Reasons for aggression - there may be at least several of them. The causes of aggression include both psychological conflicts, mental disorders and even somatic diseases. Aggression is actually an interesting issue, according to some, we may have a … innate inclination towards it. So find out exactly the causes of aggression!

Causes of aggression- to know them, first define what aggression itself is. In general, however, it can be said that aggressive behavior is defined as such behavior, the ultimate goal of which is to deliberately harm another person. But what isthe cause of aggression ? It turns out that there are quite a few concepts on this subject.

Causes of aggression: aggression as congenital or acquired?

A significant amount of analyzes concerning aggressive behavior has been devoted to whether the tendencies to aggression are innate in some way, or whether we acquire them - for example by observing the behavior of other people - already in the course of our lives. Basically, both of these concepts seem to be actually correct.

The innate determinants of aggression were already de alt with by the father of psychoanalytic therapy - Sigmund Freud. According to his theory, there are two drives in a human from birth - one is the drive to aggressive behavior, the other is the drive to feel pleasure.

Both of these are to influence how we behave and how our personality develops. In the course of life, dynamic interactions between the two drives would occur all the time, and in a situation where the drive for aggression would prevail (which may be an innate feature of a person's psyche), such behavior would be represented by a person.

On the other hand, the theory that the causes of aggression lie in the very course of our lives also seems convincing. After all, it is not uncommon for children who observe aggression - mainly when such observation concerns their guardians - to show aggressive behavior in the future.

There are at least several explanations for this possibility, an example of which is that little people, seeing the aggressive behavior of their loved ones, somehow start to treat it as such that there is simply a certain consent to it.

Causes of aggression: psychological problems

Experiencing some psychological conflicts may also be a cause of aggression. You may not even be aware of experiencing them, and their manifestation may be aggressive behavior.

The basis for the above-mentioned conflicts may be various situations, examples of which include experiencing strong (especially chronically) stress, family problems (e.g. constant quarrels with a partner) or difficulties related to the work performed.

In this group of causes of aggressive behavior, it is worth mentioning the specific basis of this problem for adolescents. Well, in the case of adolescents, aggression may appear in them when they begin to mature. It is related to many aspects.

The first of them is the changes in the appearance of their bodies, noticeable for adolescents - they may lead (especially initially) to considerable discomfort and the related lack of self-acceptance, which may ultimately result in a psychological conflict and, consequently, also be a cause of aggression.

It is also worth noting that during adolescence in the bodies of young people there is a hormonal "storm" - changes in the hormonal balance are so significant during this period that they can lead to irritable mood, as well as constitute the cause of aggressive behavior.

Aggressive behavior can also be observed in people with various diseases and mental disorders. They can appear in the course of numerous entities, such as, for example, personality disorders, psychotic disorders or autism, but also in bipolar disorder and in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

There is also one mental disorder, the essence of which is aggressive behavior - we are talking about interrupted explosive disorders (IED).

It needs to be clearly emphasized that indeed - the risk of aggression in people suffering from the above-mentioned individuals is higher - however, this does not mean that every patient with a mental illness is dangerous to their environment.

Whether such a threat actually exists is determined both by the severity of the patient's disease and the course of its treatment - proper treatment of mental illnesses significantly reduces the risk of aggressive behavior.

Reasons for aggression: somatic diseases

The causes of aggression also include mental problems, but also - as the body is directly connected with the psyche - also somatic diseases. In fact, there are many different individuals that may be causing the aggressive behavior as theirsexamples can be mentioned:

  • hyperthyroidism,
  • Cushing's syndrome,
  • tumors of the central nervous system,
  • head injuries,
  • stroke,
  • infectious diseases of the central nervous system (such as e.g. CNS syphilis),
  • dementia (e.g. Alzheimer's disease).

Causes of aggression: environmental factors

The environment can also be the cause of aggression. In the case of children, the cause of aggressive behavior may be, for example, harassment by peers, e.g. cyberbullying - experiencing this kind of harm may cause the victim to start showing aggression himself.

The substances that people consume are also important. The use of various psychoactive substances can definitely lead to the emergence of aggressive behavior.

This is especially true of alcohol and drug abuse. Aggression can appear both in the case of conditions after taking such substances and in periods of craving, e.g. alcohol craving or drug craving.

Aggression - regardless of its causes - is simply a bad phenomenon. If you experience aggression from anyone, remember - you cannot pass it on idly in this situation.

Nobody deserves aggressive treatment, therefore, if we see that our loved one has a problem with aggression - let's fight it. But in this fight, let's not use the same weapon - that is, aggression - and instead seek help from mental he alth professionals such as psychologists and psychotherapists.

About the authorBow. Tomasz NęckiA graduate of medicine at the Medical University of Poznań. An admirer of the Polish sea (most willingly strolling along its shores with headphones in his ears), cats and books. In working with patients, he focuses on always listening to them and spending as much time as they need.

Category:

Psychology