Aggression

When people find themselves in an unpleasant situation, like arguing with a sibling, they are more likely to act out to get what they want.

This event represents aggression—any observable behavior that is intended to cause physical or emotional harm to someone who does not want to be harmed.

Depending on the motive, the behavioral expressions can look different. In one type, hostile aggression, the perpetrator is motivated by anger. The hot summer day has made her miserable, and she then takes out her frustration on her partner by shoving him. This behavior would also be considered violence, due to the physicality of the interaction.

In the other type, instrumental aggression, the offender is motivated to achieve a goal and hurts another person as the means to an end.

For example, when a thief wants to steal something, they break a car window and take the valuables they were seeking. Here, the thief succeeds in obtaining material goods, and as a byproduct, causes psychological harm to the owner’s safety and security.

While all aggression represents the dark side of humanity, thankfully, there are some manageable ways of reducing its appearance.

For instance, one strategy could be t