Gender differences in violence and aggression – a neurobiological perspective

Violence is a ubiquitous phenomenon, which has been part of the experience of humanity since its inception. Violence has classically been viewed as being associated with being male. In general population, men are reported to commit violent acts significantly more frequently than women. As the interdisciplinary research data point to, violence is a complex phenomenon that could be approached from different perspectives, such as social, economic, political, religious, biological, and genetic. We hereby provide a review of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the gender distinctions in violence and aggression in both general and psychiatric population.