This is especially true in situations when their behaviors are socially unacceptable. Aggressive behavior in teenagers is common. For example, many teens act rudely or get into arguments sometimes. However, your teen might have a problem with aggressive behavior if they regularly:. Puberty can also be a stressful time for many teens. If they have a mental health condition, it can also contribute to aggressive behavior.
It may help to talk to someone about experiences that make you feel aggressive. In some cases, you can learn how to avoid frustrating situations by making changes to your lifestyle or career. You can also develop strategies for coping with frustrating situations. For example, you can learn how to communicate more openly and honestly, without becoming aggressive.
Your doctor may recommend psychotherapy to help treat aggressive behavior. For example, cognitive behavioral therapy CBT can help you learn how to control your behavior. It can help you develop coping mechanisms. It can also help you understand the consequences of your actions.
Talk therapy is another option. It can help you understand the causes of your aggression. It can also help you work through negative feelings. In some cases, your doctor may prescribe medications to treat your aggressive behavior. For example, they may prescribe antiepileptic drugs AEDs , such as phenytoin and carbamazepine. They may also encourage you to take omega-3 fatty acid supplements. Your treatment plan will vary, depending on the underlying causes of your aggressive behavior.
Speak with your doctor to learn more about your condition and treatment options. However, there are treatment options available for aggressive behavior. Hurting another person in a robbery is an example of this type of aggression. The aggressor's goal is to obtain money, and harming another individual is the means to achieve that aim. We don't know precisely what causes excessive or inappropriate aggression. It's likely that several different factors are involved, including someone's biology, environment, and psychological history.
There may be genetic and hormonal factors that influence aggression. Imbalances in certain hormones, like testosterone and cortisol , and neurotransmitters, like serotonin and dopamine , may be linked to aggression. These imbalances can occur for a number of reasons, including genetics. Brain structure can also influence aggression. People with structural abnormalities in the amygdala tend to show more aggression than their peers. Changes in other areas of the brain may also contribute to aggressive behavior.
How you were raised may play a role in whether or not you engage in aggressive behavior. People who grow up witnessing aggression may be more likely to believe that violence and hostility are socially acceptable.
Experiencing trauma during childhood can also lead to aggressive behavior in adulthood. Psychologist Albert Bandura's famous Bobo doll experiment demonstrated that observational learning can also play a role in how aggression develops. In this experiment, children who watched a video clip where an adult model behaved aggressively toward a Bobo doll were more likely to imitate those actions when given the opportunity. Several mental health conditions can be associated with aggressive behavior, including:.
Epilepsy, dementia , psychosis , substance use disorder, and brain injuries or abnormalities can also influence aggression. Aggression can affect your health and relationships. Research suggests that there is a link between anger and chronic inflammation, which can cause secondary health problems like cardiovascular issues.
Anger and aggression are also associated with mental health conditions. However, it isn't clear if unregulated anger causes those conditions, or if the conditions themselves make it difficult to manage intense emotions like anger and aggression. Experiencing aggression at the hands of a partner, friend, or family member also has detrimental effects. People who have been victims of physical or psychological aggression view those experiences as harmful, even when their aggressor doesn't.
These forms of aggression can ultimately lead to the end of the relationship. Unchecked aggression can also make things more difficult at work and strain friendships. That can lead to more stress and feelings of alienation for the aggressor, which may worsen the problem. If you're experiencing feelings of aggression, you can learn to manage your anger and cope in a more constructive way.
Developing an anger management plan ahead of time can give you a roadmap to use when your emotions feel out of control. That plan should include ways to reduce your stress levels, like:. If someone in your life is behaving aggressively toward you, it's important to protect your own mental health and physical safety.
Try to stay calm and avoid escalating the conflict, and walk away if it's safe to do so. If you're facing aggression at the hands of an intimate partner, look out for warning signs that the relationship is becoming dangerous, and reach out for help and support.
If you or a loved one are a victim of domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at for confidential assistance from trained advocates.
There are lots of reasons why your child or young person might be aggressive. They might be feeling anxious and unsafe. They could be experiencing peer relationship difficulties. They might be having difficulty expressing how they feel or what their wishes are.
Or they could just be trying to get their own way. What you might see. Many children exhibit aggressive behaviour, particularly toddlers who struggle to express themselves, and young people going through puberty who are affected by their hormones. You and your child or young person might find their behaviour upsetting, and you might struggle to support them at home or in school. How you can help. Frustration and aggression are closely associated. If children learn that being aggressive when frustrated is tolerated or gives them special treatment, the behavior is reinforced and may be repeated.
Aggression may be a way for children to face obstacles or solve problems. It is important not to attribute malice to children who are responding to anxiety , feelings of incompetence, or a sense of low self-esteem. Through the media, including film, the U. Police brutality, crime-based television programs, and governmental reliance on military aggression to solve political and economic differences all create a climate in which violence is presented to children as a legitimate solution to problems.
Violent behaviors also include the use of weapons, cruelty toward animals, setting fires, and other intentional forms of destruction of property. Many children are tense and unusually active, even as infants. They are often more difficult to soothe and settle as babies. Beginning in the preschool years, they are violent toward other children, adults, and even animals. They often lash out suddenly, sometimes for no obvious reason. When they hurt someone in their anger, they tend not to be sorry and may tend not to take responsibility for their actions.
Instead, they blame others for their own actions. Parent should give this behavior serious attention and take measures to correct it. Children may go through a brief period of aggressive behavior if they are worried, tired, or stressed. If the behavior continues for more than a few weeks, parents should talk to the pediatrician. If it becomes a daily pattern for more than three to six months, it could be a serious problem.
Parents and teachers should be careful not to play down aggressive behaviors in children. In fact, certain factors put some children at risk for developing violent behaviors as adults. These factors include the following:. Parents can teach children nonviolence by controlling their own tempers. If parents express anger in quiet, assertive ways, children may follow their parent's example. Children need to understand when they have done something wrong so they can learn to take responsibility for their actions and learn ways to make amends.
Responsible parenting does not to tolerate violence or use it in any way. Efforts should be directed at dramatically decreasing the exposure of children and adolescents to violence in the home, community, and through the media.
Clearly, violence leads to violence. Parents can use the following strategies to reduce or prevent violent behavior:. The most important step that parents can take with aggressive children is to set firm, consistent limits and be sure that everyone caring for the children acts in accord with the parents' rules and expectations.
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