handling children s aggressive behavior

1. Handling Children’s Aggressive Behavior

3. Types of Aggression ACCIDENTAL- hurtful behavior happens by chance EXPRESSIVE-pleasurable sensory experience for the aggressor INSTRUMENTAL- children become so intent on getting what they want or defending something that they engage in physical disputes (most commonly expressed by children 2-6 years old.)

4. HOSTILE- intent to harm or injure a victim (found more in older children) Expressed in two ways 1. Overt aggression—harm to others through physical injury or the threat of physical injury 2. Relational aggression—damage to another person’s ego or relationships, through gossip or lies.

5. Reasons for Aggression Biology Frustration-aggression hypothesis Distorted-perception hypothesis Direct instruction Reinforcement Modeling Lack of knowledge and skills

6. Emergence of Aggression Toddlers & preschoolers are impulsive with limited language skills Instrumental aggression reaches its peak during these years Overall decline in aggression in school age children School age children’s greater cognitive and language skills leads to reduction in instrumental aggression

7. Same abilities lead to increase in hostile aggression Shift from physical to verbal taunt as children get older

8. Patterns of aggression Aggression becomes a somewhat stable attribute over time Amount of aggression children display as preschoolers tends to carry through into grade school Child’s characteristic level of aggression at about eight is a reasonably good predictor of his or her tendency toward aggression in adulthood

9. Gender differences Infants and toddlers, differences are small in both amount and type Age 2 and above males are overtly more aggressive Females’ level of relational aggression appear to be equal to males’ overt aggresion