Aggression and Violence

Question 1

What are the neurobiological etiologies of aggression and violence?

Answer 1

-Low volumes of gray matter (dendrites) in the prefrontal cortex (which mediates self-control) - their overall brain volume is not low and this abnormality is not found in drug abusers or psychiatric patients
-Violent individuals exhibit:
>Hyperresponsiveness of the amygdala, which
mediates fear and aggression (fight or flight)
>Underresponsiveness of the prefrontal cortex
>Underresponsiveness of the anterior cingulate
cortex, which manages competing impulses in choice
making
-Impulses are stronger and controls are weaker compared to nonviolent individuals

Question 2

What are the cognitive-behavioral etiologies of aggression and violence?

Answer 2

-Reactive aggression is associated with social skills deficits → youth get into fights because they do not know what else to do in conflict situations
-Exhibit weak communication, problem-solving, assertiveness, and conflict management skills
-Social perception is characterized by hostile attributional bias → youth misread other people’s behavior
-Self-esteem is not necessarily low but is unstable and fragile → view violence as a way to repair damage to self-esteem

Question 3

What are the psychodynamic etiologies of aggression and violence?

Answer 3

-Inadequate superego development
>Without adequate conscious development, people
are willing to hurt others to obtain personal
gratification
>Proactive aggression
-Inadequate ego development: difficulty tolerating frustration, regulating emotion, and inhibiting aggressive impulses → reactive aggression
-Defense mechanisms: identification with the aggressor, turning passive into active

Question 4

What are the clinical considerations of aggression and violence?

Answer 4

-Motivation/capability distinction applies to treatment planning for aggression in the same way as for disruptive behavior disorders
-Proactive aggression → therapy should emphasize rules, incentives, and both positive and negative consequences
>authority, whether or parents, school, or society is an
important factor
>If family or peer group supports violence, therapy will
be ineffective unless this factor is addressed
-Reactive aggression → therapy should be based on psychosocial skills and emotional regulation
-Work on social perception, anger management, stress management, problem solving, assertive communication, and conflict resolution