To This Day: A gripping poem on the devastating effects of bullying and the struggles of victims to overcome it — written and narrated by Shane Koyczan.
To This Day Project – Shane Koyczan (Video)
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Tag Archives: aggression
Do Violent Video Games Affect Behavior?
Although traditional video game consoles like PlayStation and Xbox are being challenged by newcomers to the market – namely, affordable and fun “apps” for iPhones or Androids with plenty of amusing and comparable games to choose from – video games will not back down from their celebrated position as a beloved provider of entertainment.
This means that the controversial debate over the psychological effects of video games on children, whether beneficial or harmful, will continue. For parents, this means coming to terms with the fact that violent video games are here to stay, and then examining the psychological research on the link (if any) between these games and aggressive behavior. Continue reading
Gender Differences in Depression and Aggression
While depression and aggression affect both males and females, gender differences in each of these conditions have frequently been noted in the literature. As it relates to depression in particular, Piccinelli & Wilkinson (2000) mentioned that there is a female preponderance in the prevalence, incidence and morbidity risk of this disorder. Continue reading
Psychodynamic Explanations of Conduct Disorder
Conduct disorder is typically manifested in a variety of antisocial behaviours such as bullying, stealing, vandalism and cruelty to others. According to Bird (2001), children with conduct disorder also tend to be socially incompetent and lacking in empathy.
He further explains that they usually have a “hypersensitive, quasi-paranoid attitude” (p. 58) where they interpret others’ intentions as threatening and therefore react with inappropriate hostility. Regardless of the consequences of their misdeeds, these children do not usually express guilt or remorse. Yet behind their façade of toughness hides a fragile sense of self (Bird, 2001). Continue reading
Family Structure and Aggression among Children/Adolescents
Looks can be deceiving
Several features of the home environment are known to have a significant impact on aggression among children and adolescents. One feature that has received much attention in the psychological literature is family structure. Sheline, Skipper and Broadhead (1994, cited in Summers and Bakken, 2006) found that when compared to non-violent children, violent youngsters are about six times more likely to have unmarried parents and 11 times as likely to live with their fathers only. Other studies suggest that a lack of contact with fathers may also increase aggression. Pfiffner, McBurnett, and Rathouz (2001, cited in Summers & Bakken, 2006), for example, found a gradual rise in violent behavior starting with youths who lived with both parents, increasing for those who had some contact with their fathers and increasing further for those who had no contact with their fathers. Similarly, Fagan and Rector (2000, cited in Smith & Green, 2007), found that children from father-absent households usually harbor feelings of hostility, associate with deviant peers and get involved in negative activities. Continue reading
Aggression in Jamaica
In many areas of Jamaica, interpersonal aggression and societal violence are commonplace. Such is the state of affairs that Jamaica has earned the unfavourable reputation of being one of the most violent countries in the world (Hickling, 2008). The staggering statistics attest to this fact. In the year 2000, Jamaica ranked third in the world in murders per capita and in 2005, the annual rate of homicide was more than three times the global average (World Bank, 2007, cited in Smith & Green, 2007). Continue reading