Nursery World - Behaviour: anger and aggression

Anger and aggression stem from children's feelings of confusion

To understand the nature of destructive behaviour in young children, it is useful to think about aggression and its meaning. Aggression is not necessarily only negative and does not imply only destructive impulses and actions. It can also be a force for self-defence, an impulse to safeguard and protect oneself or others in situations of danger.

Aggression is innate, and its destructive force depends partly on constitutional factors and partly on the environment and experience. A young child uses aggression as a response to real or imagined threats, as well as to establish control over others. In addition, frustration is one of the principal motives for children to use aggression. With limited means to express their thoughts, wishes and feelings, young children find it very difficult to endure what they feel as impingements or deprivations, and resort to aggressive behaviour to express and impose what they want.

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