Aggressive Behavior: Attachment, genetic, and the Environment 1

Aggressive Behavior: Attachment, genetic, and the Environment.

HD300

Fredy Rodriguez

Pacific Oaks College, and Children’s School

Aggressive Behavior: Attachment, genetic, and the Environment 2

Introduction

It’s common that violent crimes are committed every day in the United States. The FBI

statistic said that in the United States there has being an increase of 3.9% on the violent crimes in

2015, and every nine seconds someone suffers from domestic violence. Violence has its roots to

aggressive behavior. Aggressive behavior can be trace at different stages in the course of

lifespan. What are some of the roots of aggressive behavior? It can be traced to attachment,

genetics, and the environment.

Aggressive Behavior and Attachment

According to the article by the National Institute of Health “Children who experienced a

separation from their mother within the first two years of life exhibited significantly higher levels

of aggressive behaviors at ages 3 and 5 than children who had not experienced an early

separation. Additionally, early separation was related to child negativity at age 3 (β= .05, p <

.05), but not at age 5. Children who experienced an early separation were observed to be more

negative toward their mothers during play at age 3, but this effect was no longer evident by age

5. Children’s receptive vocabulary at age 3 or age 5 was not associated with having experienced

an early separation.” (Howard 2011). High level of aggression were recorded when children

suffer separation from their mother or significant person, at age 3 or younger, if separation

happens later on in life, children who have gain some maturity are able to cope better with

separation.
Aggressive Behavior: Attachment, genetic, and the Environment 3

Aggressive behavior can be reactive or proactive. Reactive aggressive behaviors are

unplanned and impulsive, and are usually a response to feelings of anger, fear, or a need to

retaliate against someone. Aggressive proactive behavior is the one that premeditates, and plans.

Emotional distance can best be describing as a person who is not emotionally present, who is not

available to validate someone feelings or emotions. Per a study done on Dutch children by E.M.

said that “The analysis further showed that the interaction of social and emotional detachment

strongly predicted aggressive behavior, and that the isolated social detachment factor strongly

predicted antisocial behavior” (Ploeg 2008).

Children whose parents are not emotionally present during this formative years tend to

suffer from low self-esteem, unconfident, and could potentially suffer from aggressive behavior.

Aggressive behavior can potentially impact children life choices later in life, as this become

disconnected from society and distort what is morally correct or incorrect part of this is

becoming morally disengaged. According to the study done by Department of Developmental

and Social Psychology, at the University of Padua, in an article call Moral Disengagement

Among Children and Youth: A Meta‐Analytic Review of Links to Aggressive Behavior said that

“MD has been shown to be a significant correlate of these behaviors in juvenile delinquents

samples, representing extremely violent individuals, as well as community samples, thus

confirming that MD mechanisms operate within the “normal” range of psychological functioning

(Gini 2013).”. The research talks about the link between theory of moral disengagement and

aggressive behavior in adults. This study was conducted among school age children and

adolescents ages between 8-18. This study found that as many as 95% of the participants

indicated a positive overall effect supporting this hypothesis. This research the author is trying to
Aggressive Behavior: Attachment, genetic, and the Environment 4

link the idea of moral disengagement and aggressive behavior as adult. The author states that

aggressive behavior comes from a less empathic point of view. The justification of such behavior

also comes from comparing aggressiveness to other behaviors that are worst minimizing and

justifying such a behavior.

Aggressive behavior can lead to negative life choices later in life. A study has shown that

many criminals who commit violent crimes, are mostly related to aggressive behavior. Anger

management issues can also be track to aggressive behavior. Must of domestic violence happens

because of aggressive behavior. Many of life issues revolving around aggressive behavior can be

traced to emotional distant parents during childhood. Evidence suggests that the syndrome is

linked to severe social dysfunction. Psychopathic offenders not only account for a

disproportionate amount of crime, but also commit more violent crimes and have higher rates of

recidivism ( Rice1998).

Aggressive Behavior and Genetics

In the article The Expression of Genetic Risk for Aggressive and Non-Aggressive

Antisocial Behavior is Moderated by Peer Group Norms. J Youth Adolescence. The authors

researchers shown in this studies that link between aggressive and non-aggressive antisocial

behaviors partially influenced by genetic factors. In this study the researches followed the life of

twins and multi genetic analysis was conducted to determine if there is any linked between such.

The study was based on adoptive twins were the subjects of study were placed in different

classrooms. The conclusion of the study linked that genetic does influence in aggressive

behavior, but if nurturing environment creates enough boundaries and influences these genes can
Aggressive Behavior: Attachment, genetic, and the Environment 5

be control and aggressive behavior will be diminished. The author comes to a conclusion that

genes does affects aggressive behavior. “These almost opposite developmental patterns may

make each type of antisocial behavior particularly sensitive to environmental influences at

different periods of development: during early childhood for aggressive antisocial behavior,

when it is on the de- cline, but during early adolescence for non-aggressive antisocial behavior,

when it is on the rise.” (Vitaro 2015). Nurture plays a big role when it comes to triggering this

aggressive behavior genes, but the article also states that these genes could potentially be control

if conditions changes in the environment. Other study has suggested that serotonin system which

is in charge of regulating hostility, anger and aggressive behavior and the serotonin 1B receptor

genotype have a role on this behavior. (Hakulinen 2012). The study concluded that if you

carried CC genotype which contains the “C” allele represented a higher risk for aggressive

behavior.

Aggressive Behavior and the Environment

Other factors that can be associated to aggressive behavior are associated with stressful

transitions such as changing school. According to the article Patterns of Aggressive Behavior

and Peer Victimization from Childhood to Early Adolescence: A Latent Class Analysis, by

Empirical Research said “The changing nature of friendship and peer relationships during the

move from elementary school to middle school has been associated with increases in aggressive

behavior and peer victimization (Pellegrini 2002).”. This means that other stressors as

transitioning from one school to another can become an issue and increase aggressive behavior in
Aggressive Behavior: Attachment, genetic, and the Environment 6

children. The authors, researchers explained that the critical transition between elementary

school to early adolescence and middle school has an association with increase of aggressive

behavior. This study was done in a urban schools where the study has shown that as many as 25-

35 percent of student transitioning become aggressive. The study relates this aggressive behavior

with the means of forming identity and relationships. The study shows that coming from a small

structural support system to one that is larger and less personal creates conflicts for identity and

relationships. In this research the author is trying to make a link between the transition from

elementary school to middle school where educational structure is different and aggressive

behavior. Starting with such aggressive behavior at a young age increases the likelihood of being

aggressive during older year. According to this article “Committing aggressive acts during

primary school increased the likelihood of being a bully during secondary school; one out of

three childhood bullies continued bullying their peers in secondary school.”. This study show the

continues pattern of behavior that can later translate to more aggressive crimes. Other factors that

can lead to aggressive behavior are linked to stressful situations.

In the article Emotion Dysregulation as a Mechanism Linking Stress Exposure to

Adolescent Aggressive Behavior, the author’s researchers explain the association between

aggressive behavior and internalizing and externalizing problems. This longitudinal association

study on adolescent aggressive behavior shown that stressful situations during different stages or

early development can be linked to aggressive behavior. The study suggests that stressful life

events can weigh in and deregulate normal pattern of good healthy behavior. The study was

conducted over a period of 3 months and it show that this emotional dysregulation is linked to

aggressiveness. The author is trying to show the link between aggressive behavior and stressful
Aggressive Behavior: Attachment, genetic, and the Environment 7

and chronic stressful situation, the author is trying to create awareness on the reading that much

of our aggressive behavior comes from life changing events. The article states that “As expected,

peer victimization and stressful life events were positively associated with emotion dysregulation

and aggressive behavior, which were positively associated with one another.” (Herts 2012).

Parents who emotionally detach from their children at a young age create a negative stress on

their children, and if this emotional detachment continues later on in life can potentially continue

with stress that can potentially affect this children life later on in life as this article states, that

aggressive behavior can come from stressful situations. Other areas of study for aggressive

behavior are genetics. Per epigenetics genes are like a light switch they can be turn on or off

according to nurture.

Other Findings

In response to these studies there are other findings that can be included in this paper, that

include evidence that aggressive behavior is not just the consequence of nurturing during the

formative years, but can also happen later in life. As some other studies state that aggressive

behavior could be due to frustration due to blocked goals can cause aggression. Basically, we all

have to some degree of aggressive attitude in ourselves. Having control of this aggressive

attitude and managing it is what mark the difference between the examples presented on these

studies. Frustration in life, moments of stressful situations, and lack of social support or coping

skills can be notable in what can create aggressive behavior in people. Some of the studies agree

with some of these ideas, but others try to undermine these as evidence on why people are so

reactive and don’t have control of aggressive behavior. Many times, cultural believes, or

religious belief can be factor of acceptance of aggressive behavior. These believes can also work
Aggressive Behavior: Attachment, genetic, and the Environment 8

as a trigger or a reinforcer to aggressive behavior. This are factor that were left out of these

studies. These studies tend to polarize others cultural, economic, and religious believes. The

conception that the study should fit all cultural backgrounds is wrong. Aggression can tribal, it

could be accepted by others as an instinctive behavior of defense. It could also be a response to our

prefrontal cortex the, fly, fight, freeze respond. Aggressive behavior can potentially lead to survival. For

example, soldiers who are trained to go to war and have an aggressive stand toward the enemy would

not survive if they don’t connect to this behavior on harsh war situations. Let’s said aggressiveness is the

natural response of our human instincts. According to the theory of evolution we evolve from hunters

who understood the need to use aggression against animals they hunted to feed themselves and

families. Aggressive behavior could potentially be a survival skill. These are some of the ideas that these

studies lack, the fact that aggressive behavior is necessary in our life. Aggressive behavior becomes bad

when we don’t know how to control it, learning how to control and manage this negative energy is

when aggressiveness becomes a problem.

Conclusion

Genetics, instincts and the stressful environments play a role in one’s aggressive behavior

other factors can be traced to emotional detachment. Parents who are not emotionally present in

their children formative years have higher chances to suffer consequences due to their children

aggressive behavior. The consequences of aggressive behavior such as domestic violence, or

violent crimes could be negatively life changing. These consequences could be prevented only if

we educate parents to be emotionally present for their kids during those important formative

years.

Reference
Aggressive Behavior: Attachment, genetic, and the Environment 9

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