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The Relationship Between Low Resting Heart Rate and Violence

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Biosocial Bases of Violence

Part of the book series: Nato ASI Series ((NSSA,volume 292))

Abstract

According to Raine (1993, pp. 166–172), one of the most replicable findings in the literature is that antisocial and violent youth tend to have low resting heart rates. A possible explanation of this is that a low heart rate indicates fearlessness. Conversely, high heart rates, especially in infants and young children, are associated with anxiety, behavioral inhibition, and a fearful temperament (Kagan, 1994). Fearful people are unlikely to commit violent acts. Another possibility is that a low heart rate reflects autonomic under-arousal. Low autonomic arousal, like boredom, leads to sensation-seeking and risk-taking in an attempt to increase stimulation and arousal levels. People who take risks are more likely to be violent than others.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Criminology, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK

    David P. Farrington

Authors
  1. David P. Farrington
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA

    Adrian Raine  & Sarnoff A. Mednick  & 

  2. Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

    Patricia A. Brennan

  3. Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK

    David P. Farrington

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© 1997 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Farrington, D.P. (1997). The Relationship Between Low Resting Heart Rate and Violence. In: Raine, A., Brennan, P.A., Farrington, D.P., Mednick, S.A. (eds) Biosocial Bases of Violence. Nato ASI Series, vol 292. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-4648-8_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-4648-8_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-4650-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-4648-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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