This document defines and discusses aggression. It begins by defining aggression as behavior intended to harm others physically or psychologically. It then discusses the etymology and different definitions of aggression. It outlines different types of aggression such as emotional, instrumental, physical, nonphysical, direct, and indirect aggression. It discusses possible causes of aggression including mental health disorders, medical conditions, substance use, genetics, and environment. It provides examples of several mental health disorders and medical conditions that can cause aggression. Finally, it discusses ways to respond to and treat aggression in children and adults, including consequences, teaching new skills, reward systems, seeking professional help, and psychotherapy.
2. AGGRESSION
Aggression refers to a range of behaviors that can
result in both physical and psychological harm to
yourself, others, or objects in the environment. This
type of behavior centers on harming another person
either physically or mentally. It can be a sign of an
underlying mental health disorder, a substance use
disorder, or a medical disorder.
3. ETYMOLOGY
The term aggression comes from
the Latin word aggressio, meaning attack. The Latin
was itself a joining of ad- and gradi-, which meant
step at. The first known use dates back to 1611, in
the sense of an unprovoked attack. A psychological
sense of "hostile or destructive behavior" dates
back to a 1912 English translation of Sigmund
Freud's writing.Alfred Adler theorized about an
"aggressive drive" in 1908. Child raising experts
began to refer to aggression, rather than anger,
from the 1930s.
4. DEFINITION OF AGGRESSION
 Social psychologists
define aggression as behavior that is intended to
harm another individual who does not wish to be
harmed (Baron & Richardson, 1994).
5. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VIOLENCE
AND AGGRESSION
Violence is a subset of aggression. All violent acts are
aggressive, but only acts that are intended to cause
extreme physical damage, such as murder, assault, rape,
and robbery, are violent. Slapping someone really hard
across the face might be violent, but calling people
names would only be aggressive.
7. EMOTIONAL OR IMPULSIVE AGGRESSION
It refers to aggression that occurs with only a small
amount of forethought or intent and that is
determined primarily by impulsive emotions.
Emotional aggression is the result of the extreme
negative emotions we’re experiencing at the time
that we aggress and is not really intended to create
any positive outcomes.
8. INSTRUMENTAL OR COGNITIVE
AGGRESSION
It is intentional and planned. Instrumental
aggression is more cognitive than affective and
may be completely cold and calculating.
Instrumental aggression is aimed at hurting
someone to gain something—attention, monetary
reward, or political power, for instance. If the
aggressor believes that there is an easier way to
obtain the goal, the aggression would probably not
occur.
9. PHYSICAL AGGRESSION:
It is aggression that involves harming others
physically—for instance hitting, kicking, stabbing, or
shooting them.
10. NONPHYSICAL AGGRESSION:
It includes verbal aggression (yelling, screaming, swearing,
and name calling) and relational or social aggression,
which is defined as intentionally harming another person’s
social relationships.Some examples of the types of
nonphysical aggression are:
 Spreading rumors
 Gossiping
 Criticizing other people behind their backs
 Bullying
 Leaving others out of a group or otherwise ostracizing them
 Turning people against each other
 Dismissing the opinions of others
 “Stealing” a boyfriend or girlfriend
 Threatening to break up with partner if the partner does not
comply
 Flirting with another person to make a partner jealous
11. DIRECT AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIORS MAY INCLUDE THE
FOLLOWING:
 Hitting
 Pinching
 Hair-pulling
 Biting
 Spiting
 Kicking
 Pushing
12. INDIRECT AGGRESSION MAY INCLUDE:
Aggression can also take a more indirect approach
and may be combined with physical aggression.
Such as
 Gossiping
 Excluding others
 Name-calling
 Willful destruction of objects or items
 Bullying
 Passive-aggressive behaviors
 Spreading rumors
 Ignoring
13. SYMPTOMS MIGHT OCCUR WITH AGGRESSION
Aggression may accompany other symptoms that
vary depending on the underlying disease, disorder
or condition. Conditions that frequently affect
behavior may also have other psychological,
cognitive. or physical symptoms
14. PSYCHOLOGICAL AND COGNITIVE SYMPTOMS THAT MAY
OCCUR ALONG WITH AGGRESSION
Aggression may accompany other psychological or
cognitive symptoms including:
 Anxiety, irritability and agitation
 Confusion or forgetfulness
 Depressed or flat mood
 Difficulty with concentration or attention
 Difficulty with memory, thinking, talking, comprehension, writing or
reading
 Hallucinations or delusions
 Heightened arousal or awareness
 Personality changes
 Poor judgment
 Sleep disturbances
 Withdrawal or depression
15. OTHER SYMPTOMS THAT MAY OCCUR ALONG WITH
AGGRESSION
Aggression may accompany symptoms related to
other body systems including:
 Appetite changes
 Changes in pupil size
 Fatigue
 Incontinence
 Seizures and tremors
 Unintended weight changes
16. PURPOSES OF AGGRESSION:
Aggression can serve a number of different
purposes, including:
 To express anger or hostility
 To seek attention
 To assert dominance
 To intimidate or threaten
 To achieve a goal
 To express possession
 A response to fear
 A reaction to pain
 To compete with others
17. CAUSES OF AGGRESSION
Although specific causes of aggression are not
known, some studies have shown that abnormal
brain chemistry or structural changes may play a
role. Environment and genetics also seem to be
involved. Aggression is a potential symptom of
diseases, disorders or conditions that interfere with
thought processes, such as dementia, post-
traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, and a
number of personality disorders
18. ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER
(ASPD):
This personality disorder is characterized by a long-
term pattern of a violation and disregard for the
rights of others. This may be the result of
decreased conscience or moral values, or a history
of criminality, incarceration, legal problems, or
impulsive and overly aggressive acts.
19. BIPOLAR DISORDER:
During the manic or depressive cycle of bipolar
disorder, some individuals become irritable and
may end up acting in an aggressive manner,
lashing out at those around them physically,
verbally, or both.
20. BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER
(BPD):
 People who have BPD are more likely to
experience severe emotional instability, especially
during a time when they feel a threat of
abandonment, which can lead to aggressive acts.
21. HISTRIONIC PERSONALITY DISORDER (HPD):
Individuals who have HPD exhibit many attention-
seeking behaviors and emotional instability. When a
person with this disorder isn’t getting the attention
they want, they may lash out aggressively to gain
the needed attention
22. INTERMITTENT EXPLOSIVE DISORDER (IED):
 People who struggle with IED have a pattern of
impulsive, violent, angry, and aggressive behaviors
that are greatly out of proportion to the situations
they occur in. People with IED may attack other
people who they see as a threat or may destroy
others’ possessions during a bout of aggressive
behaviors.
23. SCHIZOAFFECTIVE DISORDER:
This disorder combines the symptoms of
schizophrenia and a mood disorder, including
hallucinations and delusions. When a person with
schizoaffective disorder has a psychotic break, he
or she may act out aggressively in response to
internal stimuli and faulty perceptions.
24. SCHIZOPHRENIA:
Most individuals with schizophrenia are not violent,
however, sometimes these individuals experience
breaks in reality. During this time, the hallucinations
and delusions they experience may cause them to
behave in an aggressive manner out of fear or in
response to internal stimuli.
25. SUBSTANCE ABUSE:
Those who abuse certain drugs or alcohol are at an
increased risk for developing addiction. Many
psychoactive drugs cause aggression and during
withdrawal states, aggression is common.
26. ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE:
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause for
dementia among older adults. This disease
destroys areas of the brain involved in emotional
regulation. Many people in the later stages of the
disease have personality changes, which can
cause them to become violent and aggressive.
27. DEMENTIA:
Dementia is a group of syndromes that lead to
marked changes in personality, behavior, and brain
function. Many older adults who have dementia
may experience drastic changes in personality and
behavior, causing them to lash out at others in a
violent, aggressive manner.
28. PSYCHOSIS:
Psychosis is a general term that refers to an altered
mental status and a break from reality. Senior
adults, who are more prone to psychosis, may react
to internal stimuli and lash out due to fear or
paranoia.
29. STROKE:
When a blood clot forms and lodges in one of the
blood vessels of the brain, that part of the brain is
cut off from oxygen and may die. Depending upon
the area of the brain that becomes hypoxic, a
person can develop aggressive tendencies.
30. FRUSTRATION
Kids who have problems with cognition (what’s now
called intellectual impairment) or communication
(including autism) may also manifest with
aggression. When children with these conditions
become aggressive, they often do so because they
have difficulty dealing with their anxiety or
frustration and can’t verbalize their feelings as
others do. The aggression may also be a form of
impulsivity.
31. OTHER CAUSES OF AGGRESSION
Aggression can also be caused by other diseases,
disorders or conditions including:
 Brain tumors
 Head injury
32. SERIOUS OR LIFE-THREATENING CAUSES OF
AGGRESSION:
 Acute delirium (sudden onset of mental status
changes due to illness or toxicity)
 Alcohol or drug intoxication or withdrawal
 Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
 Meningitis (infection or inflammation of the sac
around the brain and spinal cord)
33. HOW TO RESPOND TO AGGRESSIVE
BEHAVIOR IN CHILDREN
It's important to take action when your child
behaves aggressively. With prompt consequences
and new skills, your child can learn to respond to
frustration and other big feelings in a more
appropriate way.
34. PROVIDE IMMEDIATE CONSEQUENCES
Any act of aggression should result in an
immediate consequence. Don't give
warnings or reminders to stop.
Consequences might include:
35. TIME-OUT:
When used appropriately, time-out teaches children
how to calm down. The ultimate goal of time-out
should be for children to put themselves in time-out
before they lash out aggressively. In this case, the
time-out is not meant to punish the child for the
behavior, but rather, to give them the chance to
practice calm-down strategies in the moment.
36. RESTITUTION:
If your child hurts someone, restitution should be
part of the consequence. Restitution may involve
loaning a favorite toy to the person that they hurt or
doing extra chores to pay for the damage.
Restitution can help repair relationships and give
your child an opportunity to make amends.
37. LOSS OF PRIVILEGES:
Take away your child’s favorite possession or
activity for 24 hours. Losing electronics or the
chance to go to a friend's house can be an effective
reminder not to hurt others.
38. NATURAL CONSEQUENCES:
If your child destroys their own property, a natural
consequence might be the most effective. If your
teenager throws their phone and breaks it, don't
buy a new one. Going without a phone and then
having to buy their own replacement can serve as a
valuable life lesson.
39. REWARD SYSTEMS:
If your child exhibits aggression often, establish
a reward system. Provide positive reinforcement for
desired behavior, like gentle touches. A token
economy system can also eliminate aggression in
some children.
40. TEACH NEW SKILLS:
Social skills, problem-solving skills, and conflict
resolution skills will reduce aggressive
behavior.Ensure that discipline teaches child what
to do instead of acting out or becoming aggressive.
Help child see the alternative choices that don't
involve aggression. For example, instead of telling
a child, "Don't hit," try saying, "Use your words."
41. SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP:
Occasionally, aggressive behavior stems from more
serious behavior disorders or mental health
conditions. If your child's behavior gets worse or
does not respond to any disciplinary tactic you've
tried, it's time to seek professional help.
42. TREATMENT FOR AGGRESSION IN ADULTS:
In order to work through aggressive behaviors, one must first
identify the primary cause and underlying factors. The most
common way to treat and reduce aggressive behavior in an
adult is some form of psychotherapy, such as cognitive
behavioral therapy (CBT). Through psychotherapy treatment
methods, an individual can learn how to control their
behaviors, develop better coping skills, and develop the ability
to understand the consequences of their behavior.