AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR AMONG TEENAGERS: CAUSES AND TREATMENTS

Aggression is defined as hostile, injurious, and destructive behavior. It is not an emotion, a motive, an attitude, or a diagnosis rather aggression is a behavioral response to an internal state. It is strongly suspected that aggression is due to both genetic (biological) factors and social (learned) factors. Aggressive behavior is a product of multiple factors operating on many levels in the absence of protective factor which affects youth largely within the context of their environment and experiences. It has been found that larger the number of risk factors to which an individual is exposed, greater the probability that the individual will engage in violent or more aggressive behavior. Identifying and addressing the predictors of youth violence at appropriate points in youth development is important for prevention. The pattern of violence will perpetuate or not, depending on how clinical understanding deepens regarding the causes of aggression and how this understanding is turned into prevention, intervention, and treatment. The insight and practical suggestions that are generated will allow adolescents to make meaningful alternative choices.