Aggression is behavior between members of the same species with the intent to cause pain or harm, by psychology and other social and behavioral sciences definition.
Dr.
Bruce Perry, who has worked extensively with traumatized children, said that aggression is not violence; nor does an aggressive person necessarily have to be violent (1).
The way that someone parents and is raised has an impact and helps to shape the demeanor that each of us possess.
There are actually three parenting styles that factor in with this.
You may have heard the old saying, "an apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
" Though this is not always true, there can be some factual basis for that statement, particularly when looking at parenting styles, and the way in which parents and caregivers raise children.
According to Dr.
Diane Baumrind, there are Authoritarian parents who want nothing less than to control their children; The child gives the parent absolute obedience in return; They utilize methods to make their children adhere to a very strict code of behavior, and if children revolt against rules or teaching, they are arbitrarily and forcefully punished for noncompliance; Parents like this are generally more removed and withdrawn than others; Children reared by such parents are withdrawn, as well as disconnected (2).
Permissive parents are just the opposite.
Though they value self-expression and self-regulation, these parents place low demands on their children instead allowing self-governance, and participation in activities at the children's leisure;Permissive parents explain the reasons for any rules they feel they need to make;They hardly ever reprimand children and discuss policy decisions with them; These types of parents are not controlling or demanding and are generally warm; As a result, when their children are in preschool, they don't tend to be as mature as the other students, nor do they have as much self control, and aren't as exploratory (2).
The third and final parenting style is Authoritative.
It can be said that it's a combination of the previous two.
Though this type of parenting style puts value on a child's individuality, it also stresses social constraints;These parents feel assured of themselves in guiding children, but not at the expense of the child's own interests, ability to decide, interests, opinions or individuality;Even though such parents expect good behavior, are firm in maintaining standards, and are flexible on the punishment rendered when necessary, they are loving; Children with parents like these know that they are loved, but firmly guided; Preschoolers of authoritative parents tend to be the most exploratory, happy, and able to speak up for themselves, self-reliant and self-controlled of the 3 types of parents; Moreover, these parents are very expressive and encourage feedback from their children (2).
But it's kind of like the age-old nature vs.
nurture debates, how much of each actually does or doesn't influence the molding of an individual? Forms of Aggression: There is more than one type of aggression, and it can occur at any age.
Gender affects aggression and aggressive tendencies.
Historically males are believed to be more physically aggressive than females; While females tend to be less inclined to initiate physical violence, they are capable of expressing aggression through a variety of non-physical means; These are strong sex differences that have been found across a variety of different age groups and cultures; On average, the occurrence of human aggression peak around 2 to 3 years of age, and then begins to decline (3).
People's earliest impressions often come from their parents.
Humans apply the lessons that they have been taught to their interaction with others.
The three parenting styles of Authoritarian, Permissive, and Authoritative have a distinctive impact upon how people approach each other.
Though children of these three different styles of upbringing interact with one another, those associations are on different levels.
Children of strict parents tend to lead other people who are not as readily able to govern for themselves.
The type of personality that a person has, whether strict, passive or in between essentially determines the leaders and followers of the world.
Children who are raised to be obedient seek obedience from those that are either less domineering than themselves, such as those people who are neither strong nor weak, or those that need the most guidance from others.
When those people that rule come together with people who do not, the outcome produces the followers.
But, when dissension amongst these groups arises, it is somewhat like survival of the fittest on a very remedial level.
The strong will either assist or not the not so strong or weak, or they will do for themselves.
References 1.
Perry, B.
Aggression and Violence: The Neurobiology of Experience.
Online.
Retrieved June 30, 2010.
http://teacher.
scholastic.
com/professional/bruceperry/aggression_violence.
htm 2.
Papalia, D.
E.
, Olds, S.
W.
, Feldman, R.
D.
, (2007).
Human Development.
Tenth Edition.
New York: McGraw-Hill: International Edition 3.
Archer, J.
(2009).
The nature of human aggression.
Online.
International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 32.
School of Psychology, University of Central Lancashire, PR1 3TQ, UK.