Any behavior where there is the intention of hurting someone, something, or oneself. It is differentiated into physical, verbal, and symbolic forms. Physical aggression includes hitting, biting, pushing, shaking, pinching, scratching, burning, tying up, and the like. Verbal aggression, on the other hand, includes sarcasm, belittling, cursing, scapegoating, denigrating, and saying other thoughtless, unkind, cruel things to or about the person. Symbolic aggression includes the use of angry or rude hand gestures or facial expressions. Aggression is to be distinguished from
assertiveness. (See
hostility;
personality theory;
problems with the management of hostility and aggression; the
warmth dimension of parenting)
