ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the general theoretical approaches to understanding aggression and violence to consider the nature, extent, and causes of violent crime in society. It provides a general overview of the nature and extent of violent offending, highlighting the different contexts in which violence occurs. The chapter then explores the most prevalent different types of violence, looking in turn at community violence, family violence, school violence, and the special case of multiple homicide. For each of these types of violence, it examines the key conceptual issues involved, and reviews theoretical approaches to understanding why they occur. An evolutionary perspective highlights some of the more 'distal' factors that may contribute to violence against children; however, most approaches focus on how family dynamics and social contexts may promote family violence in general and violence against children in particular. School-related homicides represent the most extreme form of violence in schools.
