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[Index]
Repression and Aggression
Links Between Sexual Repression and Aggression
There is a relation between sexual
repression and aggression.
Results of ethnography also allow to verify this relation. Here,
different cultures with different level of sexual repression have to
be compared.
Prescott 1975
A cross-cultural investigation by the American psychologist J.M.
Prescott, the findings of which were published in The Bulletin of
Atomic Scientist (1975), confirmed this relationship between
sex-inhibition and violence. The correllation was too consistent to
be coincidental. Peoples with a sex-repressive morality are
relatively more aggressive, insensitive, more inclined to physical
abuse of children and subordinates, to killing and torturing enemies
and to other criminal behaviour, while people with moral beliefs
which permit sexual freedom, on the other hand, are generally more
friendly and kind-hearted, show more affection to their children and
are less inclined to criminality.
(Brongersma 1990 p.187-188)
Elwin 1959,p.428
As examples of modern peoples with a life-positive outlook, we can
cite the Trobriander and the Indian Muria described by the English
missionary Verrier Elwin. Here the children are healthy, hale and
hearty, cheerful and helpful; they have sexual contacts nearly every
night from infancy on. Deliquency among this free-living young
people is very low; afterwards, however, when they became adults,
married and subjected to rigidly imposed monogamous relations,
deliquancy increases.
(Brongersma 1990 p.188)
Plack 1967,pp.304,321,324
The history of the Eskimo ist most instructive in this regard. They
were once extremely gentle, kind and charitable to their fellow
beings - and sexually very licentious. Their language did not even
have a word for insult. Physical violence was unknown, and they
never used to beat their children. With their conversion to
Christianity, they became sexually disciplined, but also more
hard-hearted, less inclined to charity and more criminal.
(Brongersma 1990 p.188)