What Are Some Of The Causes Of Aggression In Children?

Child aggression represents a symptom that may involve lots of underlying issues. It`s considered a rather polymorphic thing, a common thing for lots of psychiatric conditions, life circumstances or medical issues. And finding what`s driving it is the very essence of treating child aggression.

What Are the Symptoms of Child Aggression?

The signs of child aggression vary a lot from one child to another based on several factors, like life experiences, coping abilities, inborn temperament or problem-solving skills. These might include:

Physical Signs

• Frontal lobe damage.
• Epilepsy.

Cognitive Signs

• Extreme impulsivity.
• Lack of self-control.
• Poor skills of communication.
• Difficulty staying on-task during school.
• Difficulties expressing emotions.
• Difficulty regulating emotions.
• Poor ability of making decisions.

Behavioral Signs

• Child tortures or hurts animals.
• Inability to sit still.
• Fire-starting.
• Pushing other people out of the way in order to cut in line.
• Property destruction.
• Starting fights with other children older or larger than him.
• Excessive absenteeism.
• Cruelty toward other children.
• Child shoplifts or steals.
• Inability to regulate or control his strong emotions.

Psychosocial Signs

• Social isolation.
• Irritability.
• Oppositional defiant disorder.
• Excessive emotional swings.
• Conduct disorder.
• Anxiety.
• Fearfulness of other children.
• Depression.

What Are Some of the Causes of Aggression in Children?

The fact that lots of people don`t really understand that aggressiveness doesn`t only resume to obvious behavior, like the aggression on someone, an object or on his own person, but it`s rather the whole bunch of internal psychological experiences transposed to the exterior through violent action. So, we can actually say that a child who is aggressive is a child who “unloads” his problems and frustrations just as you as a parent practice a hobby to get rid of stress.

Aggressive pulsation can arise in the conception of psychoanalysts when someone or something blocks the possibility of the one who manifests the aggressive behavior to achieve a specific purpose. However, social psychology believes that aggression is a learned behavior, from television or models around, given that most movies or animated cartoons today show countless aggressive behaviors manifested by their characters. It`s true that aggression begins from an initial frustration which lies inside the person who manifests it. Although the victims of aggression find themselves often guilty of this certain behavior, the actual truth is that it`s particularly given by an inner livelihood, the other people having no fault of its manifestation.

Research shows that those children who have had the possibility to notice aggressive behavior in an adult will then mimic this sort of reaction in most situations. That is why it was noticed that the children who received physical punishment during childhood became aggressors when they became adults. In this situation, we`re referring to frustration because of the impossibility of defending against a more powerful “opponent.” – Read similar info!

Other causes of aggression in children are:

• Physical factors like illness, fatigue or hunger.
• Uncertainty.
• Substance abuse.
• Genetic factors.
• Perception that someone else behaved in a wrong manner.
• The desire to attract attention.
• The desire to impose their own ideas.
• Losing self-esteem.
• Testing the limits of others.
• The desire to show superiority.

All these causes of aggression for children happen due to internal frustrations or the wrong model they follow. Child aggressiveness can be considered an issue when the mania impulse can no longer be controlled, becoming destructive for the child himself or for the people around.

Children manifest their aggression in a distinct manner than adults, especially because of lack of a complete set of moral rules.

Helping Child Aggressive Behavior

These suggestions are able to help anyone who is interested in improving aggressive behavior in children. Maybe only one of them apply to your specific situation, so you can only try those!

Avoiding Physical Punishment

Harsh punishment is always associated with child aggressive behavior. Keep in mind that parents should represent role models for their children. How you can ask your child to avoid responding with aggression, when parents behave this way?

Be a Good Model to Follow

Teach the child how to express his own emotions, regardless if we are talking about good or bad emotions. This will most definitely include appropriate methods of anger management. Appropriate problem-solving abilities and model assertiveness are key factors in this matter. You should first choose to be the kind of individual you want your child to grow up to be. Parents, who are aggressive physically or verbally between each other, will promote aggressive among their children as well.

Reward Non-Aggressive Behaviors

When you see your children behaving an appropriate manner, notice their behavior. Praise them and tell them how proud you are of them. You could also tell them something like, “You should be proud of yourselves.” Children feel the need to know their parents support them. They feel the need of developing their internal sense of pride as well.

Set Firm Limits

Children have to be aware about what behavior is allowed and what it isn`t. Make certain that anyone who cares for your children acknowledge these rules and the response to use if they exhibit this particular behavior. Children who kick or bite need to be reprimanded right away, so they understand exactly what they`ve done wrong. – Visit this web page!

Instill Self-Control in your Children

A child doesn`t have an innate ability of controlling himself. He has to be taught that he isn`t allowed to hit or bite whenever he feels like it. Children need the guidance of their parents to develop such skills and abilities. They need to be taught how to keep their feelings in control and think about their own actions before acting impulsively.

“Toughness” Shouldn`t Be Encouraged

There are some families where “toughness” and aggressiveness is sometimes encouraged, especially when it comes to boys. Some parents commonly use the “tough” term to praise their child. This might lead to children feeling the need to hit or bite to win the approval of their parents.

Instead Encourage Closeness & Create Connection

Encourage your child to reach you when feeling upset. Most children don`t find it easy to do this when carrying tension, but offering them this idea might show him the right direction. Maybe not at first, but at some point he may find his way to you to look for help and not hurt others when he doesn`t feel connected.