Violence has always been part of humankind. However, what continues to elude thoughts is the very cause of violence. While some theorists attach it to social and cultural values (sociological causes), others believe that violence is caused by neurobiological factors (biological causes).
On the other hand, some believe that violence stem from both biological and sociological causes. However, no concrete ideas have come up to dismiss one theory or the other. Nonetheless, some types of violence act as strong pointers to one or more theories.
For instance, recent arrest of Dougherty siblings in Colorado raised concerns as to the root causes of violence. This paper will try to establish causes of violence in the Dougherty sibling case as well as chart possible violence reduction measures (Navratil & Fender, 2011, p. 1).
The three, Lee, Ryan and Dylan Dougherty, were Florida fugitives aged 29, 21 and 26 respectively. Interestingly, they all had criminal records. For instance, Lee had been arrested for a number of hit and run offenses, six misdemeanor charges and five felonious. On the other hand, her brother Ryan had 14 felonies and was also accused of sending several messages to an underage girl.
Lastly is Stanley who had been arrested for possessing marijuana. To make matters worse, they were on FBI’s most wanted list. This case conveys more than one possible causes of violence. These include sociological and biological, among others (Navratil & Fender, 2011, p. 1).
One possible sociological explanation why the event occurred is because of neglect and societal or domestic violence. For instance, the siblings must have grown in difficult conditions where violence was a regular occurrence. Therefore, the environment had effect on their behavior. This may be due to past experiences like intimidation, assault, among others. Such effects are known to have lasting effects on victims which may cause them to be violent (Voison, 2007, p. 1-3).
One the other hand, biological explanation why this event may have occurred is because the siblings must have grown to experience violence throughout their lives. Children who grow in such situations may end up adapting to that atmosphere. Violence creates an atmosphere of fear and the mind can easily adjust to it.
This occurs due to the transformation of that individual’s brain. These changes may be physical, behavioral, emotional, social and cognitive. In essence, as evidenced from the siblings’ continued act of violence, they might have had altered growth in their brains. This could make them adapt to fear and hence continue with their atrocities (University of Colorado, n.d., p. 1).
The possibility of three siblings developing same behaviors must be quite serious. Given that they have had close ties in their crimes, the most probable pointer to origin of violence is biological. In this case, they must have been exposed to constant violent situations which led to their adaptation. It may also be that development of their brain was altered. Cognitive change is quite possible and this affects their behavior (U.S. Department of Justice, 2010, p. 1).
In order to reduce such type of violence, it is quite essential that environment is made conducive for healthy growth and development of the brain. Family violence should be controlled at all cost. This would help shape future of children in a given house. Children that convey extreme violent behavior should be helped by professionals such as psychiatrists and sociologists, among others.
This would help restore their brain and emotional alignment. Care should also be taken to show love to these people. This is mainly because some of them commit grievous offenses out of intimidation and neglect (Fuertes, 2001, P. 1).
Reference List
Fuertes, J. (2001). Is the brain to blame? Searching for the origins of violence. Serendip Updates. Web.
Navratil, L., & Fender, J. (2011). Sibling Florida fugitives arrested in Colorado. Denver Post. Web.
U.S. Department of Justice. (2010). Bureau of Justice Statistics. Web.
University of Colorado. Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence. Web.
Voison, D. R. (2007). The effects of family and community violence exposure among youth: Recommendations for practice and policy. Journal of Social Work Education, 43(1), 51-66. Web.