Causes of Aggressive Behaviour in Children: Children's Own Experiences and Perspectives

Abstract

Given the importance of the role of social work with children, especially in dealing with their behavioural problems, this study aimed to identify the causes of aggressive behavior among middle school students in three public schools in the capital city of Jordan, aged between 12-15 years. The researchers used focus group qualitative method with (35) students suffering from behavioural and aggressive problems according to their school records. Exploring the divergent claims made within childhood and aggressive behaviour theoretical perspectives, this research develops a nuanced understanding of causes of aggressive behavior in children by drawing upon key theoretical concepts from these frameworks: children as ‘socially becoming’ and ‘social beings’. This study worked to develop a deep understanding of the causes of aggressive behavior from childrens' own experiences and perspectives and through their interaction with micro and macro social structures in their everday lives. It was apparent that many ineffective child-rearing methods influence child aggressive behavior. It is suggested that poor parental supervision and children’s weak religious morality and beliefs, due to deficient socialisation, create low self-control in children, which in turn leads them to engage in aggressive acts. It has been also suggested that aggression, is due to low self-control in children, which is caused by a widespread deviant system of revenge, in which many families socialise children to respond to violence with violence. However, families also indirectly influence children’s tendency to solve interpersonal problems with aggression, as abused children learn to imitate abusive methods as an acceptable means of achieving goals; this leads to violence acts. Also, it is claimed that child abuse weakens child-parent relations, which creates low self-control in children, leading them to act out and behave aggressively. It was also apparent that abused children had the agency to resist parental abuse by aggression caused by their anger and frustration, or by escaping from home for long hours and then acting independently, away from adult supervision, and thus, behave aggressively. The study findings also showed that aggressive behavior in children is a way to express their rejection of the class constraint of poverty in which children use of time at school is heavily restriced by teachers, compared with children who belong to the middle and upper social class; thus, creating their aggressive acts in their relationship with teachers and other children. Child aggression is also seen as a learnt behaviour, as children mimic the explicit aggressive behaviour they see in the media or among peers. A child’s choice to watch violent programmes was considered a result of the parents failing to empower their children to distinguish between fiction and reality, which led to children copying the aggressive behaviour they saw. The study concluded with a set of recommendations; the most important is to activate the role of social work in developing social policies to protect children from the causes and risks of aggressive behavior in their relationship with different social structures. The researchers also suggest future research to address the causes of aggressive behavior in children among other age groups which were not targeted by this study.