With the recent tragedies that have plagued our nation's schools, many have been left wondering what can be done about the people who commit these horrible crimes? While there is no magical solution that will make everybody nice to each other, significant psychological research regarding people and aggression has been done. This page is intended to give a small introduction to this research as well as provide alternative sources for those who desire more information.

Two Types of Bullies

It is difficult to classify a person as one type or the other since bullies often act in both ways

"Instrumental" Aggressor -- someone who is violent in so far as it provides them benefit or reward. Their aggression often result of conscious initiation, which means they decide when to be mean. Their satisfaction does not come from the pain of the victim, rather from the acquisition of some goal like money, social status or popularity, influence over others, or possessions.

"Emotional" Aggressor -- would enjoy hurting another when emotionally angered or frustrated. Often they have a quick temper or are easily provoked. The pleasure they get from violence comes from the satisfaction of hurting someone else.

What is a Reward?

A reward is a desirable thing, such as an object or status, that is given to someone who does a certain behavior.

Reward as an Incentive:

• Incentive to be violent.
• A person may desire an outcome or reward received through violent means. The violence does not have to directly bring the reward; it can be a favorable opinion held by those whom you respect like status.
• Considered before action.

Reward as a Reinforcer:

• Reinforces past violent behavior.
• Reward is the favorable reaction we get from persons we respect for the actions we do.
• Increases tendency that violence will be used in future, similar situations.

Rewards for non-destructive behavior decrease likelihood of violent action, whereas rewards for aggressive behavior increase the likelihood of aggression.

Rewards are Pervasive:

Often a reward for a certain act will strengthen the desired action as well as negative actions of similar nature. For example, by promoting a child to "stand up for himself against bullies" a parent might encourage their child to be assertive. But they may also prompt their child to become a bully himself.

 Rewards Can Be Provided by the Victim:

Aggression arises out of desire to control someone's actions an can be as simple as a crude effort to coerce others to become less bothersome. Every time a victim stops doing that which bothered the bully, the bully is reinforced in his action.

Peers as Social Models

• Peers account for the biggest social influence for preadolescents and teens.
• People emulate speech, clothing, values & attitudes of those they respect.
• Negative social groups may pass on violent and/or illegal practices to members.

Parents as Social Models

Antisocial youth may often have emulated a socially deviant parent. They will be less likely to model deviant parent if that parent has affectionate relationship with the child and other parent.

Factors that Affect a Model's Influence as It Pertains to Violence

• A person's predisposition to copy violent actions.
• Antisocial inclinations increase the likelihood of that violent actions will be modeled.
• Frustration can cause some people to look for violent means to solve a problem.
• Youth likely to follow model who has social power over them such as someone with more social status, money or popularity.

By Peder Hanson

 For more information on these topics, click the link.

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