Evolutionary theory can be used to make sense of the great complexity of life with the ability to illuminate the causes of variation among human societies. Most evolutionary psychologists emphasize the individual level of analysis concerning violent crime and other dependent variables. Violent crime throws a spotlight on human ancestral adaptations as they play out in varied modern environments. By uniting evidence concerning violent crime with human reproductive strategies, the evolutionary approach elaborated in this paper provides a new perspective for understanding why crimes of violence are so common in some societies compared to others. The central idea is that individual adaptations for reproductive competition play out differently depending both on developmental context and societal conditions, including the marriage market. This paper discusses the empirical evidence in terms of direct reproductive competition and various alternative explanations, particularly consideration is given to the "culture of violence" and socialization experiences. References