The research involved a question that was directed towards the relational and physical aggressiveness that is attributed to children. It is expected that the results will showcase that physically aggressive children are incited by hostile behavior that was instrumental in nature. In addition, it is anticipated that the children with relational aggression will prove to be influenced by relational provocations. The research about children and aggressive behavior was necessary because it highlighted the causes for how children behaved. In this context, most studies have always looked at factors that influence aggressive behavior. There has been a void in how relational aggressiveness takes shape and the factors that ignite the behavior. It is an area that needed exploitation, which makes this research relevant. Most of the time, aggressive behavior has been associated with the physical part only, which limits most studies to the behavior in boys. Boys are the ones prone to physical roughness since girls have different ways of expressing themselves. The observation makes this research important because by studying relational aggressiveness, both genders are equally represented. It is important to understand aggressiveness in children from all angles and the research makes it possible. The study is important for parents because it will help them to understand the root of aggressive behavior from their younglings. The issue that is dealt with will not just be limited to how physically rough a child is. It will be focused on why a child is emotionally hostile in their relationships with their peers. Understanding aggressiveness will be a step toward fostering for better solutions. Most psychologists have not fully exploited the rationale behind relational aggression since it is, usually; a child’s acting out in a physical manner that is under the spotlight. The research is, therefore, necessary for parents and other authoritative figures that ought to understand that aggressiveness has different forms that are rooted in various causes.
The research above will take an experimental approach in the development of the hypothesis. The investigation will involve the use of children as specimen for the study of their characteristics and how they each showcase the cases of aggressive behavior. The children under the experiment will be randomly picked and equated to a number that is even for both the boys and girls. The experiment will involve the asking of questions and keen analysis of the answers that the children give in an aim to determine the aggressiveness they showcased. The method will incorporate the use of cross-sectional studies where the children will be examined based on the classification of ages. They will be placed on different forms of analysis and questions that will be based on their age. The approach is different from the mixing of children because the social development of children varies at different levels. Each level possessed a skill that the other does not have as part of the growing process. The method, however, has some limitations. Children are not the best form of experiment determiners because of their indecisiveness. Their answers may not be an accurate representation of facts or what they truly think. The limitation makes it hard to the questioning part of the experiment. Even so, the number of children chosen and their classification may be the solution. The many children increase the probability of achieving accuracy in the analysis.
Relational aggression was identified to be fueled by the social adjustment difficulties that children experienced earlier on in life. The same case is what was identified as a trigger for physical aggressiveness. The difficulties that were experienced by children could include issues that affected them psychologically and caused them emotional distress. An example of such an issue involves rejection. When children are rejected, they are likely to grow with a fear that prevents them from having strong relationships with other people in the society (Huesmann, 1994). Rejection causes bitterness and has been identified by psychologists as having a significant bearing on how a child will relate to their peers (Damon, Lerner & Eisenberg, 2006). The hostility that children develop is a way that they cushion themselves from forming relationships that they suspect could end up in rejection. Therefore, children who showcase signs of relational aggressiveness are provoked by the social situation. The social situation results in them feeling insecure, and they become hostile. An example that would illustrate this sentiment is when a child because relationally hostile after being prevented from joining a game that everybody else is playing. The insecurities arise and tend to make them hostile.
The physical form of aggressiveness is based on the provocation that is more tangible in nature. Such provocations are what constitute instrumental provocations. They include a reaction basis for a child who acts out in response to a situation in which they feel threatened. Some of the happenings that may trigger this behavior from children are similar to the ones identified in relational aggression. Both groups have issues regarding how their relationships were formed in their past. Psychologists have often interpreted physical aggressiveness to be a sign of anger that and the defense system for children. The notion is true because the children who have had socio-psychological problems when growing up are more likely to be angry. A simple instrumental provocation could lead such children in a sea of aggressiveness. An example is where a child responds to a shove by pushing their friends of punching them.
The approach is also different in boys and girls. They both exhibit different kinds of aggressive behavior that is dependent on various factors. Girls tend to showcase their aggressive side that is relational. The reason is that the relational aggression was more inclined on the emotional side as opposed to the physical one. Girls are identified as more emotionally distressed and, therefore, show signs of relational aggressiveness. Boys are triggered by different things and take the physical road. The results anticipated will indicate the same. Emotional distress can be shown through different ways. Withdrawal and lack of enthusiasm are one of the ways that can be used to tell. However, most people would not notice that emotional distress is part of aggressiveness. Typically, people expect that aggressiveness is showcased through the exchange of blows. Children who fail to interact socially may be dubbed as simple or quiet but that is one of the causes for relational aggressiveness. Girls tend to showcase this form more because of their nature. In addition, girls are identified a being more affected withy emotional distress that emanates from interpersonal relationships. The relationships could include that of parents, their siblings and people who are close to them (Connor, 2002). Boys have emotional distress too, but it is not as specific as the one that is exhibited by the former. The girls are more likely to be affected by lack of parental care than boys are and practice relational aggressiveness. The patterns of aggressiveness are very specific in nature unlike what have been believed to be the general state of affairs. All children have a different way that they react to situations and also have different reasons for the acts. The causes are the same but the reactions are different in scale and type. They vary depending on the age of a child and their gender. For instance, younger and older children took a different form of aggression when presented with a provoking situation. The young children tend to showcase more relational aggression even when presented with instrumental provocation (Crick, Grotpeter & BigBee, 2002). The above is to say that if a young child is pushed, they are more likely to respond by going into withdrawal and avoiding whoever pushed them. Older children would respond by hitting or some more physically related response. The example means that older children are likely to be more physically aggressive that the younglings. Because of the aspect of cognitive development in children, they tend to be more profound in their expressions.
The information above has a set of implication related to how children are treated. First, it is a good source for understanding why children act aggressively. Sometimes, society would term a child who acts aggressively as being ill-mannered when that is not the case. Parents and other people can understand aggressive behavior in children from the scope of having emotional problems. The information will help in how children are dealt with in future. Such information will guide the efforts for provision of healing solutions to children. When parents know where the problem is, there are more inclined and suited to address it properly, which includes looking for professional help.
Additionally, the information is important in understanding relational aggressiveness as it relates to girls. The majority of people have only heard of boys and aggressiveness. The result is that the girls are left to cope with their issues and no theoretical or practical solutions are facilitated. Because most of the research has been dealing with physical aggression, girls have been left out of the picture since on overall; they do not exhibit this kind of behavior. Through the research, the awareness of relational aggressiveness is created and will lead to solutions that are gender sensitive. The solutions will be applicable to girls who have suffered the same emotional problems as boys have but will only showcase an aggressiveness of which most people are ignorant. The study could be a new dawn of the void that is experienced in terms of a literature review in this area and provide a platform for the development of tangible remedies.
The understanding of children and their behavior will be better when this research is studied. As adults, we are responsible for how children behave or will behave as they grow up. It is upon adults to give guidance, something that they cannot do if they do not k now where the root is. The policies on punishments that children are given because of their aggressiveness may change because of the above information. It is obvious that children behave like they do because of the relationships that are forged around them. Once people understand that they have a role to play in such behavior, the means of punishment will shift to incorporate more healing steps. Such children may need extra attention and reassurance. Punishments only add to their emotional distress. Once parents and other people understand this notion, they will be better placed to handle children.
References
Crick,, N., Grotpeter, J., & BigBee, M. (2002). Relationally and Physically Aggressive Children’s Intent Attributions and Feelings of Distress for Relational and Instrumental Peer Provocations. Child Development, 73(4).
Jiao, S., Ji, G., & Jing, Q. (n.d.). Cognitive Development of Chinese Urban Only Children and Children with Siblings. Child Development, 387-387.
Parents, H. (n.d.). TAMING AGRESSION IN YOUR CHILD: How to Avoid Raising Bullies, Delinquents, or Trouble-Makers.
Connor, D. F. (2002). Aggression and antisocial behavior in children and adolescents: Research and treatment. New York. Guilford Press.
Huesmann, L. R. (1994). Aggressive behavior: Current perspectives. New York u.a: Plenum Press.
Damon, W., Lerner, R. M., & Eisenberg, N. (2006). Handbook of Child Psychology Volume 3. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.
