SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

PREVENTION/INTERVENTIONS OF AGGRESSION AND VIOLENCE

Jahanvi Mandiwal
MA Psychology 1
33647
 Aggression
◦ An act of anger that may not be intentional is referred to as aggression, the
aggressor aims to hurt another person or even an object.

Violence
◦ Behaviour involving physical force intended to hurt, damage, or kill someone
or something.
 Aggression vs Violence
Violence can be defined as the use of physical force
with the intent to injure another person or destroy
property, while aggression is generally defined as angry
or violent feelings or behavior. A person who
is aggressive does not necessarily act out with violence.
AGGRESSION
Clinical Classification
The clinical literature research, heavily influenced through the work of Feshbach
has regularly referred to two forms of aggression the first form being ―affective,
―reactive,―suspicious,―impulsive, or ―hot-blooded aggression. This type of
aggression is defined as a violent response to physical or verbal aggression initiated
through others that is relatively uncontrolled and emotionally charged. In contrast,
the second form of aggression is referred to as ―predatory, ―instrumental,
―proactive, or ―cold-blooded aggression. This type of aggression is characterized
as controlled, purposeful aggression lacking in emotion that is used to achieve a
desired goal, including the power and control of others.
 Types of aggression:
◦ Instrumental versus Hostile Aggression
◦ Proactive and Reactive Aggression
◦ Positive versus Negative Aggression
Causes Of Aggression:
1. Neurophysiologic Perspectives
2. Biological Causes - (1) brain dysfunction, (2) testosterone, (3) serotonin, (4) birth
complications, and (5) nutrition deficiency.
3. Environment and Genes
4. Parental Rearing Style- (a) poor supervision, (b) erratic, harsh discipline, (c) parental
disharmony, (d) rejection of the child, and (e) low involvement in the child‘s activities
5. Parent-child Interaction Pattern
6. Parental Influence on Children’s Emotions and Attitudes
7. Difficulties with Friends and at School
8. Predisposing Child Characteristics – eg restless, impulsive pattern of behaviour
9. Environmental Stressors – Temperature, Crowding, Noise

Prevention of
Aggression
Reducing Aggression
Treatment needs to be targeted
at major modifiable risk factors
and its outcome measured
objectively. It should
preferably be at an early age as
conduct disorder can be
reliably detected early, has
high stability, is amenable to
treatment at a young age, and
is very hard to eradicate in
1. Be solicitous and understanding
of others
2. Avoid negativity
3. Display cultural sensitivity
4. Be positive and encouraging of
others,
5. Reinforce appropriate behaviors
6. Avoid assumptions and rash
judgments
7. Avoid power struggles/unhealthy
competition
8. Be aware of remarks and actions
that trigger aggression
9. Make strong efforts to
eliminate/reduce the effects of
"trigger situations"
◦ Parent Training Programmes for Reducing Antisocial Behaviour in Children

Little published proof exists that individual psychotherapy whether psychodynamic

or cognitive behavioral, pharmacotherapy, general eclectic family work, or formal
family therapy are effective in treating conduct disorder. Behaviorally based
programmes to help parents, though, have uniformly been shown to be effective.
For instance, the pioneering work of Patterson and colleagues showed that directly
instructing parents while they interact with their children leads to important and
lasting reduction in behavioral problems. Several other studies have replicated this.

◦ Developing a Programme

It is better to organize a training programme for the parents and teenage children
and this can be done through two or three disciplines coming together. To get
results the professionals need to be trained in the specific methods, and for this one
needs a manual and a training centre with well qualified trainers. Most uniformly
effective programmes have at least 10 sessions, to augment the effects, a booster is
desirable many months later. Also, intervention needs to be early, since teenage
treatments have only small effects.
◦ Training Using Videotapes

Although conventional one-to-one treatment is effective, a more cost effective approach is

needed to treat superior numbers. One could have videos showing short vignettes of
parents and children in common situations. They show the powerful effect of parents‘
behaviour on their child‘s activity, with examples of ―right and ―wrong methods to
handle children. Ten to 14 parents attend a weekly two hour session for 12 weeks. Two
therapists lead the group and promote discussion, so that all members grasp the principles;
role play is used to practice the new techniques. Practical homework is set each week and
cautiously reviewed with a trouble shooting approach.

◦ Other Training Programmes

Among more rigorous programmes, the one urbanized through Puckering et al entails one
day a week for 16 weeks. This programme has been shown to be effective in improving
parenting in quite damaged families and enabling children to come off ―at risk child
protection registers.
◦ Failure of Parent Training

In several cases, aggression is caused through faulty parental behaviour, often because of
parental psychiatric difficulties such as depression, drug and alcohol problems, and personality
difficulties.

◦ Management of Hyperactivity

Hyperactivity is separate from conduct disorder, although they often coexist. Psychological
treatment has to be rather different. Rewards have to be given more contingently and more
regularly and have to be changed more often. Tasks have to be broken down into shorter
components. Specific, clear rules have to be set for each different situation, as these children
have difficulty generalizing. School is often particularly hard as the demands for concentration
are great, the distractions from other children higher than at home, and the level of adult
supervision lower. Though, use of the principles outlined above can lead to useful
improvements. Management with drugs (usually methylphenidate or dexamphetamine) is
reserved for children with severe symptoms in both home and school (hyperkinetic syndrome).
This syndrome occurs in just over 1% of boys. The short term effects of drug treatment are
large; less is recognized in relation to long term benefits.
Psychological assessment for interventions in
reducing Aggression
◦ Common cognitive-behavioral techniques include identifying the antecedents
and consequences of aggressive behavior, learning strategies for recognizing
and regulating anger expression, problem-solving and cognitive restructuring
techniques, and modeling and rehearsing socially appropriate behaviors that can
replace angry and aggressive reactions. Importantly, parents are asked to
recognize their child's effort when applying emotion regulation and problem-
solving skills learned in CBT to anger-provoking situations and to provide
praise and rewards for behavioral improvements. Various cognitive-behavioral
approaches place relative emphasis on at least one of three content areas:
Regulation of excessive anger, learning social problem-solving strategies, and/or
developing social skills alternative to aggressive behaviors. 
◦ Anger control training (ACT) aims to improve emotion regulation and social-
cognitive deficits in aggressive children. Children are taught to monitor their
emotional arousal and to use techniques such as cognitive reappraisal and
relaxation for modulating elevated levels of anger.
◦ Problem-solving skills training (PSST) addresses cognitive processes, such as
faulty perceptions and decision making that are involved in social interaction.
For example, hostile attribution bias or inability to generate alternative
solutions may contribute to aggressive behavior. 
◦ Social skills training (SST) approaches to reducing aggression and developing
assertive behavior are rooted in social-learning theory (Bandura 1973). SST is
often used as part of multicomponent interventions such as aggression
replacement training (Gundersen and Svartdal 2006).
VIOLENCE
Violence is defined by the World Health Organization in the WRVH as “the
intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself,
another person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a
high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm,
maldevelopment or deprivation”.4
This definition emphasises that a person or group must intend to use force or
power against another person or group in order for an act to be classified as
violent. Violence is thus distinguished from injury or harm that results from
unintended actions and incidents.
Violence is here defined not only as resulting in physical injury but as being
present where psychological harm, maldevelopment or deprivation occurs; acts
of omission or neglect, and not only of commission, can therefore be categorised
The WRVH divides violence into three categories (according to who has
committed the violence):
1. Self‐directed
2. Interpersonal
3. Collective;

And into four further categories according to the nature of violence:

◦ physical,
◦ sexual,
◦ Psychological
◦ involving deprivation
◦ or neglect
Prevention of violence
The most important
outcome of focusing on
violence and defining it
clearly is the potential to
more precisely understand
its scale, forms and causes
and to enhance the scope
to intervene to prevent its
occurrence or to modify
its effects. Prevention
activities can be classified
by the stage during which
prevention takes place
(primary, secondary or
Primary prevention
The primary prevention of violence aims to stop
violent incidents occurring. Primary prevention
is the most effective form of prevention but also
the most difficult to achieve. Policy initiatives
to address poverty and inequity could be
classified as primary prevention activities in
relation to violence, as could those directed at
controlling the availability of firearms.
Primary prevention is often unattractive to
politicians because upstream preventive
activities are not visible unless they are linked
with service provision. Sustained nurse home‐
visiting of mothers with young children is an
◦ Secondary prevention

Secondary prevention aims to minimise harm once a violent incident has occurred,
focusing on immediate responses, such as emergency services or treatment for sexually
transmitted diseases following rape. Secondary prevention could also include
intervening in situations of high risk, such as reducing the risks of sexual exploitation in
refugee camps or internally displaced person settings through better planning of
facilities, better training of protection forces, and greater calls for accountability by
those charged with the duty to protect victims of violence.
◦ Tertiary prevention

Tertiary prevention aims to treat and rehabilitate victims and perpetrators. Approaches
focus on long‐term care in the wake of violence, such as rehabilitation and reintegration,
and attempts to lessen trauma or reduce the long ‐term disability associated with
violence. Examples include psychological therapies for abused children; screening and
support services for victims of intimate partner, domestic or family violence; and
specific recognition of the needs of survivors of torture.
◦ Universal interventions

Universal interventions addressing violence are aimed at the general population,

or groups within it (for example those of a certain gender or age bracket)
without regard to individual risk. Examples include developing educational and
training programs against bullying in schools, or reducing population alcohol
consumption by regulating sales and increasing prices to prevent alcohol‐related
violence.
◦ Selective (or targeted) interventions

Selective interventions focus on those at heightened risk of violence. For

example, early intervention programs focusing on low‐income single parents.
◦ Indicated interventions

Indicated interventions focus on high‐risk individuals who have detectable

problems, such as perpetrators of domestic violence or sexual offenders. For
example, some prisons conduct mandated programs for violent offenders.
Conclusion
Violence is a significant public health problem and defies
simple analysis. Defining violence in different ways has
both moral and material consequences, such as whether
or not a perpetrator is prosecuted, whether or not a
prevention program is funded, or how a victim
understands their situation. It is most important that
public health practitioners understand the broad scope of
violence and are able to identify points for successful
intervention to prevent violence and its health and social
impacts.
Fin.
 - DR ARADHANA
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(HOD PSYCHOLOGY DEPTT)