Citation

Abbey A. Violence Against Women 2014; 20(4): 401-405.

Affiliation

Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1077801214528583

PMID

24686122

Abstract

Despite research demonstrating that gene expression differs in response to social environmental circumstances, deterministic views of biology are common. Stuart and colleagues (2014) encourage readers to think about genetic factors in the same dynamic and probabilistic manner that they consider other causes of intimate partner violence. Given that participants had co-occurring alcohol problems, future studies should evaluate how different genetic polymorphisms uniquely and synergistically contribute to heavy drinking and aggression under different socio-environmental conditions. Psychological expectancies have a powerful impact on behavior, thus extreme caution is required before labeling people as genetically predisposed to violence.

Language: en