THE STATE OF KNOWLEDGE ON TESTOSTERONE SECRETION AND VIOLENCE IN MALE INMATES, AND ANDROGEN INFLUENCES IN BRAIN FUNCTIONS.
Abstract
EXTENSIVE RESEARCH IN ENDOCRINOLOGY INDICATES THAT MALENESS, EITHER AS AN EXPRESSION OF GENETIC OR HORMONAL INFLUENCES, IS ASSOCIATED WITH AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR. COLLATERAL RESEARCH ALSO INDICATES THAT THE INCIDENCE OF THE XYY CHROMOSOME TRAIT IS 30 TO 50 TIMES HIGHER AMONG INSTITUIONALIZED VIOLENT PATIENTS THAN AMONG NEWBORN MALES. BUT SINCE THERE ARE MANY CHROMOSOMAL DEFECTS FOUND IN VIOLENT SUBJECTS, AND NO SUCH DEFECTS FUNCTION AS A SOLE CAUSE OF VIOLENT BEHAVIOR, GENERAL STATEMENTS ABOUT XYY MALES AND AGGRESSION ARE INAPPROPRIATE. ALTHOUGH THE LEVEL OF TESTOSTERONE IN IMPRISONED XYY MALES TENDS TO BE HIGHER THAN FOR THE GENERAL POPULATION, THE XYY SUBJECTS ARE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT IN HORMONE LEVELS FROM OTHER PRISONERS. RESEARCH INDICATES THAT PRISONERS HAVE HIGHER HORMONE LEVELS AND HIGHER SPERM COUNTS THAN NON-PRISONERS, AND THAT THERE IS A DIRECT CORRELATION TO ENDOCRINE FUNCTION AND AGGRESSION IN YOUNGER PRISONERS. THERE IS ALSO EVIDENCE THAT ANDROGEN INFLUENCES BRAIN FUNCTION AND MAY AFFECT BEHAVIOR, AND THAT SECRETION MAY INFLUENCE ACTIVITY IN BURSTS. ANDROGEN LEVELS CAN AFFECT EFFICIENCY IN THE PERFORMANCE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS AND ON THE ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM. ADDITIONAL STUDIES REPORTED CONCERN ENDOCRINE STATUS OF OF FEMALE MONKEYS, AND THE PROGESTERONE/ESTROGEN RATIO IN WOMEN. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (TWK)