Aggression has emerged as a social and public health issue that calls for advanced understanding, as well as the adoption of appropriate interventions. Its contemporary prominence has attracted an immense focus from social scientists and clinical experts. In explaining what aggression entails, the concerned groups have advanced diverse perspectives; on the one hand, theorists have always sought to explain why individuals express aggressive behavior as part of their core personality traits. On the other hand, biologists have been investigating possible neural basis of aggression, arguing that aggressive behavior is innate; whereas a majority of psychologists hold that aggression attitudes are a product of social and environmental interactions. Based on these diverse perspectives, an unprecedented debate, the nature versus nurture controversy, has emerged to explain the causes of aggression. Surprisingly, clear disagreements over the origin of aggression exist among psychologists. Some have upheld the tenets of psychodynamic approach to describe human aggressive behavior as an instinctive construct hence innate, whereas cognitive theorists hold that aggression is learnt. Despite the lack of consensus on the basis of human aggression, it is explicit that this behavior bears undesirable consequences. Of great concern is bullying, an aspect that has become a serious social problem among the global community, and which will be interrogated in depth in this discussion. According to Swearer, Wang, Berry and Myers, bullying has emerged as a disastrous social relationship problem. In theory, bullying can be described as a form of aggression that is characterized by a systematic and repeated abuse of power. Over the past few decades, bullying has been blamed for an increase in suicidal cases and delinquency, especially among the youth. In summary, this paper focuses on discussing the social psychological basis of bullying behavior in a manner that is consistent with the principles of aggression theories.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Principles of Aggression Theories and the Underlying Cause of Bullying Behavior
- Social Psychological Basis of Bullying Behavior
- Negative Consequences of Bullying Behavior
- Social Psychological Perspectives on Bullying Behavior
- Cognitive Approach to Bullying Behavior
- Empirical Research on Bullying Behavior
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper aims to analyze the social psychological basis of bullying behavior, aligning with principles of aggression theories. It examines the negative consequences of bullying, including its correlation with risk-taking behavior, and explores the social psychological perspectives that contribute to understanding this aggressive behavior. The paper focuses on the influence of environmental factors, particularly exposure to violence, in shaping an individual's propensity for bullying.
- Social psychological basis of bullying behavior
- Negative consequences of bullying
- Environmental factors contributing to bullying
- Cognitive approach to bullying behavior
- Empirical research on the relationship between violence exposure and aggressive behavior
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The paper begins by introducing the concept of aggression and its diverse perspectives, highlighting the ongoing debate surrounding the nature versus nurture controversy. It then delves into the social problem of bullying, defining it as a form of systematic and repeated abuse of power.
Further, the paper explores the negative consequences of bullying, citing its association with risk-taking behavior and the alarming rise of bullying cases in educational institutions. It examines the prevalence of bullying, noting that the actual numbers may be higher than reported due to underreporting of cases.
The paper then delves into the social psychological perspectives on bullying behavior, emphasizing the cognitive approach that acknowledges the role of environmental factors in shaping an individual's behavior. It presents empirical research findings that support this perspective, demonstrating the correlation between exposure to violence and the development of aggressive behavior.
The paper concludes by presenting a landmark study that investigated the long-term effects of exposure to media violence on aggressive behavior, highlighting the relevance of social learning theory in explaining bullying behavior.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The key terms and concepts central to this paper include aggression, bullying, social psychology, cognitive approach, environmental factors, exposure to violence, social learning theory, and empirical research.
- Quote paper
- Patrick Kimuyu (Author), 2018, Principles of Aggression Theories and the Underlying Cause of Bullying Behavior, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/421307
