biochemical explanations

• biochemical explanations: possible causes of behaviour are due to biochemical substances

  e.g. sex hormones, blood sugar levels, substance abuse, diet
• sex hormones:

  • emotional disturbances- impact on males and females
  • steve jones- testosterone is a crime gene
  • men murdered 10x more than women (by other men)
• neurotransmitters- chemicals found in the brain that help send messages between synapses
• serotonin-

  • regulates mood and behaviour
  • scerbo and raine- meta analysis on 29 antisocial people- all had low levels of serotonin
  • low levels of serotonin=increased aggression=violent crime
• blood sugar levels-

  • hypoglycaemia can trigger aggressive reactions
  • studies show link between low blood sugar and alcohol abuse= alcohol is linked to crimes of violence
  • schoenthaler- lower the sucrose intake of young offenders and anti-social behaviour will decrease