Introduction

Understanding the Origins of Violent Behaviour was an Exploratory Workshop funded by a grant from the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies at the University of British Columbia awarded to Principal Investigators Patricia Janssen, Health Care & Epidemiology, and Elizabeth M. Simpson, Medical Genetics.

November 17 - November 19, 2006
Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies

This international workshop brought together social and health scientists with researchers from the basic sciences to define research questions aimed at understanding the precursors of violent behaviour within relationships. Experts from Canada, the USA, and the UK presented their latest research in the fields of aggression, genetics, epidemiology, ethics and law, forensic, child psychology, and developmental psychopathology. The long term goal of this research is to be able to identify, within a social situation, individuals at risk for perpetrating violent behaviour and to intervene early to prevent harm. Innovation in the study and treatment of violence will emerge in the context of multi-disciplinary, and multi-level (molecular, individual, community) approaches to studying the etiology of violence, screening strategies, and interventions.