Post-January 6th deplatforming reduced the reach of misinformation on Twitter.

The social media platforms of the twenty-first century have an enormous role in regulating speech in the USA and worldwide1. However, there has been little research on platform-wide interventions on speech2,3. Here we evaluate the effect of the decision by Twitter to suddenly deplatform 70,000 misinformation traffickers in response to the violence at the US Capitol on 6 January 2021 (a series of events commonly known as and referred to here as 'January 6th'). Using a panel of more than 500,000 active Twitter users4,5 and natural experimental designs6,7, we evaluate the effects of this intervention on the circulation of misinformation on Twitter. We show that the intervention reduced circulation of misinformation by the deplatformed users as well as by those who followed the deplatformed users, though we cannot identify the magnitude of the causal estimates owing to the co-occurrence of the deplatforming intervention with the events surrounding January 6th. We also find that many of the misinformation traffickers who were not deplatformed left Twitter following the intervention. The results inform the historical record surrounding the insurrection, a momentous event in US history, and indicate the capacity of social media platforms to control the circulation of misinformation, and more generally to regulate public discourse.

Game-theoretic agent-based modelling of micro-level conflict: Evidence from the ISIS-Kurdish war.

This article delves into the dynamics of a dyadic political violence case study in Rojava, Northern Syria, focusing on the conflict between Kurdish rebels and ISIS from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2019. We employ agent-based modelling and a formalisation of the conflict as an Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma game. The study provides a nuanced understanding of conflict dynamics in a highly volatile region, focusing on microdynamics of an intense dyadic strategic interaction between two near-equally- powered actors. The choice of using a model based on the Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma, though a classical approach, offers substantial insights due to its ability to model dyadic, equally-matched strategic interactions in conflict scenarios effectively. The investigation primarily reveals that shifts in territorial control are more critical than geographical or temporal factors in determining the conflict's course. Further, the study observes that the conflict is characterised by periods of predominantly one-sided violence. This pattern underscores that the distribution of attacks, and target choices are a more telling indicator of the conflict nature than specific behavioural patterns of the actors involved. Such a conclusion aligns with the strategic implications of the underlying model, which emphasises the outcome of interactions based on differing aggression levels. This research not only sheds light on the conflict in Rojava but also reaffirms the relevance of this type of game-theoretical approach in contemporary conflict analysis.

Extremists of a feather flock together? Community structures, transitivity, and patterns of homophily in the US Islamist co-offending network.

Prior research suggests that members of terrorist groups prioritize forming network ties based on trust to improve their organizational and operational security. The homophily principle, which postulates that individuals tend to form relationships based on shared characteristics, can be a key mechanism through which people identify trustworthy associates. Next to homophily, the mechanism of establishing interconnected relationships through transitivity is also well-known to serve this purpose and shape community structures in social networks. We analyze the community structures of the Islamist co-offending network in the United States, which is highly violent, to assess whether homophily and transitivity determine which extremists form co-offending ties. We rely on a new database on the individual attributes and the co-offending relationships of 494 Islamist offenders radicalized in the United States between 1993 and 2020. Using community detection algorithms, we show that the US Islamist co-offending network is highly clustered, modular, and includes many small but only a few large communities. Furthermore, results from exponential random graph modeling show that transitive relationships as well as spatial proximity, ideological affiliation, and shared socio-cultural characteristics drive co-offending among US Islamist extremists. Overall, these findings demonstrate that the processes of homophily and transitivity shape violent social networks.

Drogue, violence et résilience : consommateurs de drogue en cure et anciens délinquants violents à Dakar.

In Senegal, violent delinquency and illicit drug use are on the increase. This study focuses on two distinct groups: drug users (DUs) undergoing rehabilitation and violent ex-offenders (VEs). The methodology adopted includes a quantitative survey of the general population (n=1009), followed by a qualitative survey of fifteen participants, including eight DUs undergoing treatment at the Centre de prise en charge intégrée des addictions de Dakar (CEPIAD) (Integrated Addictions Management Center of Dakar) and the Centre Jacques Chirac de Thiaroye, and seven former VEs from the Grand Yoff district. This neighborhood, known for its violence, is juxtaposed with the Grand Yoff social housing estate, a residential area also affected by outbreaks of violence. This study aims to establish the link(s) between drug use and criminal violence by analyzing the life stories of young adults who have managed to leave drug use and delinquency behind. It then looks to identify the determinants of resilience in certain young people. The study revealed delinquent violence among young people does not systematically result from drug use. Rather, drug use is a factor conducive to violence. The links between drugs and violence depend on individual predisposition, the type of drugs used, and the level of addiction. Resilience results from a web of individual, sociocultural, and environmental factors. It is not static, but rather the result of a series of successes, failures, and even relapses.

Extreme Risk Protection Orders in Connecticut, 2013-2020.

Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia have enacted Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) statutes, which allow temporary removal of firearms from individuals who pose an imminent risk of harm to themselves or others. Connecticut was the first state to enact such a law in 1999. The law's implementation and use between 1999 and 2013 were previously described, finding that ERPOs were pursued rarely for the first decade and that most orders were issued in response to concerns about suicide or self-harm rather than about interpersonal violence. The current study analyzes over 1,400 ERPOs in Connecticut between 2013 and 2020 in several domains: respondent demographics, circumstances leading to ERPO filing, type of threat (suicide, violence to others, or both), number and type of firearms removed, prevalence of mental illness and drug and alcohol use, and legal outcomes. Results are similar to the earlier study, indicating that ERPO respondents in Connecticut are primarily White, male, middle-aged residents of small towns and suburbs who pose a risk of harm to themselves (67.9%) more often than to others (42.8%). Significant gender differences between ERPO respondents are discussed, as are state-specific trends over time and differences between Connecticut and other states with published ERPO data.

Violencia y maltrato infantil. El aporte del médico radiólogo al abordaje integral multidisciplinario / Child maltreatment and violence. Contributions from radiologists to a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach

El maltrato infantil es definido por la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) como "el abuso y la desatención que sufren los niños menores de 18 años. Incluye todo tipo de maltrato físico y/o emocional […] que resulte en un daño real o potencial para la salud, la supervivencia, el desarrollo o la dignidad del niño". Al examinar los rastros corporales del maltrato físico, siguiendo los mecanismos de lesión más frecuentemente implicados, es posible detectar patrones radiológicos típicos. La evaluación imagenológica del hueso en reparación permite inferir cronologías para correlacionar con los datos obtenidos en la anamnesis. Los profesionales de la salud deben detectar oportunamente lesiones radiológicas sospechosas y activar de forma temprana el resguardo del menor. Nuestro propósito es realizar una revisión sobre las publicaciones recientes referidas al estudio imagenológico en niños de quienes se sospeche que puedan ser víctimas de violencia física.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines child maltreatment as "the abuse and neglect that occurs to children under 18 years of age. It includes all types of physical and/or emotional ill-treatment [...], which results in actual or potential harm to the child's health, survival, development or dignity." By examining the bodily traces of physical abuse, following the most frequently involved mechanisms of injury, it is possible to identify typical radiological patterns. The imaging studies of the bone under repair allows inferring a timeline that may be correlated to the data obtained during history taking. Health care providers should detect suspicious radiological lesions in a timely manner and promptly activate the safeguarding of the child. Our objective was to review recent publications on the imaging studies of children suspected of being victims of physical violence.

Haiti's health researchers persevere amid chaos.

"Heroic network" forges ahead as gang violence dominates life and landscape.

Disparities in behaviors and experiences among transgender and cisgender high school students - 18 U.S. states, 2021.

PURPOSE: Transgender youth (those whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth) experience stigma and discrimination that can place them at increased risk for poor health outcomes compared with cisgender youth (those whose gender identity aligns with their sex assigned at birth). Limited population-based data exist on disparities among transgender and cisgender youth. METHODS: We examined differences in experiences of violence, substance use, mental health, suicide, sexual behavior, unstable housing, parental monitoring, and school connectedness among 98,174 transgender and cisgender high school students using data from 18 states that included an item to assess transgender identity on their 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. RESULTS: Overall, 2.9% of students identified as transgender and 2.6% questioned whether they were transgender. Among transgender students, 71.5% reported that their mental health was not good, 32.3% had attempted suicide, and 29.0% experienced sexual violence. Transgender students were more likely than cisgender students to report experiences of violence, substance use, poor mental health, suicide risk, some sexual risk behaviors, and unstable housing, and were less likely to report feeling connected to others at school. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions that can address the causes of these adverse outcomes and promote the health and wellbeing of transgender youths are warranted.

Understanding adverse childhood experiences and the call for trauma-informed healthcare system in Turkey: a review.

Over the past four decades, research has underscored the significance of approaching and preventing trauma from a systemic standpoint. Trauma-informed care (TIC) methodologies offer a structure for healthcare practices, striving to convert organizations into trauma-informed systems that employ trauma-specific interventions. This review employs epidemiological and household data from Turkey to underscore the importance of integrating trauma-informed care as a means of prevention and intervention. Through a desk review, the study examines the role of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), delving into their origin from family dynamics, migration, violence, exposure to violence, juvenile delinquency, and child maltreatment. The research highlights innovative healthcare approaches that leverage data to address complex patient health issues while considering mental health needs. In contemporary times, healthcare organizations acknowledge the value of a data-driven approach to make informed clinical decisions, enhance treatment procedures, and improve overall healthcare outcomes. The reviewed research and empirical data furnish proof of the importance of effective and efficient treatment methods that prioritize trauma prevention and treatment, integrating the role of ACEs. This paper seeks to contribute to discussions on transforming the healthcare system to meet the healthcare needs of Turkish households, all the while taking into account the evolving sociopolitical factors that shape Turkey's population characteristics.

Attachment, Mental Health, and Alcohol Use by Men: The Mediating Role of Cumulative Lifetime Violence Severity.

Cumulative lifetime violence (CLV) encompasses many different types and contexts of violence that occur across the lifespan and is associated with negative mental health outcomes in men; however, little attention has been paid to other factors that can influence these relationships such as attachment style. In this analysis, our focus is to understand how attachment styles directly and indirectly through CLV affect men's mental health, specifically depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and alcohol use. Data from 597 Canadian men with lifetime experiences of violence who participated in our national online survey focusing on violence and health were used for mediation analysis. Results indicated that CLV severity mediated the relationship between attachment anxiety (but not attachment avoidance) and depression, anxiety, PTSD, and alcohol use. Although attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance each directly affected depression, anxiety, and PTSD, neither directly affected alcohol use. Importantly, these findings provide the first evidence that the mechanism by which anxious attachment affects alcohol use is through CLV severity. These findings highlight the importance of anxious attachment on mental health outcomes for men who have experienced CLV.

Risk assessment for aggressive behaviour in schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Aggressive or violent behaviour is often associated with people with schizophrenia in common perceptions of the disease. Risk assessment methods have been used to identify and evaluate the behaviour of those individuals who are at the greatest risk of perpetrating aggression or violence or characterise the likelihood to commit acts. Although many different interventions have been developed to decrease aggressive or violent incidences in inpatient care, staff working in inpatient settings seek easy-to-use methods to decrease patient aggressive events. However, many of these are time-consuming, and they require intensive training for staff and patient monitoring. It has also been recognised in clinical practice that if staff monitor patients' behaviour in a structured manner, the monitoring itself may result in a reduction of aggressive/violent behaviour and incidents in psychiatric settings. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of structured aggression or violence risk assessment methods for people with schizophrenia or schizophrenia-like illnesses. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group's Study-Based Register of Trials, which is based on CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PubMed, ISRCTN registry, ClinicalTrials.gov, and WHO ICTRP, on 10 February 2021. We also inspected references of all identified studies. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included all randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing structured risk assessment methods added to standard professional care with standard professional care for the evaluation of aggressive or violent behaviour among people with schizophrenia. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: At least two review authors independently inspected citations, selected studies, extracted data, and appraised study quality. For binary outcomes, we calculated a standard estimation of the risk ratio (RR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI). For continuous outcomes, we calculated the mean difference (MD) and its 95% CI. We assessed risk of bias in the included studies and created a summary of findings table using the GRADE approach. MAIN RESULTS: We included four studies in the review. The total number of participants was not identifiable, as some studies provided number of participants included, and some only patient days. The studies compared a package of structured assessment methods with a control group that included routine nursing care and drug therapy or unstructured psychiatric observations/treatment based on clinical judgement. In two studies, information about treatment in control care was not available. One study reported results for our primary outcome, clinically important change in aggressive/violent behaviour, measured by the rate of severe aggression events. There was likely a positive effect favouring structured risk assessment over standard professional care (RR 0.59, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.85; 1 RCT; 1852 participants; corrected for cluster design: RR 0.59, 95% CI 0.37 to 0.93; moderate-certainty evidence). One trial reported data for the use of coercive measures (seclusion room). Compared to standard professional care, structured risk assessment may have little or no effect on use of seclusion room as days (corrected for cluster design: RR 0.92, 95% CI 0.27 to 3.07; N = 20; low-certainty evidence) or use of seclusion room as secluded participants (RR 1.83, 95% CI 0.39 to 8.7; 1 RCT; N = 20; low-certainty evidence). However, seclusion room may be used less frequently in the standard professional care group compared to the structured risk assessment group (incidence) (corrected for cluster design: RR 1.63, 95% CI 0.49 to 5.47; 1 RCT; N = 20; substantial heterogeneity, Chi2 = 0.0; df = 0.0; P = 0.0; I2 = 100%; low-certainty evidence). There was no evidence of a clear effect on adverse events of escape (RR 0.2, 95% CI 0.01 to 4.11; 1 RCT; n = 200; very low-certainty evidence); fall down (RR 0.33, 95% CI 0.04 to 3.15; 1 RCT; n = 200; very low-certainty evidence); or choking (RR 0.2, 95% CI 0.01 to 4.11; 1 RCT; n = 200; very low-certainty evidence) when comparing structured risk assessment to standard professional care. There were no useable data for patient-related outcomes such as global state, acceptance of treatment, satisfaction with treatment, quality of life, service use, or costs. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Based on the available evidence, it is not possible to conclude that structured aggression or violence risk assessment methods are effective for people with schizophrenia or schizophrenia-like illnesses. Future work should combine the use of interventions and structured risk assessment methods to prevent aggressive incidents in psychiatric inpatient settings.

Exploring the use of body worn cameras in acute mental health wards: a mixed-method evaluation of a pilot intervention.

BACKGROUND: Body worn cameras (BWC) are mobile audio and video capture devices that can be secured to clothing allowing the wearer to record some of what they see and hear. This technology is being introduced in a range of healthcare settings as part of larger violence reduction strategies aimed at reducing incidents of aggression and violence on inpatient wards, however limited evidence exists to understand if this technology achieves such goals. AIM: This study aimed to evaluate the implementation of BWCs on two inpatient mental health wards, including the impact on incidents, the acceptability to staff and patients, the sustainability of the resource use and ability to manage the use of BWCs on these wards. METHODS: The study used a mixed-methods design comparing quantitative measures including ward activity and routinely collected incident data at three time-points before during and after the pilot implementation of BWCs on one acute ward and one psychiatric intensive care unit, alongside pre and post pilot qualitative interviews with patients and staff, analysed using a framework based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. RESULTS: Results showed no clear relationship between the use of BWCs and rates or severity of incidents on either ward, with limited impact of using BWCs on levels of incidents. Qualitative findings noted mixed perceptions about the use of BWCs and highlighted the complexity of implementing such technology as a violence reduction method within a busy healthcare setting Furthermore, the qualitative data collected during this pilot period highlighted the potential systemic and contextual factors such as low staffing that may impact on the incident data presented. CONCLUSION: This study sheds light on the complexities of using such BWCs as a tool for 'maximising safety' on mental health settings. The findings suggest that BWCs have a limited impact on levels of incidents on wards, something that is likely to be largely influenced by the process of implementation as well as a range of contextual factors. As a result, it is likely that while BWCs may see successes in one hospital site this is not guaranteed for another site as such factors will have a considerable impact on efficacy, acceptability, and feasibility.

Analysis of the completeness and consistency of records of violence against indigenous women in the health macro-region of Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazil, 2009-2020.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the temporal trend of completeness and consistency of data on notifications of violence against indigenous women in the health macro-region of Dourados, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, between 2009 and 2020. METHODS: An ecological time series study was conducted using data from the Notifiable Health Conditions Information System; Prais-Winsten regression was used to analyze the trend of data completeness and consistency, as well as the proportion of completed and coherent fields. RESULTS: A total of 2,630 cases were reported; completeness was found to be very poor in the variable "occupation" (48.9%) and poor in the variables "schooling" (68.3%) and "time of occurrence" (67.9%); in the analysis of temporal trends, only the variable "occupation" showed a decreasing trend (p = 0.045). CONCLUSION: The data analyzed demonstrated the need for improvement in the completeness of the variables "schooling", "occupation" and "time of occurrence" of the violent act. MAIN RESULTS: There was a progressive increase in notifications over the years. Most of the variables showed regular or excellent completeness and consistency. In the analysis of temporal trend, only the "occupation" variable showed a decreasing trend. IMPLICATIONS FOR SERVICES: Care for victims of violence is part of the daily routine of health services, and it is essential for health professionals to provide adequate compulsory notification for a comprehensive understanding of the victims' profile, thus assisting in addressing this issue. PERSPECTIVES: Further studies are needed to understand the factors associated with violence against indigenous women, which could help the development of health promotion actions and violence prevention strategies targeting these women.

The importance and feasibility of hospital interventions to prevent and manage patient aggression and violence against physicians in China: a Delphi study.

BACKGROUND: Aggression and violence by patient (and their relatives/friends) is widely acknowledged as a serious occupational hazard, with physicians being particularly susceptible to witnessing and experiencing such incidents within hospitals. Research has shown that the negative consequences of such aggression and violence are not only felt at the individual level, but also at the team and organizational levels. Understanding how to prevent and manage this behavior towards physicians in hospitals is urgent and not fully researched. While there are many potentially effective interventions, it is unclear which ones would be valuable and feasible for Chinese hospitals. Because patient aggression and violence may occur more frequently in Chinese hospitals than in other countries, this suggests that cultural differences play a role and that tailored interventions may be needed. METHOD: We conducted a Delphi study to reach a consensus on the importance and feasibility of hospital interventions to prevent and manage patient (and their relatives/friends) aggression and violence against physicians in Chinese hospitals. Seventeen experts in China were invited to complete online questionnaires over three rounds. RESULTS: After three rounds, consensus was achieved concerning 44 interventions, five other interventions were rejected, and no consensus was reached on another two. These interventions were clustered into eight categories: environment design, access and entrance, staffing and working practices, leadership and culture, training and education, support, during/after-the-event actions, and hospital policy. Each category is considered important in preventing and managing patient (and their relatives/friends) aggression and violence towards physicians in Chinese hospitals. This study also investigated the feasibility of the suggested interventions and found that 36 of the 44 interventions were considered not only relevant, but also feasible for implementation in Chinese hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides an overview of interventions that can be implemented in Chinese hospitals to prevent and manage patient (and their relatives/friends) aggression and violence before, during, and after a violent incident occurs.

Experiences of stigma, discrimination and violence and their impact on the mental health of health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health care workers have been exposed to COVID-19 more than people in other professions, which may have led to stigmatization, discrimination, and violence toward them, possibly impacting their mental health. We investigated (1) factors associated with stigma, discrimination, and violence, (2) the association of stigma, discrimination, and violence with mental health, (3) everyday experiences of stigmatization, discrimination, and violence. We chose a combination of a quantitative approach and qualitative content analysis to analyze data collected at three time points: in 2020, 2021 and 2022. A higher age was associated with lower odds of experiencing stigma, discrimination, and violence, whereas female gender was related to more negative experiences. The intensity of exposure to COVID-19 was associated with greater experience with stigmatization, discrimination, and violence across all three years (for example in 2022: odds ratio, 95% confidence interval: 1.74, 1.18-2.55 for mild exposure; 2.82, 1.95-4.09 for moderate exposure; and 5.74, 3.55-9.26 for severe exposure, when compared to no exposure). Stigma, discrimination, and violence were most strongly associated with psychological distress in 2020 (odds ratio = 2.97, 95% confidence interval 2.27-3.88) and with depressive symptoms in 2021 (odds ratio = 2.78, 95% confidence interval 2.12-3.64). Attention should be given to the destigmatization of contagious diseases and the prevention of discrimination, violence, and mental health problems, both within workplaces and among the public.

Public health framing of firearm violence on local television news in Philadelphia, PA, USA: a quantitative content analysis.

BACKGROUND: Firearm violence is an intensifying public health problem in the United States. News reports shape the way the public and policy makers understand and respond to health threats, including firearm violence. To better understand how firearm violence is communicated to the public, we aimed to determine the extent to which firearm violence is framed as a public health problem on television news and to measure harmful news content as identified by firearm-injured people. METHODS: This is a quantitative content analysis of Philadelphia local television news stories about firearm violence using a database of 7,497 clips. We compiled a stratified sample of clips aired on two randomly selected days/month from January-June 2021 from the database (n = 192 clips). We created a codebook to measure public health frame elements and to assign a harmful content score for each story and then coded the clips. Characteristics of stories containing episodic frames that focus on single shooting events were compared to clips with thematic frames that include broader social context for violence. RESULTS: Most clips employed episodic frames (79.2%), presented law enforcement officials as primary narrators (50.5%), and included police imagery (79.2%). A total of 433 firearm-injured people were mentioned, with a mean of 2.8 individuals shot included in each story. Most of the firearm-injured people featured in the clips (67.4%) had no personal information presented apart from age and/or gender. The majority of clips (84.4%) contained at least one harmful content element. The mean harmful content score/clip was 2.6. Public health frame elements, including epidemiologic context, root causes, public health narrators and visuals, and solutions were missing from most clips. Thematic stories contained significantly more public health frame elements and less harmful content compared to episodic stories. CONCLUSIONS: Local television news produces limited public health coverage of firearm violence, and harmful content is common. This reporting likely compounds trauma experienced by firearm-injured people and could impede support for effective public health responses to firearm violence. Journalists should work to minimize harmful news content and adopt a public health approach to reporting on firearm violence.

The politics of allyship: Multiethnic coalitions and mass attitudes toward protest.

Recent work finds that nonviolent resistance by ethnic minorities is perceived as more violent and requiring more policing than identical resistance by ethnic majorities, reducing its impact and effectiveness. We ask whether allies-advantaged group participants in disadvantaged group movements-can mitigate these barriers. On the one hand, allies can counter negative stereotypes and defuse threat perceptions among advantaged group members, while raising expectations of success and lowering expected risks among disadvantaged group members. On the other hand, allies can entail significant costs, carrying risks of cooptation, replication of power hierarchies, and marginalization of core constituencies. To shed light on this question we draw on the case of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, which, in 2020, attracted unprecedented White participation. Employing a national survey experiment, we find that sizeable White presence at racial justice protests increases protest approval, reduces perceptions of violence, and raises the likelihood of participation among White audiences, while not causing significant backlash among Black audiences. Black respondents mostly see White presence as useful for advancing the movement's goals, and predominant White presence reduces expectations that protests will be forcefully repressed. We complement these results with analysis of tens of thousands of images shared on social media during the 2020 BLM protests, finding a significant association between the presence of Whites in the images and user engagement and amplification. The findings suggest that allyship can be a powerful tool for promoting sociopolitical change amid deep structural inequality.

Violent and prosocial music: Evidence for the impact of lyrics and musical tone on aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Although there is a large research base on the psychological impacts of violent and prosocial visual media, there is little research addressing the impacts of violent and prosocial music, and which facets of the music have the greatest impact. Four experiments tested the impact of lyrics and/or musical tone on aggressive and prosocial behavior, and on underlying psychological processes, using purpose-built songs to avoid the effect of music-related confounds. In study one, where mildly aggressive, overtly aggressive and violent lyrics were compared to neutral lyrics, any level of lyrical aggression caused an increase in behavioral aggression, which plateaued for all three aggression conditions. Violent lyrics were better recalled than other lyrics one week later. In studies two-three no significant effects of lyrics, or of aggressive versus nonaggressive musical tone, were found on aggressive or prosocial behavior. In terms of internal states, violent lyrics increased hostility/hostile cognitions in all studies, and negatively impacted affective state in three studies. Prosocial lyrics decreased hostility/hostile cognitions in three studies, but always in tandem with another factor. Aggressive musical tone increased physiological arousal in two studies and increased negative affect in one. In study four those who listened to violent lyrics drove more aggressively on a simulated drive that included triggers for aggression. Overall, violent lyrics consistently elicited hostility/hostile cognitions and negative affect, but these did not always translate to aggressive behavior. Violent music seems more likely to elicit behavioral aggression when there are aggression triggers and a clear way to aggress. Implications are discussed.