Sex differences in the development of aggression from early chilhood to adulthood

Abstract

Introduction
Sex differences in aggression are of considerable practical importance in view of the societal problems caused by violent behaviour, and the consistent finding that these mainly involve young men. Their significance is subject to considerable debate between biologically-oriented and socially-oriented scientists.

Subject
The topic is the origin and subsequent development of sex differences in aggression, their various forms and individual differences, and their manifestation in adulthood.

Problems
The main scientific problems concern their age of onset; whether they increase with age; whether the developmental progression differs for different types of aggression; and whether violent behaviour can be traced to influences in early childhood.

Research Context
Most research has been carried out in modern western nations, although some key findings, such as the occurrence of sex differences in aggression early in childhood and the peak of violent aggression in early adulthood, have been confirmed in other societal contexts.