The period during which children grow up comes with an assortment of challenges. Many at times, those who are put in charge of taking care of children during their formative years find it an uphill task especially if it is their first time. One of the behaviors that many kids exhibit while growing up is aggression. It is almost impossible to encounter a child who does not experience tendencies of aggression while they are growing up. Many experts have deduced that aggressive behavior can be a symptom of various underlying problems in kids. It may be attributed to medical issues, psychiatric as well as life circumstances. Therefore, the first steps that may be taken towards the treatment of the condition are first to understand the very cause of the problem. Some of the various types of aggression, as well as the manner in which they may be tackled, is explained further in this paper.
Assault and Hostile Aggression
The period of 18 months and three years is an exciting time in the lives of children (Ashford, LeCroy and Williams, 2017). That is the time when toddlers become wary of the fact that they are separate entities from their parents as well as other people in the world. It is the time when they are eager to communicate and assert themselves in the manner that they see fit. During that period, they are still in the process of learning about salient life skills such as turn taking, sharing and waiting. Indeed, it is a tight time when a majority of them fall prey to social ills such as excessive aggression and its effects (Ashford, LeCroy and Williams, 2017).
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Sociology experts have come up with the definition for different types of aggression. Aggression can be defined as the procedure or action that takes place when someone is intended to dominate or attack. Additionally, it may entail making encroachments or attacks that may occur as result of frustration. On the other hand, hostile aggression is a type of attack that someone commits when they see that they are threatened or insulted. It is opposed to the desire to achieve a particular goal. In most situations, it is usually unplanned, fueled by intense emotion, impulsive and reactionary. An example of hostile aggression may present itself in the form of fighting or bullying. One of the means that can be used in the intervention of such kind of aggressive behavior is through counseling.
Proactive and Reactive Aggression
Sociologists have divided the motives for aggression into two parts; proactive and reactive. Proactive aggression is a type of aggression that is oriented at a particular goal that in most circumstances is aimed at achieving more than a physical goal. An example of proactive aggression may take place in the form of robbery. A method that can be used in intervening against proactive aggression may be through imparting young children with valuable and vital social skills such as respect for law and figures of authority. If kids abide by the law from an early age, they will not engage in illicit acts such as robbery. Reactive aggression is a form of aggression that takes place in retaliation to provocation. In most circumstances, it presents itself as a kind of hostility towards others. Reactive aggression can be curtailed by various kinds of cognitive thinking styles that may yield positive results in future (Ashford, LeCroy and Williams, 2017).
How to Assess Different Types of Aggression
The assessment of the various types of attack begins by taking an in-depth analysis of the person who is affected. However, it may be a daunting task to assess the types of attack in the early stages. This is because some people may hide or conceal their aggressive behavior. The second reason may be because aggressive acts may at times be consequential or unethical. However, experts have been able to assess the various types of aggression by diving them into two main categories; predatory and efficient. In the process of assessment, some behaviors such as communication and the manner in which the affected children interact with their counterparts may be taken into consideration.
In conclusion, it can be deduced that aggression is a behavioral form that needs to be looked at from a different perspective altogether. Indeed, parents need to come up with measures that will help to mitigate and bring down the levels of aggression among their children. Such parents may use various forms of intervention. Some of the intervention methods that they may apply encompass providing consistency in discipline and improving parental monitoring. Additionally, they may abet the situation by teaching their aggressive children various problem-solving as well as anger management skills.
References
Ashford, J.B., LeCroy, C.W., & Williams, L. R. (2017). Human Behavior in the Social Environment: A Multidimensional Perspective. 6th Ed. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole
