ABSTRACT
Accordingly, the biosocial model can account for the potential contribution of both biological and psychosocial factors. One of the most intriguing aspects of violence is how gender-based it is. Males and females differ in their rates of violent behavior to a greater extent than they differ in their patterns of most human behaviors. Biological explanations emphasize the role of male biology in the gender gap in aggressive behavior. In contrast, women seem to perpetrate family violence as often as men do, although their aggression is generally significantly less severe, is much less often fatal, and is more likely to result from self-defense. There are two major approaches to explaining the gender differences—one emphasizing biological factors, and one emphasizing sociopsychological ones. Male socialization, by contrast, typically involves emphasis on the role of competition with others and the importance of being dominant and powerful; much adult violence is in fact committed in pursuit of these goals.
