Among the emotions that a client experiences during a psychological session is aggression. This is neither good nor bad. Behind any emotions and feelings there is some kind of need, a desire of a person.
The client brings everything he has in life to the psychologist’s office. How in a laboratory you can study a client’s manifestations in a safe and environmentally friendly environment. The manifestation of feelings from the aggressive register can be treated differently. A session is a field for exploration and experimentation.
Introduction
This article is devoted to the study of the psychological characteristics of aggressive behavior in adolescents.
The most important area of adolescent social behavior is the peer environment. The degree of attraction to the peer environment also depends on the individual characteristics of adolescents, but the vast majority of them, to one degree or another, are in close, productive contact with their peers. About 80% of teenagers belong to peer groups, and only 20% are alone. Communication with peers is necessary for a developing personality to develop communication skills and self-esteem. The communication experience acquired in adolescence plays an important role when entering an independent life.
The psychological portrait of a teenager would be clearly incomplete if it were missing such an important detail as aggression. Unfortunately, in recent years there has been a significant increase in aggression among adolescents. Aggressive behavior becomes a source of mental suffering not only for parents, but also for teenagers themselves, who quite often become victims of their peers. Of course, aggressive behavior causes a number of problems because the behavior we are interested in is dangerous. This is of great concern to educators and law enforcement agencies. In practice, it affects everyone who comes into contact with young people in one way or another. The work of a psychologist is related to solving the problem of mental and psychological health of adolescents. This is why it is so important to understand the reasons for this behavior and the conditions under which it occurs. In our opinion, this determines the relevance of the research topic.
The purpose of the study is to analyze the psychological characteristics of adolescent aggression to identify possibilities for its correction.
The object of the study are adolescents aged 13-15 years.
The subject of the study is factors influencing the formation of aggressive behavior and methods of correcting aggressive behavior in adolescents.
We hypothesized that “there is a correlation between an adolescent’s aggressive behavior and his sociometric status in the peer group.”
Based on the purpose and hypothesis of the study, it was necessary to solve the following problems:
- analyze psychological and pedagogical literature on the research problem.
- give a comparative analysis of the concepts of “aggression” and “aggressiveness”.
- to study the psychological characteristics of adolescent aggression.
- 4.show the connection between aggressive tendencies and the status of adolescents in the peer group.
- develop recommendations for correcting aggressive manifestations in adolescents.
The main methods used in the work are theoretical analysis of psychological and pedagogical literature, diagnostic methods: Bass-Darki Questionnaire, A. Assinger test - to determine aggressiveness in the behavior of adolescents, sociometric procedure to identify sociometric status in a peer group; qualitative and quantitative analysis of research results.
The practical significance of the study is determined by the psychologist’s work system for diagnosing and correcting behavioral disorders in adolescents.
The reliability and validity of the study was ensured by comparing data obtained by different methods with the same population of adolescents.
The dissertation includes an introduction, three chapters, a conclusion, a bibliography of 35 titles and appendices.
Phenomenology of aggression and aggressiveness: experience of terminological differentiation
We cannot imagine a newspaper, magazine, radio or television news program that does not report a single act of aggression or violence. Statistics eloquently demonstrate how often people injure and kill each other, and cause pain and suffering to their neighbors.
Although in most cases we do not behave aggressively or cruelly when interacting with other people, our behavior still ends up being a source of physical and psychological suffering for our loved ones. Perhaps, but it may seem to many that at this stage of the historical development of mankind, the “dark side” of human nature has somehow become unusually stronger and gotten out of control. However, evidence of violence in other times and places suggests that the cruelty and violence in our world is not unusual.
Of course, even when people maim and kill each other with primitive weapons, their actions are destructive and cause unnecessary suffering. However, such hostilities take place in a limited area and do not pose a threat to all of humanity. The use of modern, incomparably more powerful weapons can lead to a global catastrophe. Some states today have the ability to destroy all life on Earth. Weapons of mass destruction are also relatively inexpensive to produce in modern times and do not require much technological knowledge.
Given these trends, it is impossible not to recognize that violence and conflict are among the most serious problems facing humanity today. Why do people behave aggressively? What steps should be taken to prevent or control such destructive behavior?
These questions have occupied the best minds of mankind for many centuries and have been considered from different angles - in the form of philosophy, poetry and religion. But only in our century this problem became the subject of systematic scientific research. The amount of data on the topic of aggression is so large that we will address two important areas.
First, we will focus primarily on the issue of human aggression. Secondly, the discussion of aggression is conducted mainly from a social point of view.
R. Baron and D. Richardson in their fundamental book “Aggression” identify four main determinants of aggression: social, external, individual and biological.
When characterizing aggression, two main terms are usually used - aggressive behavior and aggressiveness. The apparent proximity of these terms often makes it difficult to correctly understand the nature of aggression as such.
There are situations in life when, when describing a person, we say that this or that person is an aggressive person. At the same time, we try to emphasize the presence of a very specific quality inherent in him - aggressiveness. At the same time, we note with surprise the fact of aggressive behavior of a person who could not be suspected of aggressiveness. Thus, life itself introduces us to the existence of two different phenomena - aggressiveness as a personality quality and aggressive behavior as a purposeful action. In fact, the ambiguity of the term “aggression” is quite obvious.
We speak about aggression itself when it is obvious, i.e. manifested in a person's behavior or actions.
Interaction with a psychologist through aggression
What do we do to make an interaction happen or not happen? These can be both conscious and not entirely conscious transactions. The way a person behaves in certain circumstances is conducive to communication or not. If the client does not notice this and does not understand why this is happening, then it is very important to pay attention to this in the session.
The client brings from his life into contact with the psychologist what is characteristic of his personality. If a person is used to behaving harshly, making demands, raising his voice, and so on, then sooner or later, the psychologist who works with this person will also become a target for emotional messages. In a session, it is very convenient, having discovered this, to bring this pattern to the level of awareness of the individual.
Aggressive manifestations of the client towards the psychologist may indicate his helplessness, the inability to get what he wants. The client is not always able to verbalize his desires. A person’s desire to move his interlocutor to the position he needs can occur through manipulation. For example, this could be provoking a specialist to show strong feelings, or violating psychological boundaries or the setting. In what situations in life does the client do this, and with what people, what result does he expect? How aware is he of the tools he uses to achieve his goals? Does he have alternative options to get what he wants? All these questions require answers within a psychological session.
Theoretical approaches to explaining aggressive behavior
The fact of aggressive behavior is always a holistic act that requires the manifestation of integrity at the level of the entire personality. Consequently, the essence of aggressive behavior lies not in individual psychological manifestations, qualities or characteristics, but in a single structurally organized human system.
Throughout human evolution, aggression has played an important role in the survival of its members. Early hunters sometimes had to become ferocious, killing animals or other people who competed with them for food, mates, or territory. But the entire subsequent history of all civilizations is marked by armed conflicts between clans, tribes or nations, and no connection can be found between these conflicts and individual survival as such.
However, there are cultures that have succeeded in developing ways to deter aggression by creating systems of specific signals, threatening behavior or fighting rituals, such as those that are still found among tribes on the shores of the Amazon or on the islands of Oceania. Ethnologists have even discovered societies that seem to know no aggression.
As for the nature of aggressiveness, its origin lies at the level of neurodynamic and psychodynamic traits, temperament and some types of character accentuations. These include emotional sensitivity and irritability, the degree of anxiety, some emotions included in the so-called hostility complex - anger, disgust and contempt, as well as the emotion of fear. The cumulative effect of these traits determines a person's propensity to act aggressively.
The term "aggression" is often associated with negative emotions such as anger, motives such as the desire to offend or cause harm, and even negative attitudes such as racial or ethnic prejudice. While all of these factors undoubtedly play an important role in behavior that results in harm, their presence is not a necessary condition for such action. However, anger is by no means a necessary condition for attacking other people; aggression manifests itself both in a state of complete calm and in a state of extreme emotional arousal.
There are several divergent theoretical perspectives, each of which offers its own view of the nature and origin of aggression. The oldest of these, the instinct theory, views aggressive behavior as innate. Freud, the most famous of the adherents of this fairly widespread point of view, believed that “aggression arises from the innate death instinct directed towards its bearer; in essence, aggression is the same instinct, only doubly projected and directed towards external objects.” The position on the death drive is one of the most controversial in the theory of psychoanalysis. It was actually rejected by many of Freud's students, who shared his views on many issues. However, the contention that aggression originates in innate, instinctive forces was generally supported even by these critics.
Freud's views on the origin and nature of aggression are extremely pessimistic. This behavior is not only innate and stems from the “built-in” desire for death in a person, but it is also inevitable, since if the energy of Thanatos is not turned outward, it will soon lead to the destruction of the person himself.
Evolutionary theorists believed that the source of aggressive behavior was another innate mechanism: the instinct to fight, which is inherent in all animals, including humans.
K. Lorenz, a Nobel Prize winner and eminent ethologist, advocated an evolutionary approach to aggression that bears surprising similarities to Freud's positions.
According to K. Lorenz, this instinct developed during a long evolution, as evidenced by its three important functions. First, control distributes members of a species over a wide geographic area, ensuring maximum use of available food resources. Secondly, aggression helps improve the genetic pool of the species, ensuring that only the strongest and most energetic individuals will be able to leave offspring. Finally, strong animals are better able to protect themselves and ensure the survival of their offspring.
One of the most interesting implications of Lorenz's theory is that it may explain the fact that humans, unlike most other creatures, have widespread violence against members of their own species. Lorenz also argued that love and friendship may be incompatible with the expression of overt aggression and may block its expression.
How to deal with an aggressive person
The main task in communicating with an aggressive person is to avoid conflict and not succumb to provocation. It’s good to go on the defensive - if possible, silently leave the room or at least remain completely silent. Let the aggressor speak out. The decisive factor in this case will be the attitude with which you will have to listen to insults addressed to you. You need to know for sure: the aggressor is an unhappy person, problems tear him apart, causing the release of negative energy.
Under no circumstances should you respond with anger to anger, or rudeness to rudeness. You should not engage in conversation until the unfortunate person has let off all the steam. After this, you should politely ask him not to talk to you in this manner anymore. At the same time, use body language: stay as straight as possible, look your interlocutor straight in the eyes, emphasizing with your entire appearance that you have no fear of him, but you are not going to offend him either. In the end, each of us has the right to make mistakes.
“Rudeness as a response to an insult indicates weakness of character; rudeness as a habitual behavior is about spiritual poverty; rudeness for the purpose of insult and humiliation is a moral defect.” Refat Shakir-Aliyev, psychiatrist
Factors determining the emergence and development of aggression in childhood
Because most research on the emergence of aggressive responses in the behavioral repertoire has focused on how young children learn patterns of aggressive behavior, the central topic of this section will be aggression in childhood. However, the focus will not be on the evolution of aggressive behavior across the lifespan, but rather on the emergence and intensification of aggressive reactions. What factors related to lifestyle, family, and early childhood experiences can predict a person's later aggressiveness?
Children learn about aggressive behavior patterns from three main sources. The family can both demonstrate patterns of aggressive behavior and reinforce them. The likelihood that children will exhibit aggressive behavior depends on whether they experience aggression in the family. The forms of manifestation of aggression in children are different and depend on the attitude of parents or educators. Adults are usually intolerant of open forms of aggression, so symbolic forms of aggression appear already at the age of two - whining, snorting, stubbornness, squealing, hitting. Children also learn aggression through interactions with peers. They often learn the benefits of aggressive behavior during play. Finally, children learn aggressive reactions not only from real examples (the behavior of peers and family members), but also from symbolic ones offered by the media. In our opinion, the influence of the family on the development of children's aggression occupies a special place. Let's look at this position in more detail.
There is a large number of studies that convincingly show the relationship between negative relationships in the parent-child system, emotional deprivation in the family and child aggression. For example, it has been proven that if a child has a negative relationship with one or both parents, if the developmental tendencies of positive self-esteem and self-concept are not supported by parental assessment or the child does not feel parental support and care, then the likelihood of delinquent behavior increases significantly, relationships with peers, aggression towards their own parents is manifested.
One laboratory study observed how children aged 15, 21 and 39 months interacted with their mothers and other children. Various parameters were recorded, including measuring the time it took the mother to pick up the baby after it cried or reached out to her. Another aspect of the observation was the recording of cases of aggressive behavior of the child directed at others (hitting, biting, trying to take away an object). It was found that children whose mothers approached them slowly behaved more aggressively than those whose mothers responded quickly to their cries or the child's desire for contact.
According to attachment theory, young children vary in the degree to which they feel secure in their relationship with their mother. A securely attached child has a secure, stable and sensitive relationship with his mother. Such a child tends to trust others, has well-developed social skills, is prone to constructive communication and is not aggressive. A child with insecure attachment or attachment anxiety is characterized by being unyielding, resistant to control, and prone to physical aggression. These children are characterized by affective outbursts and impulsive behavior (8).
Today, there is perhaps no doubt that there is a positive correlation between the severity of punishment and the level of aggression in children.
This correlation has been found to extend to cases where punishment is a parent's response to a child's aggressive behavior, i.e. used as an educational measure aimed at reducing aggression and developing non-aggressive behavior in a child.
The experiment examined the aggressive behavior of third-graders depending on the characteristics of parental punishment strategies. The characteristics and severity of punishment were measured by parents' responses to 24 questions about how they typically respond to their child's aggressive behavior.
Features of male aggression
The specificity of male aggressiveness is explained by the action of hormones and behavioral stereotypes determined by the role of men in society. The male hormone testosterone ensures a man's sexual activity, as well as his physical superiority. It is easier for a man to decide on open aggression - he has enough energy and strength for this.
In addition, from childhood, boys learn about their social role as defenders of the family and the state. Constant fights and showdowns “who is stronger?” - a common occurrence among little men: they learn to attack, fight with the offender, and defend their rights.
One of the basic needs in men's lives is self-realization. If they have a social status that does not correspond to their needs, this inevitably leads to an increase in their aggressiveness. Anyone who has failed to assert himself at work tries to prove his worth by demonstrating physical strength. This mainly happens in the family. The most common types of male aggression are family, alcohol, and drugs.
There are several signs that help you see a future family despot in your chosen one:
he tastefully describes fights and scenes of violence, looks for the culprits of failure in everyone except himself, is very jealous and allows himself outbursts of rage, is indifferent and even cruel to children and animals
The family aggressor, reproaching his wife for all serious crimes, lists exactly those facts of which he himself is guilty
Characteristics of aggression in adolescents
Research shows that aggressive and non-aggressive adolescents have different levels of attachment and closeness to their parents. The subject of one such study was to examine the characteristics of identification with parents of aggressive and non-aggressive adolescent boys. Overall, nonaggressive adolescents were found to identify more strongly with their parents than aggressive adolescents. However, the extent to which the two groups of adolescents differed in terms of identification with their mother and father was not the same. The strongest differences between aggressive and nonaggressive adolescents were found in the degree of identification with their father. Corresponding differences in the degree of identification with the mother were less pronounced. That is, identification with the mother was high among both non-aggressive and aggressive adolescents and was quite close to the group average.
The last fact, in our opinion, can be interpreted as another manifestation of the special importance of the mother in the system of attachments and social relations of the adolescent. Obviously, impaired identification with the mother does not occur in everyone, but only in very severe disorders of personality development. For example, one study showed that in the system of a teenager’s relationships with the social environment (including attitudes towards his father and peers), the attitude towards his mother was the most positive. It was found that a decrease in positive attitudes towards the mother and an increase in negative descriptors (traits) in the description of the mother correlates with a general increase in the negativity of all social relationships of the individual. It can be assumed that behind this fact lies the main phenomenon of the manifestation of total negativism (negativism in relation to all social objects, phenomena and norms) in those individuals who are characterized by a negative attitude towards their own mother. In general, as noted in the study, a negative attitude towards the mother is an important indicator of overall unfavorable personality development.
The formation of prosocial, non-aggressive behavior of an individual is associated not only with mechanisms of non-reinforcement or active punishment, but also necessarily (and perhaps, first of all) with active social learning of non-aggressive forms of behavior, constructive ways of resolving contradictions, and the implementation of various individual motives. After all, it is well known that the most pronounced differences between aggressive and non-aggressive children lie not in personal preference for aggressive alternatives, but in ignorance of constructive solutions. Thus, the process of socialization of non-aggressive behavior includes the acquisition of a system of knowledge and social skills, as well as the development of a system of personal dispositions, attitudes that form the basis for the ability to respond to frustration in a relatively acceptable way.
Most existing theories of aggression in modern psychology are consistent with the idea that aggression is associated with certain stable patterns of behavior. Or, in other words, the idea that aggression is associated with certain types of character traits. The logic of instinctive and psychoanalytic theories of aggression allows such a connection. This connection is not only allowed in the theory of social learning of aggression, but is even postulated as mandatory. The connection between aggression and specific individual characteristics is less typical, perhaps, only for the frustration theory of aggression (and even then only for its classic, first version).
However, asserting a logical connection between aggression and specific personality traits is not a meaningful solution to the problem. Of significant theoretical and, perhaps, above all, practical interest is the disclosure of the specific nature of the relationship between aggression and very specific (concrete) character traits.
One of the studies was aimed at clarifying the relationship between the level of aggression and certain character traits of adolescents aged 14-17 years.
The results were expected and predictable, indicating very specific, clear and strong correlations between excitable personality traits and various aggressive tendencies. “Excitability” is positively correlated with verbal aggression, irritability, spontaneous aggression, and indirect aggression.
It is well known that a central feature of the excitable personality is impulsive behavior. Their entire way of communication and behavior is largely determined not by logic, not by a rational assessment of their actions, but by impulse, drive, instinct or uncontrollable impulses. In the field of social interaction and communication, they have extremely low tolerance. Against this background, the identified system of correlations does not seem random and quite logical.
Much more unexpected were the results, which established a clear and well-defined correlation between demonstrative characteristics and personality aggressiveness. Moreover, the structure of relations in the “demonstrativeness-aggression” dyad turned out to be almost completely identical to the structure of relations in the “arousal-aggression” dyad. The difference lies not in the structure of the bonds, but only in their strength. “Demonstrativeness” is positively correlated with verbal aggression, irritability, spontaneous aggression and indirect aggression. However, such a clear and multi-channel correlation of personality demonstrativeness with aggression seems unexpected and strange, since it is known that the central, essential features of a demonstrative model of behavior are not aggression at all, but other behavioral characteristics. These features of a demonstrative personality traditionally include the need and constant desire to impress, attract attention, and be the center of attention. This manifests itself in vain, often deliberately demonstrative behavior. One element of this behavior is self-praise, stories about oneself or events in which this person played a major role. The results of the study of the relationship between demonstrativeness and aggression expand the traditional ideas about the demonstrative personality and allow us to look at the problem of demonstrative behavior from a different angle. On the other hand, we see in these data further confirmation that aggression and aggressiveness are a complex personal and behavioral phenomenon, the cause-and-effect nature of which can hardly be described by a single, one-dimensional, albeit internally consistent model.
Methods of dealing with one's own aggressiveness
Each of us has encountered irritation growing in our souls, ready to spill out at the first opportunity. You can free yourself from internal aggression through awareness of its causes and getting rid of negative experiences.
Five steps to understanding
The first thing to do is to understand and forgive yourself in this state.
understand the emotions that will lead or have already led to the conflict, what thoughts arose during the conflict in relation to its participants, what needs should have been realized, analyze all the negative sides of what is happening, see the positive sides
An honest analysis of the situation is the most constructive way to relieve aggression within yourself.
When you need humor
Only those who know their worth can laugh at themselves; they have a greater chance of making their life successful. He does not dwell on his failures and failures. To work on your mistakes is to talk about them with humor. People will appreciate your courage and self-criticism and will be willing to learn from your mistakes. So it’s worth finding the funny sides in your aggressive state and laughing at it.
Active movement
Playing sports will help you cope with aggressive thoughts. Regular physical activity is a good energy release. There will be no strength left for negative emotions.
Jogging and exercise in the fitness room, cycling and tennis will help. Walking and forays into nature can have a calming effect. Perhaps nature will help you take a fresh look at the conflict situation. The main thing is not to sit cooped up, open yourself to new experiences.
Math clears your mind
Arithmetic exercise has helped many people cope with irritation and anxiety. You need to slowly count to yourself to ten. Then, slowly, count in the opposite direction - to one.
You can add three-digit numbers in your mind, multiply two-digit ones - as long as the left hemisphere of the brain is busy with work. At this time, the right hemisphere will not work - and it is responsible for the emotional state of a person.
While you are counting, aggressiveness will simply turn off. And the more difficult the work of the left hemisphere is, the more the emotions that feed aggressiveness will weaken.
Bibliography
- Averin V.A. Psychology of children and adolescents. Textbook. - St. Petersburg: Publishing House V.A. Mikhailova, 1998 - 379 p.
- Bandura A., Walters R. Teenage aggression. A study of the influence of upbringing and family relationships. - M.: April Press, EKSMO-Press, 1999 - 512 p.
- Bashkatov I.L. Harassment: offenders and offended // Socis, 2002 - No. 12.
- Berkowitz, L. Aggression: causes, consequences and control. - St. Petersburg: Peter, 2001.
- Burlachuk L.F., Morozov S.M. Dictionary-reference book on psychodiagnostics. - St. Petersburg: Peter Kom, 1999 - 528 p.
- Baron R., Richardson D. Aggression. - St. Petersburg: Peter, 1999 - 352 p.
- Bütner K. Life with aggressive children: Translation from German. - M.: Pedagogy, 1991 - 144 p.
- Godefroy J. What is psychology. In 2 volumes. Volume 1. - M.: Mir, 1996 - 496 p.
- Drozdov A.Yu.. Aggressive behavior of adolescents in the context of a social situation // Socis, 2003. - No. 4. - P. 95-98.
- Zaveer A. Ali Rashid. Cross-cultural study of aggressive behavior among adolescents in Russia and Yemen // Dissertation for the degree of candidate of biological sciences.
- Kovalev, P.A. Age and gender characteristics of reflection in consciousness of the structure of one’s own aggression and aggressive behavior: abstract of thesis. dis. Ph.D. psychol. Sci. Thesis. - St. Petersburg, 1996.
- Kuznetsova L.N. Psychological and pedagogical correction of children's aggressiveness // Primary school, 2001. - No. 5 - pp. 78-79.
- Nemirovsky D.E. Motives for illegal acts of youth // Socis, 1992. - No. 3.
- Nemov R.S. Psychology: a textbook for students of pedagogical institutes. In 3 books. 1 General principles of psychology. - M.: VLADOS, 1994 - 576 p.
- Ovcharova R.V. Handbook of social educators. - M.: TC Sfera, 2001. - 480 p.
- Features of aggressive behavior of minors and the basis of their prevention: methodological recommendations, ed. N.V. Alikina. - Kyiv, 1991.
- Polivanova K.N. Psychological content of adolescence // Questions of psychology. - 1996. - No. 1. — P. 20-33.
- psychological tests / ed. A.A. Karelina: in 2 volumes - M.: Vlados, 2001 - volume 1. - 312 p.
- psychology of personality formation and development. - M.: Nauka, 1981. - 365 p.
- human psychology from birth to death. - St. Petersburg: Prime-Eurosign, 2002 - 656 p.
- Rice F. Psychology of adolescence and youth. - St. Petersburg: Peter, 2000.
- Rean A.A. Aggression in the structure of behavior of an irritable and demonstrative personality // Ananevskie readings. - St. Petersburg, 1997.
- Rean A.A. Aggression and personality aggressiveness//Psychological journal. - 1996. - No. 5.
- Rean A.A. Auto-aggressive personality pattern // Annanyev Readings-98 - St. Petersburg. 1998.
- Reemschmidt H. Adolescence and youth: problems of personality formation. - M., 1994. - 320 p.
Treatment of aggression
To combat aggressive outbursts, you will have to consult a psychotherapist. He will correct your behavior and teach you how to control anger and negative emotions. You will need to reconsider your attitude towards life situations and learn to perceive them correctly.
Pathological manifestations of aggression: fits of rage, violent and destructive acts require the intervention of a psychiatrist who will prescribe medication.
Neuroleptics - used to stop attacks of aggression. Their action enhances the processes of inhibition of the central nervous system. Normalizers - used for long-term treatment. They balance the processes of inhibition and excitation and regulate mood. Nootropics are used to strengthen the psyche and improve brain function. Plant-based sedatives - valerian, St. John's wort, motherwort - have a mild sedative effect on the nervous system. Essential oils of lavender, ylang-ylang, mint, and lemon balm will help improve sleep and ensure good relaxation.
Do not self-medicate or use strong psychotropic drugs that have serious side effects.
* * *
Aggressiveness is a property inherited from the animal world. Animal behavior researcher K. Lorenz considered aggression to be a time bomb operating in our brain.
To master this destructive gift of nature, great art is needed. After all, along with physical needs, a person needs love and respect, freedom for self-expression.
