Berkowitz L. Psychological procedures for controlling aggression

Aggression can be controlled by force, at least in some situations. With the right environment in place, society can reduce violent crime by intimidating would-be offenders with the prospect of inevitable punishment. However, such conditions have not yet been created everywhere. In some cases, potential criminals become confident that they will be able to escape justice. At the same time, even if they do not manage to avoid a well-deserved punishment, then its severe consequences will affect them for a long time even after the commission of violence against the victim, which brought them a sense of satisfaction, and as a result, their aggressive behavior will receive additional reinforcement.

Thus, the use of deterrents alone may not be sufficient. Of course, in some cases, society is obliged to use force, but at the same time, it must strive to reduce the manifestation of the aggressive inclinations of its members. To do this, use a special correction system. Psychologists have suggested several different ways to use it.

Catharsis: Decreasing Violent Motivations Through Aggressive Outbursts

The traditional rules of ethics do not allow the open manifestation of aggression and even the enjoyment of its commission. The suppression of aggression begins with the parental demand to be quieter, not to object, not to argue, not to shout or interfere. When aggressive communication is blocked or suppressed in certain relationships, whether they are casual or persistent, people enter into reality-distorting, dishonest agreements. Aggressive feelings, for which the conscious expression in the course of ordinary relationships is prohibited, suddenly manifest themselves in another way in an active and uncontrolled form. When the accumulated and hidden feelings of resentment and hostility break out, the supposed «harmony» of the relationship is suddenly broken (Bach & Goldberg, 1974, pp. 114-115). See →

Catharsis hypothesis

This chapter will look at the consequences of aggression—behavior aimed at harming someone or something. Aggression is manifested either in the form of a verbal or physical insult and can be real (slapping) or imaginary (shooting a fictitious opponent with a toy gun). It should be understood that even though I am using the concept of «catharsis», I am not trying to apply a «hydraulic» model. All I have in mind is to reduce the urge to aggression, not to discharge a hypothetical amount of nervous energy. Thus, for me and many other (but by no means all) psychotherapist researchers, the concept of catharsis contains the idea that any aggressive action reduces the likelihood of subsequent aggression. This section explores questions about whether catharsis actually occurs, and if so, under what circumstances. See →

Aftereffect of real aggression

Even though imaginary aggression does not reduce aggressive tendencies (except when it puts the aggressor in a good mood), under certain conditions, more real forms of attack on the offender will reduce the desire to harm him in the future. However, the mechanism of this process is quite complex, and before you understand it, you should be familiar with some of its features. See →

Developing New Ways of Behavior

If the explanation suggested in the previous section is correct, then people who are aware of their aroused state will not restrict their actions until they believe that hostile or aggressive behavior in a given situation is wrong and can suppress their aggression. However, some individuals are unwilling to question their right to attack other people and can hardly restrain themselves from responding to provocative actions. Simply pointing out to such men and women their unacceptable aggressiveness will not be enough. They need to be taught that it is often better to be friendly than threatening. It can also be helpful to instill in them social communication skills and teach them to control their emotions. See →

Benefits of Collaboration: Improving Parental Control of Troubled Children

The first curriculum we’ll look at was developed by Gerald Patterson, John Reid, and others at the Oregon Research Institute’s Center for Social Learning. Chapter 6, on the development of aggressiveness, analyzed the various results obtained by these scientists in the process of examining children who exhibit antisocial behavior. However, as you will remember, this chapter emphasized the role played in the development of such problem children by the wrong actions of parents. According to researchers from the Oregon Institute, in many cases, fathers and mothers, due to improper parenting methods, themselves contributed to the formation of aggressive tendencies in their children. For example, they often turned out to be too inconsistent in their attempts to discipline the behavior of their sons and daughters — they were too picky with them, did not always encourage good deeds, imposed punishments that were inadequate to the seriousness of misconduct. See →

Decreased emotional reactivity

Despite the usefulness of behavioral intervention programs for some aggressive individuals to teach them that they can achieve the desired results by being cooperative and acting in a friendly and socially approved manner, there are still those who are constantly ready to use violence primarily way because of their increased irritability and inability to self-restraint. Currently, an increasing number of psychological training programs are being developed with the aim of changing this kind of emotional reactivity. See →

What can affect offenders who are incarcerated?

So far we have been talking about re-learning procedures that can be used and are already being used for people who do not come into open conflict with society, in other words, do not violate its laws. But what about those who committed a violent crime and ended up behind bars? Can they be taught to control their violent tendencies by means other than the threat of punishment? See →

Summary

This chapter analyzes some non-punitive psychological approaches to deterring aggression. Representatives of the first of the considered scientific schools argue that the containment of irritation is the cause of many medical and social diseases. Psychiatrists who hold such views encourage people to freely express their feelings and thus achieve a cathartic effect. In order to adequately analyze this point of view, it is necessary first of all to get a clear idea of ​​the concept of «free manifestation of irritation», which can have various meanings. See →

Part 5. The influence of biological factors on aggression

Chapter 12

Thirst for hatred and destruction? Are people possessed by the instinct of violence? What is instinct? Criticism of the traditional concept of instinct. Heredity and hormones. «Born to awaken hell»? influence of heredity on aggressiveness. Sex differences in the manifestation of aggression. Influence of hormones. Alcohol and aggression. See →