Psychological Theories Of Aggression Essay

Aggression is the human behaviour of one that is directed towards another with the intention to cause harm (Anderson & Bushman, 2002). Violence is aggression with the intention to cause extreme harm (Anderson & Bushman, 2002). There are mainly two types of aggression. Firstly is hostile aggression which is an unplanned form of aggression which occurs as a reaction. Instrumental aggression on the other hand is a pre-planned form of aggression which has other goals than merely harming the victim (Anderson & Bushman, 2002). In this essay, we will view three different psychological theories of aggression. They are the biological phenomenon of aggression, aggression as a form of response to frustration and finally aggression as a learned social

Learned social behaviour which is seen through extract 1 that is based in the American cultural context. As it is a norm to own a gun in America, shootings due to domestic violence is inevitable. Where violence is learnt when it is seen in the family, especially in the case of men (Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights, 2003). However, women on the other hand do not succumb to being violated, if they grew up seeing their mother abused (Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights, 2003). However, if they were abused or violated at a younger age, they tend to be a victim of domestic violence as they grow older (Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights, 2003). This can be aided alcohol which fuels the biological component of aggression, as alcohol causes one to lose control (Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights, 2003). However, it is also key to note that the violence used against someone might not be the original source of frustration. For example, when someone is frustrated with the superior or law enforcers and are unable to vent the frustration on them directly, they might

Youths tend to join gangs in order to fulfil their social, emotional and psychological needs (SPF), 2015). It is also noted that youths that are part of the gang resort to violence at the slightest provocation (SPF), 2015). Many other social issues were also brought to light to question the emerging rise of youth gangs which were seen as eradicated in the past (Palatino, 2010). Issues such as whether youths are getting enough job opportunities in the job market as well as the role of schools were greatly highlighted as these were the reasons why gangs flourished in the history of Singapore (Palatino, 2010). Dysfunctional families were also seen as a reason for the rise of gang violence (Palatino, 2010). Domestic violence plays a role in making a family dysfunctional. Spousal violence is the most common type of violence in Singapore (Tai, 2013). From 1995 to 2012, the cases of family violence tripled from 978 cases to a whopping 3200 cases (Tai, 2013). It was also seen that 4 out of 5 victims of family violence suffer psychologically as well as physically (Tai, 2013), hence, leading to a more dysfunctional family. Though Singapore does not experience the wrath of gang violence as often as America, the existence of threat is still very real. As such we can see how similar America and Singapore are in terms