Aggression: A Christian Perspective

Running Header: AGGRESSION

Aggression: A Christian Perspective

Literature Review Research Paper

Abstract

In the twenty first century, aggression is often considered a negative attribute. Most of the time it is. Jails and prisons are jammed with people who have been unable to control their anger which turned into overt physical aggression. Despite all of the negative connotations the word brings to mind, there are times, when aggression is appropriate and even the appropriate response. When controlled by the Spirit of God and wielded with His will in a Christian's life, aggression can thwart an attempt by Satan or can bring a wayward soul into the kingdom. This paper looks at aggression in society today and touches on the biblical episodes of aggression in which God used it for his glory.

Aggression

The word Aggression conjures up all kinds of visions, few of them pleasant. The word can describe brutal physical acts such as murder, the verbal argument, or even a certain look (Kenrick, Neuberg & Caldini, 2005). Road rage is a common topic of the day. The term describes anything from obscene hand gestures to people running other drivers off the road; it can even lead to tragic consequences or even death, sometimes triggered by something as minor as one driver failing to signal. Competition is one of those times aggression can be useful. It wouldn't do any good to have an unfocused and weak linebacker trying to tackle the man with the football. Somewhere during the miraculous act of creation God placed in all humans, the emotional equivalent of anger and with it, the by-product we recognize as aggression. This research paper will attempt to define and analyze aggression beginning with some of the ways it is exhibited as well as the various causes and shapes it takes before moving on to what, if anything, the scriptures say on the subject it. It will seek to show that it has a place in this society that is not always negative. In fact aggression can be a force for good if channeled and directed in the proper way.

What is aggression? Most experts define it as behavior intended to injure another (Kenrick, et al). Those same experts go on to distinguish some of the different components of aggression which may include emotional (angry feelings), physical (direct), and instrumental (indirect). Simply put, aggression is an overt act that is intentionally exhibited with the clear intention of hurting another person (Kenrick, et al).

Assertiveness is a form of aggression that generally is seen in a positive light within society since such a person is also seen as a leader. Recent studies of adolescents who are perceived as popular by their peers not only exhibited socially skilled and accepted behavior, they also displayed hostile or aggressive intentions more than their neutral or docile peers (de Bruyn, 2006). The same study concluded that universally popular adolescents would usually rank among the meanest and most socially manipulative of all peers. Even with such an ominous description of the popular kids, those same peers were found to value school and academics more than unpopular kids (de Bruyn). Many in society grow up thinking manipulative and aggressive people are ostracized within society but studies have shown otherwise, as long as the behavior is not off the charts.

Aggression, even at it's most brutal, is perceived differently from one society to the next. Some cultures seem to accept that unmitigated aggression between human beings is just a fact of life and will always infect their society. Images beamed across the world from Iraq on a daily basis showing beheadings and torture with drills seem to shock Americans at the sheer brutality one human can inflict upon another. America certainly has it's share of violence. Maybe it's the freedom all citizens inherently possess or the individualistic view of society that keeps the huge majority of Americans from accepting such violence perpetrated upon another human being. This difference is also apparent in smaller exhibitions of aggression. A study of domestic violence assault response comparison between Trinidad and the United States revealed that people in the U.S. are more likely to intervene to assist the victim in such cases (Griffith, Negy & Chadee, 2006). The study even goes deeper however. It also looked at the incidence of aggression in any form between cultures and backgrounds and found that in countries such as Jamaica, domestic assault is unbelievably commonplace; in some instances 89% of 187 women interviewed reported experiencing physical injury at the hands of their husband or partner (Griffith et al). The study highlighted the substantial difference between expectation and acceptance domestic assault in certain Caribbean countries as compared to the United States. Certainly many women (and men) are victims of DV assault in the U.S. but the pervasive difference is the willingness to report the abuse and not put up with it are much higher in America. In Trinidad, people are much more accepting of DV assault and are much less likely to intervene or report it to the police (Griffith et al).

American society definitely has its problems however. Bullying is an ongoing problem in American schools and often can scar a child for life if it is not restrained. Bullying reveals another negative side to aggressive behavior since studies have shown it can cause anxiety, depression, low self esteem, physical and psychosomatic complaints as well as post traumatic stress syndrome and even suicide ideation (Crothers, Kolbert & Barker, 2006). Studies also show that childhood bullies tend to grow up to be severely tough on their own children who in turn will likely be more aggressive with their peers (Crothers et al). These studies continue to show a pattern of aggressive behavior passed from generation to generation unchecked. In fact the damaging effects were so prevalent intervention strategies were developed to try to stem the problem. The strategies developed included additional education, role playing, communication with parents and additional school rules in regards to bullying. The result of the intervention strategies was positive (Crothers et al).

In the study of aggression it is reasonable to look at where it starts and what makes one person highly aggressive while another is docile. A lot seems to come from a person's observations and experiences in their childhood and how their parents handled conflict (Kammrath & Dweck, 2006). In addition