Frontal lobe dysfunction is reflected in the aggressor's behaviour. Abnormalities in this region of the brain make it impossible to predict the consequences of one's behaviour, and are characterised by a lack of self-criticism, an inappropriate emotional approach such as a lack or excess of anxiety, emotional dryness, impulsivity and even actions to one's own detriment. These dysfunctions are also characteristic of psychopathy, but it is important to remember that not every person with frontal lobe dysfunction is a psychopath. The frontal lobes are responsible for, among other things, action planning and impulse inhibition, which is important from the angle discussed. When these functions are disrupted, aggressive behaviour easily occurs, although this is not the rule.

M. Steuden argues that aggression is linked to the basal-frontal syndrome, but it takes an additional factor to trigger aggressive disorders. According to the researcher, these are individual, specific emotional feelings that do not depend on the context of a given situation or occur more easily in a given situation. It is suggested that these specific feelings have their origin in the emotional system, the limbic system. Aggressive behaviour is also linked to the neurobiochemical system of the brain.

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Disorders of neurotransmitters result in an increased propensity for aggressive behaviour. While dysfunctions of the norepinephrine and dopamine systems were formerly thought to have a significant impact on aggression, today more attention is being paid to serotonin, which occurs and interacts in the limbic system in structures such as the amygdala, hypothalamus and hippocampus, and in the basal ganglia and cerebral cortex. The serotonergic system influences the work of other neurotransmitter systems, e.g. dopaminergic, suppresses the activity of cortical and limbic cells, which in effect prevents overreactions to sensory information and synchronises a calm response that is appropriate to the situation.

Studies on the brains of mice that were highly aggressive showed correlations between aggression and reduced levels of this transmitter. Other studies that measured the amount of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, a metabolite of serotonin, showed its lower concentration in the cerebrospinal fluid in children who torture animals, in suicidal people, in impulsive people, in people who cannot assess the consequences of their behaviour, and in aggressive people who re-offend after leaving prison. Aggressive behaviour, not always violent, is associated with a wide range of factors.

Thesecond part of this article will address issues related to victims of aggression.