Inside the Mind of an Angry Young Man

Abstract

Young adult males disproportionately engage in competitive behavior to improve their survival and reproductive success. Insufficient access to resources and mates predisposes young males to dangerous activities. Statistics of homicide cases in Detroit show a pattern of victims and offenders being predominantly young males. The male desire to improve their reproductive success accounts for the prevalence of altercations involving status competition. The presence of male witnesses escalates the competition in both violent and indirect cases of conflict. Non-confrontational competition such as gambling and drug use is male dominated. Tolerance for risk increases with the payoff variance of winners and losers in a social display of competitive skills