Aggression in Children

Violence is all the behaviors that cause physical and psychological harm to people by applying force and pressure. With the increase in violence in school settings in recent days, it is curious what the main basis of violence may be and how it is learned by children.

In general, how children learn about violence is explained by the Social Learning Theory developed by Bandura. According to this theory, learning occurs when a person observes another person and models the behavior performed. At this point, behaviors occurring in the family environment, games, movies and the child’s environment that we are exposed to due to mass media are the sources of violence.

One of the main causes of violence is family. It is said that children who do not receive love from their family, who constantly come into conflict with their parents, and who experience verbal or physical violence from their parents are prone to violence. On the other hand, violent behaviors are also observed in children who were raised by their parents without violence, but without interest and lack of compassion.

Another reason for violence is mass media. Computer games that school-age children commonly play, news, TV series and cartoons that they watch on television have introduced violence into our lives, whether we are aware of it or not. Gaining points by killing people in almost all computer games leads to the normalization of violence and desensitization of children in this regard. In a paper written by the American Psychiatric Association, it was stated that exposure to violent scenes in the media increases aggression in children.

Another source that causes children to internalize violent behavior is the social environment. Family and environment are two concepts that are intertwined with each other. Unfortunately, however, the absence of violence in the family environment does not mean that the child will not learn such behaviors from the environment as well. In a society where violence is considered a way of life and a solution method, children take violence into their lives in the course of life. For this reason, families are responsible not only for themselves when raising their children, but also for their social environment.

In fact, what we should know is that the feeling of anger that causes violent behavior is a transmitted, spreading and transmitted emotion. While this feeling leads to healthy results and behaviors when expressed correctly, it can cause negative consequences and aggressive behaviors when expressed incorrectly. What we need to do is to manage to keep the child away from the sources of violence by teaching children to express their feelings correctly

So what can we do ?

Please be consistent when showing your love to your children. Remember that they need attention and compassion not just one day, but every day.
Be a role model to your child as a mother and father. Pay attention to your behavior in front of him. Remember that they will apply what they see from you.
Do not use physical punishments against your child’s aggressive behavior. Instead, show him what can happen when he exhibits this kind of behavior.
Keep track of how much time he spends on social media and what he watches during this time, rather than blocking it.
Create appropriate environments where children can drain their energy or express their aggressive behavior. Painting, painting, sports branches can be just a few of them.
Tell me your own feelings and discomfort in the face of your child’s behavior with the ben language.
Mod College PDR