Psychological Theories of Violence

Psychology, as a discipline, largely attributes the causes of aggression, especially extreme or chronic criminal violence, to individual and familial dysfunction or pathology. The pathways to violence are considered at an individual level that includes internal characteristics of perpetrators, their immediate circumstances, and the type of violence committed. This literature review provides an overview of larger theoretical models for understanding violence, which can facilitate the integration of multiple psychological constructs from varying schools of thought. From that general overview, theories of violence were separated into two major categories: violence as a condition of human nature (including psychobiological and temperamental vulnerabilities and violence as an instinct) and violence as the consequence of a damaged psyche (including five interrelated processes: self-regulation; attachment and relationships; the role of shame; self-concept and self-esteem; and learning and cognitive theories).