Role of Developmental Features, Environmental Crises, and Personal Resources (Self-Control and Social Support) in Adolescents' Aggressive Behavior

• NCJ Number: 241759
• Journal: Aggression and Violent Behavior Volume: 18 Issue: 1 Dated: January/February 2013 Pages: 26-31
• Author(s): Liat Hamama; Anat Ronen-Shenhav
• Date Published: February 2013
• Length: 6 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical); Literature Review
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the role of age, sex, and external crises (e.g., war, divorce) in increasing an adolescent's risk for aggressive behavior, as well as the role of personal resources of self-control and social support in preventing aggressive behavior.

Abstract

This review relies on the predominant theoretical model for understanding aggression developed by Buss and Perry (1992) and Buss (1961). This model emphasizes the links between three components - thoughts, emotions, and behaviors - and examines them collectively as an internal tendency to develop aggression. According to this theory, the behavioral component (aggressive acts) includes physical aggression and verbal aggression. Researchers have also shown that developmental components are related to aggressive behavior. Age and sex have implications for variation among adolescents that relate to aggression. Age is related to changes that occur during adolescence. These are related to physical and personality changes in all aspects of an adolescent's life. Regarding sex, boys have consistently exhibited more physical aggression compared to girls. Researchers have also linked environmental and familial factors to adolescent aggressive behavior. Adolescents often respond to stressful or traumatic situations by developing behavioral and emotional problems. Familial crises such as divorce can also stimulate greater social and behavior difficulties, poorer academic achievement, more drug abuse, and delinquent behavior. This article also discusses two coping resources that can effectively prevent or reduce aggressive behavior. One coping mechanism is having social support, which consists of a supportive network of people with whom an individual has personal, social, and family relationships. In addition, self-control is a goal-directed behavior that assists people in managing stress and disturbing emotions. The authors recommend a unified intervention for reducing aggression in adolescence that emphasizes a combination of personal and environmental resources for dealing with adolescent aggression. 99 references