Aggression
Aggression is a topic of paramount importance to the human race. The sad reality is that no other animal species even comes remotely close to human record of violent and harmful acts against members of their species. Violent crimes and murder have always been a part of human societies, but in recent years their frequency has reached unprecedented levels in many parts of the world.Etiological basis
There are different theories to explain the origin of aggression including;
A-Freud's Instinct Theory
It relied on the release of aggressive energy. Sigmund Freud suggested that all animals' human included, are born with potent aggressive instincts. These instincts create a derive to commit aggressive act.
Freud's central point that aggression is instinctual has been echoed in modern times by a number of biologists who suggested that violence is necessary for the ''survival of fittest''. The most controversial aspect of Freud's theory is his belief that instinctual aggressive energy must be released in some way. He calls the process of releasing instinctual energy Catharsis. Freud's suggestion that societies should encourage the nonviolent catharsis of aggressive energy has been much debated. In particular, some psychologists believe that the ways that Freud and his followers have suggested as safe means of catharsis actually have the effect of increasing aggression.
B-Frustration-Aggression Theory:
In this theory, psychologist believe, like Freud, s that must be satisfied in some way. Often, the aggressive instinct is released in an overt act of aggression. But the key to curbing violence, according to Freud's instinct theory, lies in finding nonviolent ways to release aggressive energy, such as competing in business or sports, watching aggressive sports, or reading about violent crimes that aggression is an inborn part of human nature, but they do not agree it stem from an ever present instinctual need to aggress. Instead, they believe that aggression is a natural reaction to frustration ( blocking ) of important motives. In this frustration- aggression theory people and nations who are frustrated react with anger and aggression. It is not surprising, therefore, that violence is more common among people who live in poverty, as they are chronically frustrated in their attempts to meet even the most basic human needs.
In recent years, this theory has been expanded to include aversive events other than frustration. Anything aversive from frustration to pain is said to increase the likelihood of aggression. Some of the most interesting research findings on aggression come from studies that link uncomfortable heat with aggression. It was found that violent crimes in the United States were associated with high temperature weather but not the non violent crimes.
C-Social Learning Theory:
Albert Bandura (1973) and other social learning theorists believe that people are aggressive only if they learned that it's to their benefit to be aggressive. Social learning theory does not deny that frustration can make us more likely to be angry and aggressive but we will act aggressively in reaction to frustration only if we have learned to do so. We must see others be successful by being aggressive, or we must win victories of our own through aggression before we become aggressive people. Social learning theorists directly conflict with Freud on the topic of catharsis. Cathartic outlets as yelling when angry, hitting a punching bag, and vicariously experiencing aggression by reading violent books or watching violence on television. Social learning theorists argue that these activities will not decrease violence but instead will increase it. The evidence is particularly clear for children, Watching violence on T.V. will increase actual violence.
Culture and Aggression:
In American studies it was found that rates of violent aggression are different for different ethnic and cultural groups. It was suggested that some groups have higher violence rates than others because they have passed attitudes favorable to violence from one generation to the next through social learning.
Violent Youth Gangs:
Psychologist Ervin Staub-1996- has provided a plausible theory to explain the increase in gang violence in America that incorporates elements of both frustration- aggression and social learning theories of aggression. According to Staub, the problem begins in the homes of young adolescents who later join gangs. When parents use harsh physical punishment to discipline their children, they are modeling aggression for the child to imitate. In addition, the child is likely to react to the pain of the harsh punishment with even more aggressive misbehavior. This often lead the parent to write off the aggressive child as '' no good'' and to cease to supervise his or her activities- giving the child the freedom to spend time with older gang members. This harsh and inadequate parenting creates children who act in aggressive ways toward their classmates at school, leading to rejection by most of their peers- most dislike aggressive bullies. But gangs composed of other aggressive youths offer a place for aggressive kids to belong who have been rejected by their families and peers. The person most likely to respect an aggressive adolescent is another aggressive adolescent who has been rejected by family and peers. Unfortunately, the gangs provide a place to belong at the cost of encouraging strong feelings of ''us'' versus '' them ''. Gangs encourage their members to hate and demean the members of other gangs and to think of them as an ''opposing army''. Conflicts between rival gangs are made more frequent and intense because the sale of drugs by gangs gives poor adolescents their first opportunity to rise above the grinding frustrations of poverty.