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Physical assault and aggression is the second leading cause of death among 14 to 17 year olds, next to vehicular accidents (Loeber). But why are humans so aggressive in the first place? There are two sides of the debate: Nature, and Nurture. Some say that it’s human nature, genetics that cause most behaviors, while others say that we act as we learned during childhood. This argument applies to aggression as well. Aggression is mainly caused by things during childhood and adolescence where people learn from various sources about aggression, although, human psychology plays a slight factor.
But, what is aggression in the first place? Aggression is a behavior that causes or intends to cause harm to others. Accidental harm does not count as aggression, because the perpetrator did not intentionally mean to hurt the victim. Additionally, there are two types: reactive, and instrumental. Reactive aggression is aggression that is a response to an event. Instrumental aggression is used as a means to an end, a planned aggression to achieve a desired result, whether physical, mental, or emotional (Anderson 27-51). The two sides of the cause of aggression comes down to nature versus nurture. Some claim that aggression is learned, while others claim it is genetic (Ferguson). The former is more plausible, though the second should not be discounted.
The “Blank Slate” or tabula rasa theory states that humans are an empty slate to be filled with knowledge and behavior at birth (Locke). Humans are innately peaceful, and only learn how to hate and manipulate through society (Rousseau). Therefore, aggression is learned, not innately present. These theories have been accepted by many people, and influences how we teach children today. Applied to ag...
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...his all leads to the conclusion that aggressive behaviors are learned, and are not something that you are simply born with.
Works Cited
Anderson, C. A., & Bushman, B. J. (2002). Human aggression. Annual Review of Psychology, 53(00664308), 27-51. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/205753750?accountid=1946
De Aguirre, María Inés. "Neurobiological Bases of Aggression, Violence, and Cruelty." Behavioral and Brain Sciences 29.3 (2006): 228-. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 10 Feb. 2012.
Ferguson, Chistopher J. “Natural-born killers: The genetic origins of extreme violence.” Aggression and Violent Behavior. 14(2009): 286-294. ScienceDirect. Web. 7 February 2012.
Loeber, Rolf. “Key issues in the devlipment of aggression and violence from childhood to early adulthood.” Annual Review of Psychology. 48 (1997): 371-410. Proquest. Web. 7 February 2012.
Behavior, Aggressive Cognition, Aggressive Affect, Psychological Arousal, and Prosocial Behavior: A Meta- Analytic Review of the Scientific Literature.” soc.iastate.edu. vol.12, No.5, September 2001. Copyright 2001 American Psychological Society. Web. 20 November 2011.
14)) Prothow-Smith, D. and H. Spivak. "America's Tragedy." Psychiatric Times. Vol. XVI, Issue 6. June, 1999. , A survey of mounting teen violence, including a detailed discussion of several biological precursors to violent behavior patterns.
Nurture brings out the aggressive behaviour in humans. Mikal Gilmore’s book, Shot in the Heart, correlates with the aspect of aggressive behaviour nurture because of how he turned out unlike the other four, who did not have a this ability to kill. The nurture of a child into adulthood develops and creates the aggressive behaviour within the environment. The aggressive behaviour can be found in every human, but it is not until the cognitive development of a child that the aggressive behaviour can start to form and become overpowering. Though the basis of aggression is found in people it is not until a child is exposed to an aggressive
Aggressive individuals often act in ways that will result in having personal gain, rather than focusing what impact they have on others. Aggression is pervasive. It affects the rich as well as the poor, the upper and lower classes, it defines us. This means that most sole individuals will behave in certain ways to promote their well being, instead of how they affect others. Michael Crichton uses characters in Jurassic Park to portray the negative physical, social and intellectual impact they can have on society. This is evident in everyday life because society has molded individuals into looking out for their well being with no considerations of the impact that it has on others.
The issue of whether or not criminal or aggressive behavior and violence is caused by biological or environmental factors has proven to be one that has caused a dispute for many years now. The biological or genetic factor of violent/criminal or aggressive behavior is certainly a much talked about topic. The idea that certain individuals could be predisposed to violence is something definitely deserving of doing research about. The nature vs. nurture topic has been a continuing debate for many aspects of human behavior, including aggression/violent behavior and criminal behavior. There have been many studies indicating that chemical relationships between hormones and the frontal lobe of the brain may play a key role in determining aggressive behavior as well as genetics, while other studies have explored environmental and social factors that have been said to control patterns in human aggression. Aggressive/violent behavior can’t be answered directly if it is caused by either nature or nurture; instead it is believed that both cause it.
Lefkowitz, Monroe M. 1977. Growing Up to be Violent: A Longitudinal Study of the Development of Aggression. New York: Pergamon.
The research reviews and excerpt from the PBS video, "The Violent Mind", presented in this paper strongly support the evidence of a biological basis for violence in the brain.
Many experts do not accept that biology alone creates children who kill. They believe that violence is a learned behavior. Being abused or witnessing domestic violence is an environmental factor in ju...
Teisl, M., & Cicchetti, D. (2008). Physical abuse, cognitive and emotional processes, and aggressive/disruptive behavior problems. Social Development, 17, 1-23.
Neihoff, D. (1999). The biology of violence: How understanding the brain, behavior and environment can break the vicious circle of aggression. New York: Free Press.
One of the most researched topics in the history of psychology is aggression. One goal of social scientists has been to define aggression. Some believe that aggression is biologically preprogrammed, others look toward situational factors and this study suggests that aggression is learned. This study was conducted by Albert Bandura and his associates in 1961 at Stanford University. The researchers proposed that the children be exposed to adult models with either aggressive or nonaggressive ways, they would then be tested without the models present to determine if they would imitate that aggression they observed in the adult.
In all of these possibilities--instinct, heredity, hormones, or brain dysfunction--the aggression occurs without apparent provocation from the environment (although there is almost always a "target"). According to some of these theories, the need or urge to be aggressive is boiling within each of us and seeks opportunities to express itself. There is also clear evidence that alcohol consumption and hotter temperatures release aggression, but no one thinks there is something in alcohol or heat that generates meanness. The socialization process, i.e. becoming a mature person, involves taming these destructive, savage, self-serving urges that probably helped us humans survive one million years ago but threatens our survival today.
FRANZOI, S. L. (2000). Social Psychology (2nd ed.), Boston: McGraw Hill. (Chapters 12: Aggression, and Chapter 13: Prosocial Behavior)
Now ways to help prevent or at least acknowledge were some aggressive behavior comes from. In the “BoBo” doll experiment we saw that children act out aggression as they see it. So it’s safe to say that a front line to reduce aggressive behavior comes from the home. Studies have shown that more aggressive children have physically punitive parents or guardians in their active life, disciplining with aggressive acts such as screaming, slapping, and beating. The culture also has a great deal of influence when it comes to aggressive behavior. In adolescent ages those who observed violent act with guns are twice as likely to become violent as they grow.
Many social psychologists agree that aggression can be defined as behaviour which intends to harm another person who does not want harm inflicted on them (Baron & Richardson, 1994; Bushman & Huesmann, 2010). This definition is all encompassing capturing the possible range of aggressive behaviours whilst excluding activities that can ‘hurt’ but to which the target of the hurt willingly consents and are therefore not considered aggressive due to this circumstance, for example, surgery. As aggression can be presented at differing levels and as result of this can range from the act of pushing someone over to domestic violence or even the extremities of terrorism. Therefore, as aggressive behaviour encompasses such a wide range of actions ranging