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A range of behaviours results in either physical or psychological harm towards yourself or others. Aggressive behaviour is one of these behaviours that is fuelled by the intention to harm yourself or others. Aggression and violence may seem the same, but experts argue they’re not.

The thing is, aggression doesn’t always involve violence. However, violence is always defined as extreme physical aggression to harm. It’s common for people to confuse aggressive behaviour with violence.

Let’s say you are having an argument with your friend and decide to throw something across the room in frustration. This is a typical example of aggressive behaviour. However, when you shove your friend against the wall to physically harm them, then that’s an example of violence.

Types of Behaviour Aggression

It’s essential to know if you have any behavioural aggression problems. Recognising how aggression shows up in your life makes it easier to determine your triggers. You must be aware of the most common types of behaviour aggression.

Impulsive Aggression

Sometimes, aggression stems from the emotions you experience. In most cases, it feels like you have no control when reacting to situations. As a result, you act impulsively towards people or things and lack self-control.

Instrumental Aggression

On the other hand, you can plan how you’ll react to situations. Instrumental aggression is also known as cognitive aggression because it involves thoughtful planning to reach a specific goal, whether to cause harm or to show aggressive behaviour when faced with a situation. This aggressive behaviour is more calculated, and you don’t lose self-control.

Aggressive Behaviour Signs to Look For

Aggression takes different forms. In extreme cases, it can cause severe consequences for yourself and your victims. Moreover, aggression can be difficult to notice in other people, and you might miss the signs when it’s a cause for concern.

iER works with various emergency service providers and has compiled the following common signs to look for when you suspect aggressive behaviour in yourself or someone else.

Verbal and unkind remarks, shouting, insults, and any hate speech said intending to bring distress and harm to the next person.

Physically harming others to hurt them.

Bullying and gossiping about others to damage their self-esteem, reputation, or relationships.
Passive behaviour, such as silent treatment driven by the aim to express negative feelings towards someone.

Hostility towards a person to hurt them.

It’s crucial to take note of the triggers that cause you or your loved one to be aggressive. For instance, aggression occurs when you feel angry, irritable, and restless. Most importantly, there are emotions you can’t explain that won’t go away.
In most cases, when you notice, the main concern for aggression is uncontrollable emotions. It’s necessary to note why you feel the way you do.

How to Manage Aggressive Behaviour

Knowing the types of aggression and signs to look out for is a great way to ensure you find effective ways to manage it. iER has come up with efficient ways to reduce the risks of aggressive behaviour. Even though the following tips can help, getting professional help is necessary to ensure you treat the underlying cause of aggression.

Stay Calm

When you are dealing with someone who shows signs of aggression, it’s easy for you to get frustrated. It’s natural to feel this way and to want to express yourself. However, the ideal approach is to stay calm.
It’s easier to get that person to focus on their feelings when you have control over yours. It’s important to note that when someone has an episode, they will become offensive and sometimes violent towards you. Don’t take anything they say or do personally.

Offer a Different Approach

Establishing safe limitations for aggressive behaviour is crucial. Use a different approach to ensure they retain self-control. For example, you must ask them what they want at that moment.
You’d be surprised to learn that the answer to calming aggression lies in listening to what they need. In some instances, the reaction someone has is due to a lack of understanding of their emotions. You must give them clear choices to instil a positive outlook on their current attitude.

Deal with Threats and Maintain Them Safely

While most people who are aggressive make threats they don’t carry out, there are times when you’ll deal with someone who carries them out. In that situation, your main goal is to ensure safety for yourself and others. Although it’s not easy to predict whether someone will carry out their threat, it’s necessary to stay prepared in case it happens.
If someone has a history of violence, such as harming others or animals, setting fire to things, or even hurting people, you must expect them to do so again. In such cases, it’s crucial to use the iER App to contact emergency services trained to handle these behaviours. Be prepared to call for help when you see that the situation can potentially cause harm or damage to yourself or others.
In summary, aggressive behaviour is a common problem that you will likely come across. It’s necessary to know what to look for to deal with it. iER has over 13 000 medical and non-medical emergency service providers qualified to help you deal with a case of behaviour aggression.