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Position Paper: Aggression

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Physical assault and aggression is the second leading cause of death among 14 to 17 year olds, next to vehicular accidents (Loeber). But why are humans so aggressive in the first place? There are two sides of the debate: Nature, and Nurture. Some say that it’s human nature, genetics that cause most behaviors, while others say that we act as we learned during childhood. This argument applies to aggression as well. Aggression is mainly caused by things during childhood and adolescence where people learn from various sources about aggression, although, human psychology plays a slight factor. But, what is aggression in the first place? Aggression is a behavior that causes or intends to cause harm to others. Accidental harm does not count as …show more content…

The social interaction theory is the theory that aggression is used as an adverse social influence, a decision for a what’s perceived as a more positive outcome (Tedeschi & Felson 1994). An example of this would be blackmailing someone to get them to do something for you. These theories of aggression are the most plausible because they account for both types of aggression, reactive and instrumental. People learn how to act from society, and use what is believed to be the most efficient way to achieve desired results. This can be a reaction to coerce someone into stopping an action, or instrumental, to force one to do something. Cues from the past, such as seeing a weapon that has been seen countless times on T.V. instead of a badminton racket, increases the aggressive reactions from people (Anderson). The biological/nature side of the argument should not be ignored, although it is less of a factor than the lifestyle and culture people grow up in. The fight-or-flight response is a biological effect that happens under stress, where adrenaline is pumped up to either protect or escape from harm. This can cause aggressive behavior if the fight response is chosen. Another important facet is genetic/mental disabilities that can cause extreme aggression for no apparent reason, along with genetic predisposition for extra receptors in the body that cause anti-social behavior and moodiness, which can be a precursor

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