Citation

Christiansen K, Winkler EM. Aggressive Behav. 1992; 18(4): 271-280.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1992, International Society for Research on Aggression, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Differences in physical aggression among 114 male !Kung San (bushmen) from Namibia were investigated with regard to sex hormone levels, body dimensions, consumption of alcohol, and degree of acculturation. Subjects were classified from injuries resulting from prior conflicts with mutual physical aggression between the opponents as either violent or nonviolent. The comparison of mean sex hormone values (total serum testosterone, T(ser); serum 5-alpha-dihydrotestosterone, DHT; serum estradiol 17-beta, E2; "free," non-SHBG-bound salivary testosterone, T(sal)) and hormone ratios (T(sal)/T(ser); DHT/T(ser)) did not yield any significant differences between the violent and nonviolent group. However, correlation coefficients of sex hormone levels with the frequency of violent behavior within the group of physically aggressive San men were significantly positive for DHT, T(sal), and T(sal)/T(ser) (P lt .05) while T(ser), E2, and DHT/T(ser), showed only weak positive correlations. Moreover, the violent men exhibit higher mean values in certain measures of physical robustness which may point to a possible pathway of indirect androgen action on human aggression. When the probands were classified according to their drinking habits, usually abstinent men had shown significantly less violent behavior in the past than men who habitually consume alcohol.