Aggression Explained: What It Is and How to Recognize It

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhy We Experience AggressionSignsTypesWhat Causes Aggression?ImpactManaging AggressionFrequently Asked Questions

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Why We Experience Aggression

Signs

Types

What Causes Aggression?

Impact

Managing Aggression

Frequently Asked Questions

Close

If you’ve ever had to grit your teeth during rush hour traffic or hold your tongue in a work meeting, you know just how pervasive feelings of aggression can be. We’ve all been there. Anger is one of those basic human emotions we all experience, and even the calmest among us sometimes snaps (or wants to, anyway).

Inpsychology, aggression refers to a range of behaviors that can result in both physical and psychological harm to yourself, others, or objects in the environment. Aggression centers on hurting another person—either physically or mentally.

Aggression can be both direct and indirect, impulsive or planned. There’s also no single, simple cause. Biology can play a role, but environmental factors (such as our upbringing and exposure to aggressive influences) and psychological (including mental health conditions like bipolar disorder and PTSD).

No matter the cause, it can have a serious impact on our well-being and relationships. Fortunately, there are things you can do to better cope with feelings of aggression, including relaxation techniques and therapy.

While we all experience aggression sometimes. When it becomes pervasive or extreme, it may be a sign of an underlyingmental health condition, a substance use disorder, or another medical issue.

Aggression can serve a number of different purposes, including:

Signs of Aggression

Because aggressive behavior is intended to harm someone who doesn’t want to be harmed, it must involve action—simply thinking about harming someone or feeling angry isn’t enough, and accidentally harming someone doesn’t qualify. Aggressive behaviors can be:

While we often think of aggression in its physical forms, psychological aggression can also be very damaging.

Intimidating or verbally berating another person, for instance, are examples of verbal, mental, and emotional aggression.Cyberbullyingis another form of non-physical aggression that can cause serious harm to others.

Research has shown that victims of cyberbullying experience higher rates of depression, stress, anxiety, and low self-esteem than people who have not experienced this form of bullying.

What’s the goal of aggression? The goal of aggression is to harm someone who doesn’t want to be harmed. The motivation behind this varies from person to person. Someone may act aggressively as a response to pain or fear, while someone else may use aggression to achieve another goal, like taking another person’s money or property.

How to Identify Emotional Abuse

Types of Aggression

Psychologists divide aggression into two main types. Both are damaging to those who experience them, whether as the target or the aggressor.

Impulsive Aggression

This form of aggression is not planned and often takes place in the heat of the moment. If another car cuts you off in traffic and you begin yelling and berating the other driver, you’re experiencing impulsive aggression.

Instrumental Aggression

Hurting another person in a robbery is an example of this type of aggression. The aggressor’s goal is to obtain money, and harming another individual is the means to achieve that aim.

We don’t know precisely what causes excessive or inappropriate aggression. It’s likely that several different factors are involved, including someone’s biology, environment, and psychological history.

Biological Factors

There may be genetic and hormonal factors that influence aggression. Imbalances in certain hormones, like testosterone andcortisol, and neurotransmitters, like serotonin and dopamine, may be linked to aggression.These imbalances can occur for a number of reasons, including genetics.

Brain structure can also influence aggression. People with structural abnormalities in the amygdala tend to show more aggression than their peers. Changes in other areas of the brain may also contribute to aggressive behavior.

Environmental Factors

How you were raised may play a role in whether or not you engage in aggressive behavior. People who grow up witnessing aggression may be more likely to believe that violence and hostility are socially acceptable. Experiencing trauma during childhood can also lead to aggressive behavior in adulthood.

Childhood Trauma and Intermittent Explosive Disorder

Psychologist Albert Bandura’s famousBobo doll experimentdemonstrated thatobservational learningcan also play a role in how aggression develops. In this experiment, children who watched a video clip where an adult model behaved aggressively toward a Bobo doll were more likely to imitate those actions when given the opportunity.

Psychological Factors

Several mental health conditions can be associated with aggressive behavior, including:

Epilepsy,dementia,psychosis, substance use disorder, and brain injuries or abnormalities can also influence aggression.

Aggression Can Have Serious Effects

Aggression can affect your healthand relationships. Research suggests that there is a link between anger and chronic inflammation, which can cause secondary health problems like cardiovascular issues.Anger and aggression are also associated with mental health conditions. However, it isn’t clear if unregulated angercausesthose conditions or if the conditions themselves make it difficult to manage intense emotions like anger and aggression.

Experiencing aggression at the hands of a partner (intimate partner violence), friend, or family member has detrimental effects. People who have been victims of physical or psychological aggression view those experiences as harmful, even when their aggressor doesn’t.These forms of aggression can ultimately lead to the end of the relationship.

Unchecked aggression can also make work more difficult and strain friendships. This can lead to morestressand feelings of alienation from the aggressor, which may worsen the problem.

Help With Managing Aggression

If you’re experiencing feelings of aggression, you can learn tomanage your angerand cope more constructively. Research has shown that anger management interventions can be a helpful way to learn to control feelings of aggression.

Developing ananger management planahead of time can give you a roadmap to use when your emotions feel out of control. That plan should include ways to reduce your stress levels, like:

If someone in your life is behaving aggressively toward you, it’s important to protect your own mental health and physical safety. Try to stay calm, avoid escalating the conflict, and walk away if it’s safe to do so. If you’re facing aggression at the hands of an intimate partner, look out forwarning signsthat the relationship is becoming dangerous, andreach out for help and support.

If you or a loved one are a victim of domestic violence, contact theNational Domestic Violence Hotlineat1-800-799-7233for confidential assistance from trained advocates.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or a loved one are a victim of domestic violence, contact theNational Domestic Violence Hotlineat1-800-799-7233for confidential assistance from trained advocates.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

Takeaways

Frequently Asked QuestionsAggression involves several different regions of the brain. The amygdala, hypothalamus, and periaqueductal gray are involved in recognizing an acute threat and generating an emotional response, while the prefrontal cortex plays a role in whether or not we act based on those emotions.Passive aggression is a way to express aggression indirectly. This kind of behavior is still intended to harm others, but it’s often harder to identify and address. Deliberately avoiding someone else or “forgetting” to complete assigned tasks can be examples of passive-aggressive behavior.Reactive aggression, also known as impulsive aggression, happens in response to a specific trigger. This form of aggression isn’t planned and is often associated with feelings of intense anger.Hitting someone in response to an insult is an example of reactive aggression.Microaggressionsare subtle behaviors that discriminate against a marginalized group of people. Microaggressions can be intentional or they may reflect someone’simplicit bias; either way, they can have a cumulative, negative effect on the person being targeted.

Aggression involves several different regions of the brain. The amygdala, hypothalamus, and periaqueductal gray are involved in recognizing an acute threat and generating an emotional response, while the prefrontal cortex plays a role in whether or not we act based on those emotions.

Passive aggression is a way to express aggression indirectly. This kind of behavior is still intended to harm others, but it’s often harder to identify and address. Deliberately avoiding someone else or “forgetting” to complete assigned tasks can be examples of passive-aggressive behavior.

Reactive aggression, also known as impulsive aggression, happens in response to a specific trigger. This form of aggression isn’t planned and is often associated with feelings of intense anger.Hitting someone in response to an insult is an example of reactive aggression.

Microaggressionsare subtle behaviors that discriminate against a marginalized group of people. Microaggressions can be intentional or they may reflect someone’simplicit bias; either way, they can have a cumulative, negative effect on the person being targeted.

What Happens in Anger Management Classes?

16 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Blair RJR.The neurobiology of impulsive aggression.J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2016;26(1):4-9. doi:10.1089/cap.2015.0088Allen JJ, Anderson CA, Bushman BJ.The general aggression model.Curr Opin Psychol. 2018;19:75-80. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.03.034Gupta S, Soohinda G, Sampath H, Dutta S.Cyberbullying: A study of its extent, coping resources, and psychological impact among college students.Ind Psychiatry J. 2023;32(2):375-379. doi:10.4103/ipj.ipj_40_23Rosell DR, Siever LJ.The neurobiology of aggression and violence.CNS Spectr. 2015;20(3):254-279. doi:10.1017/S109285291500019XBartelen DC, Bogaerts S, Janković M.The effect of childhood poly-victimization on adulthood aggression: The mediating role of different impulsivity traits.Behav Sci (Basel). 2024;14(2):100. doi:10.3390/bs14020100Shaw P, Stringaris A, Nigg J, Leibenluft E.Emotion dysregulation in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.Am J Psychiatry. 2014;171(3):276–293. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2013.13070966Fico G, Anmella G, Pacchiarotti I, et al.The biology of aggressive behavior in bipolar disorder: A systematic review.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2020;119:9-20. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.09.015González RA, Igoumenou A, Kallis C, Coid JW.Borderline personality disorder and violence in the UK population: Categorical and dimensional trait assessment.BMC Psychiatry. 2016;16:180. doi:10.1186/s12888-016-0885-7Kjærvik SL, Bushman BJ.The link between narcissism and aggression: A meta-analytic review.Psychol Bull. 2021;147(5), 477–503. doi:10.1037/bul0000323Contractor AA, Weiss NH, Dranger P, Ruggero C, Armour C.PTSD’s risky behavior criterion: Relation with DSM-5 PTSD symptom clusters and psychopathology.Psychiatry Res. 2017;252:215–222. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2017.03.008Seritan AL.Advances in the diagnosis and management of psychotic symptoms in neurodegenerative diseases: A narrative review.J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol. 2023;36(6):435-460. doi:10.1177/08919887231164357Kitayama S, Park J, Boylan JM, et al.Anger expression and ill-health in two cultures: An examination of inflammation and cardiovascular risk.Psychol Sci. 2015;26(2):211-220. doi:10.1177/0956797614561268Ghossoub E, Cherro M, Akil C, Gharzeddine Y.Mental illness and the risk of self- and other-directed aggression: Results from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.J Psychiatr Res. 2021;132:161-166. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.10.010Goodfriend W, Arriaga XB.Cognitive reframing of intimate partner aggression: Social and contextual influences.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018;15(11):2464. doi:10.3390/ijerph15112464Curtis DS, Epstein NB, Wheeler B.Relationship satisfaction mediates the link between partner aggression and relationship dissolution: The importance of considering severity.J Interpers Violence. 2017;32(8):1187-1208. doi:10.1177/0886260515588524Lee AH, DiGiuseppe R.Anger and aggression treatments: a review of meta-analyses.Curr Opin Psychol. 2018;19:65-74. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.04.004

16 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Blair RJR.The neurobiology of impulsive aggression.J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2016;26(1):4-9. doi:10.1089/cap.2015.0088Allen JJ, Anderson CA, Bushman BJ.The general aggression model.Curr Opin Psychol. 2018;19:75-80. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.03.034Gupta S, Soohinda G, Sampath H, Dutta S.Cyberbullying: A study of its extent, coping resources, and psychological impact among college students.Ind Psychiatry J. 2023;32(2):375-379. doi:10.4103/ipj.ipj_40_23Rosell DR, Siever LJ.The neurobiology of aggression and violence.CNS Spectr. 2015;20(3):254-279. doi:10.1017/S109285291500019XBartelen DC, Bogaerts S, Janković M.The effect of childhood poly-victimization on adulthood aggression: The mediating role of different impulsivity traits.Behav Sci (Basel). 2024;14(2):100. doi:10.3390/bs14020100Shaw P, Stringaris A, Nigg J, Leibenluft E.Emotion dysregulation in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.Am J Psychiatry. 2014;171(3):276–293. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2013.13070966Fico G, Anmella G, Pacchiarotti I, et al.The biology of aggressive behavior in bipolar disorder: A systematic review.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2020;119:9-20. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.09.015González RA, Igoumenou A, Kallis C, Coid JW.Borderline personality disorder and violence in the UK population: Categorical and dimensional trait assessment.BMC Psychiatry. 2016;16:180. doi:10.1186/s12888-016-0885-7Kjærvik SL, Bushman BJ.The link between narcissism and aggression: A meta-analytic review.Psychol Bull. 2021;147(5), 477–503. doi:10.1037/bul0000323Contractor AA, Weiss NH, Dranger P, Ruggero C, Armour C.PTSD’s risky behavior criterion: Relation with DSM-5 PTSD symptom clusters and psychopathology.Psychiatry Res. 2017;252:215–222. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2017.03.008Seritan AL.Advances in the diagnosis and management of psychotic symptoms in neurodegenerative diseases: A narrative review.J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol. 2023;36(6):435-460. doi:10.1177/08919887231164357Kitayama S, Park J, Boylan JM, et al.Anger expression and ill-health in two cultures: An examination of inflammation and cardiovascular risk.Psychol Sci. 2015;26(2):211-220. doi:10.1177/0956797614561268Ghossoub E, Cherro M, Akil C, Gharzeddine Y.Mental illness and the risk of self- and other-directed aggression: Results from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.J Psychiatr Res. 2021;132:161-166. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.10.010Goodfriend W, Arriaga XB.Cognitive reframing of intimate partner aggression: Social and contextual influences.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018;15(11):2464. doi:10.3390/ijerph15112464Curtis DS, Epstein NB, Wheeler B.Relationship satisfaction mediates the link between partner aggression and relationship dissolution: The importance of considering severity.J Interpers Violence. 2017;32(8):1187-1208. doi:10.1177/0886260515588524Lee AH, DiGiuseppe R.Anger and aggression treatments: a review of meta-analyses.Curr Opin Psychol. 2018;19:65-74. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.04.004

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Blair RJR.The neurobiology of impulsive aggression.J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2016;26(1):4-9. doi:10.1089/cap.2015.0088Allen JJ, Anderson CA, Bushman BJ.The general aggression model.Curr Opin Psychol. 2018;19:75-80. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.03.034Gupta S, Soohinda G, Sampath H, Dutta S.Cyberbullying: A study of its extent, coping resources, and psychological impact among college students.Ind Psychiatry J. 2023;32(2):375-379. doi:10.4103/ipj.ipj_40_23Rosell DR, Siever LJ.The neurobiology of aggression and violence.CNS Spectr. 2015;20(3):254-279. doi:10.1017/S109285291500019XBartelen DC, Bogaerts S, Janković M.The effect of childhood poly-victimization on adulthood aggression: The mediating role of different impulsivity traits.Behav Sci (Basel). 2024;14(2):100. doi:10.3390/bs14020100Shaw P, Stringaris A, Nigg J, Leibenluft E.Emotion dysregulation in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.Am J Psychiatry. 2014;171(3):276–293. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2013.13070966Fico G, Anmella G, Pacchiarotti I, et al.The biology of aggressive behavior in bipolar disorder: A systematic review.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2020;119:9-20. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.09.015González RA, Igoumenou A, Kallis C, Coid JW.Borderline personality disorder and violence in the UK population: Categorical and dimensional trait assessment.BMC Psychiatry. 2016;16:180. doi:10.1186/s12888-016-0885-7Kjærvik SL, Bushman BJ.The link between narcissism and aggression: A meta-analytic review.Psychol Bull. 2021;147(5), 477–503. doi:10.1037/bul0000323Contractor AA, Weiss NH, Dranger P, Ruggero C, Armour C.PTSD’s risky behavior criterion: Relation with DSM-5 PTSD symptom clusters and psychopathology.Psychiatry Res. 2017;252:215–222. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2017.03.008Seritan AL.Advances in the diagnosis and management of psychotic symptoms in neurodegenerative diseases: A narrative review.J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol. 2023;36(6):435-460. doi:10.1177/08919887231164357Kitayama S, Park J, Boylan JM, et al.Anger expression and ill-health in two cultures: An examination of inflammation and cardiovascular risk.Psychol Sci. 2015;26(2):211-220. doi:10.1177/0956797614561268Ghossoub E, Cherro M, Akil C, Gharzeddine Y.Mental illness and the risk of self- and other-directed aggression: Results from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.J Psychiatr Res. 2021;132:161-166. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.10.010Goodfriend W, Arriaga XB.Cognitive reframing of intimate partner aggression: Social and contextual influences.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018;15(11):2464. doi:10.3390/ijerph15112464Curtis DS, Epstein NB, Wheeler B.Relationship satisfaction mediates the link between partner aggression and relationship dissolution: The importance of considering severity.J Interpers Violence. 2017;32(8):1187-1208. doi:10.1177/0886260515588524Lee AH, DiGiuseppe R.Anger and aggression treatments: a review of meta-analyses.Curr Opin Psychol. 2018;19:65-74. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.04.004

Blair RJR.The neurobiology of impulsive aggression.J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2016;26(1):4-9. doi:10.1089/cap.2015.0088

Allen JJ, Anderson CA, Bushman BJ.The general aggression model.Curr Opin Psychol. 2018;19:75-80. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.03.034

Gupta S, Soohinda G, Sampath H, Dutta S.Cyberbullying: A study of its extent, coping resources, and psychological impact among college students.Ind Psychiatry J. 2023;32(2):375-379. doi:10.4103/ipj.ipj_40_23

Rosell DR, Siever LJ.The neurobiology of aggression and violence.CNS Spectr. 2015;20(3):254-279. doi:10.1017/S109285291500019X

Bartelen DC, Bogaerts S, Janković M.The effect of childhood poly-victimization on adulthood aggression: The mediating role of different impulsivity traits.Behav Sci (Basel). 2024;14(2):100. doi:10.3390/bs14020100

Shaw P, Stringaris A, Nigg J, Leibenluft E.Emotion dysregulation in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.Am J Psychiatry. 2014;171(3):276–293. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2013.13070966

Fico G, Anmella G, Pacchiarotti I, et al.The biology of aggressive behavior in bipolar disorder: A systematic review.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2020;119:9-20. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.09.015

González RA, Igoumenou A, Kallis C, Coid JW.Borderline personality disorder and violence in the UK population: Categorical and dimensional trait assessment.BMC Psychiatry. 2016;16:180. doi:10.1186/s12888-016-0885-7

Kjærvik SL, Bushman BJ.The link between narcissism and aggression: A meta-analytic review.Psychol Bull. 2021;147(5), 477–503. doi:10.1037/bul0000323

Contractor AA, Weiss NH, Dranger P, Ruggero C, Armour C.PTSD’s risky behavior criterion: Relation with DSM-5 PTSD symptom clusters and psychopathology.Psychiatry Res. 2017;252:215–222. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2017.03.008

Seritan AL.Advances in the diagnosis and management of psychotic symptoms in neurodegenerative diseases: A narrative review.J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol. 2023;36(6):435-460. doi:10.1177/08919887231164357

Kitayama S, Park J, Boylan JM, et al.Anger expression and ill-health in two cultures: An examination of inflammation and cardiovascular risk.Psychol Sci. 2015;26(2):211-220. doi:10.1177/0956797614561268

Ghossoub E, Cherro M, Akil C, Gharzeddine Y.Mental illness and the risk of self- and other-directed aggression: Results from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.J Psychiatr Res. 2021;132:161-166. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.10.010

Goodfriend W, Arriaga XB.Cognitive reframing of intimate partner aggression: Social and contextual influences.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018;15(11):2464. doi:10.3390/ijerph15112464

Curtis DS, Epstein NB, Wheeler B.Relationship satisfaction mediates the link between partner aggression and relationship dissolution: The importance of considering severity.J Interpers Violence. 2017;32(8):1187-1208. doi:10.1177/0886260515588524

Lee AH, DiGiuseppe R.Anger and aggression treatments: a review of meta-analyses.Curr Opin Psychol. 2018;19:65-74. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.04.004

Meet Our Review Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

What is your feedback?