Aggression in the Classroom
Humans and animals have similarities and differences, which make human beings unique in their behavior. Unfortunately, not all of these differences are positive. According to Eric Fromm, in his book Anatomy of Human Destructiveness, humans have what he calls "malignant aggression," where there is an intent to harm another. The result of this intent can be seen with spousal abuse, crime, or even bullying. In a classroom, a student can be purposely rude, rowdy or even, after time, use verbal or physical abuse. A teacher, recognizing this tendency, can use specifi
Some youths, therefore, do not develop a well-defined identity and feel pressured. In a classroom setting, the teacher first has to carefully watch the behavior of the students, particularly for malignant aggression. Some children push for independence and individuality, although the flip side of this means breaking away from support by caregivers. On the other hand, there are those youths who are afraid of breaking away and becoming independent, experiencing the detachment from their caregivers and experiencing loss. Fromm states that during this phase, the youth is looking for a personal frame of reference, since this is what gives the individual the ability to act and develop a sense of identity. c approaches to reduce or eliminate the behavior. The teacher can also look for ways to stimulate such students and find assignments that will keep them from acting out due to frustration, anger or even boredom. If young people are not given the opportunity to express themselves, they may become even more frustrated and angry. If aggression is part of person's character, can there be any solution for altering or eliminating this behavior? Fromm states that since malignant forms of aggression are not innate, "they can be substantially reduced when the socioeconomic conditions are replaced by conditions that are favorable to the full development of man's genuine needs and capacities" (482). Adolescence is a difficult time for any child, even without any intent towards aggressive behavior. Then, there needs to be intervention by whatever protocol the school has in place to find solutions to this behavior, be they caused by family problems, substance abuse, peer-pressure, or feelings of alienation. This needs to be recorded, so there is a more well-rounded idea about these individuals.
Common topics in this essay:
Human Destructiveness,
,
Eric Fromm,
malignant aggression,
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