Children’s Destructiveness: Violence and Aggression Expression
Vladas Sniečkus, Algimantas Jasulaitis, Evelina Klepšytė, Gerda Andriuškevičiūtė, Vygantas Aliukonis
Summary
Children destructiveness and aggression is becoming an urgent probl em all over the world. The children’s viol ence problem is being widely discussed, but it’s worth emphasizing that they usually are one of the most common aggressors themselves. The scale and form of child aggression are well ahead of those for adults. Nowadays children are not just passive observers or victims of aggression, but more often they become active aggressors and perpetrators acting spontaneously or by plan. One of the causes of aggression is biosocial when a child’s congenital defensive “benign” aggression is being influenced by environment (parents’ inadequate attitude, problems in education, young delinquents amongst friends, and so on).
In this article we will discuss philosophical aspects of child aggression, aggression studies and aggression causes, violence among their peers, in family and against animals.
Aim. To analyze and compare Lithuanian and foreign research data on children’s aggression and destructiveness in order to clarify violence generating factors and circumstances. Highlight the most important psychological, biological, social, environmental and other factors that stimulate children’s destructiveness.
Material and Methods. Lithuanian and foreign authors data on child destructiveness and aggression. The results are eval u ated by de scrip tive sta tis ti cal methods.
Conclusions. Aggressiveness depends on the sex, it’s especially notice - able in boys’ behavior. Although the girls’ aggression is often invisible, it’s usually similar, just more delicate. Delinquency in childhood is considered to be outgrown rather than a serious offensive behavior. Sometimes children’s aggression is influenced by environment. Children’s violent behavior with animals is considered to be beginning of further forms of aggression. Physical punishment in childhood promotes aggressive behavior during adolescence and adulthood. Severe forms of aggression are rare compared to light aggression forms. Children are increasingly becoming not just observers of aggressive acts, but also active aggressors themselves.
Keywords: child aggression, violence, bullying, parricide.
