We’ve all been there.
Aggression centers on hurting another personeither physically or mentally.
Aggression can be both direct and indirect, impulsive or planned.
Verywell / Zoe Hansen
There’s also no single, simple cause.
No matter the cause, it can have a serious impact on our well-being and relationships.
Why We Experience Aggression
While we all experience aggression sometimes.
What’s the goal of aggression?
The goal of aggression is to harm someone who doesn’t want to be harmed.
The motivation behind this varies from person to person.
Types of Aggression
Psychologists divide aggression into two main types.
Both are damaging to those who experience them, whether as the target or the aggressor.
Impulsive Aggression
Also known as affective or reactive aggression, impulsive aggression is characterized by strong emotions.
This form of aggression is not planned and often takes place in the heat of the moment.
Hurting another person in a robbery is an example of this pop in of aggression.
What Causes Aggression?
We don’t know precisely what causes excessive or inappropriate aggression.
Biological Factors
There may be genetic and hormonal factors that influence aggression.
Brain structure can also influence aggression.
People with structural abnormalities in the amygdala tend to show more aggression than their peers.
Changes in other areas of the brain may also contribute to aggressive behavior.
People who grow up witnessing aggression may be more likely to believe that violence and hostility are socially acceptable.
Experiencing trauma during childhood can also lead to aggressive behavior in adulthood.
Psychologist Albert Bandura’s famousBobo doll experimentdemonstrated thatobservational learningcan also play a role in how aggression develops.
Aggression Can Have Serious Effects
Aggression can affect your healthand relationships.
Unchecked aggression can also make work more difficult and strain friendships.
This can lead to morestressand feelings of alienation from the aggressor, which may worsen the problem.
Research has shown that anger management interventions can be a helpful way to learn to control feelings of aggression.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
Takeaways
Aggression is often the byproduct of another underlying factor.
Exploring and addressing that root cause can often help reduce aggressive behavior.
If you’re troubled by aggression, seeking professional mental health care may benefit you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Aggression involves several different regions of the brain.
Passive aggression is a way to express aggression indirectly.
Deliberately avoiding someone else or “forgetting” to complete assigned tasks can be examples of passive-aggressive behavior.
Reactive aggression, also known as impulsive aggression, happens in response to a specific trigger.
Microaggressionsare subtle behaviors that discriminate against a marginalized group of people.
Blair RJR.The neurobiology of impulsive aggression.J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol.
2023;32(2):375-379. doi:10.4103/ipj.ipj_40_23
Rosell DR, Siever LJ.The neurobiology of aggression and violence.CNS Spectr.
2016;16:180. doi:10.1186/s12888-016-0885-7
Kjrvik SL, Bushman BJ.The link between narcissism and aggression: A meta-analytic review.Psychol Bull.
