Abstract: Aggressive behavior can be divided into two subtypes of proactive aggression and reactive aggression according to the intention. Recently, a number of studies have discussed the importance of genetic and environmental influences on reactive and proactive aggression, and indicated that the two subtypes of aggression have different genetic and environmental underpinnings. Most existing studies have examined the genetic underpinning of two subtypes of aggression by twin design of quantitative behavioral genetics, while future research should focus on such issues as identifying candidate genes, the interaction between gene and environment and its underlying neurobiological mechanisms.

Key words: proactive aggression, reactive aggression, quantitative behavioral genetics, molecular genetics