Abstract
The control strategy is most popular among political conservatives who see punishment as the best way to deter crime and protect society. Studies show, however, that punishment does not always control aggression and that punishment can have undesirable side effects, such as withdrawal from social relationships, selective avoidance of aggressive behavior, and the stigma of labeling. The catharsis strategy involves the venting or purging of emotions, an experience that purportedly occurs vicariously by empathically identifying with another person or directly via one's own expressive behavior. The results of catharsis studies are mixed; several studies demonstrate the opposite of catharsis, an increase in aggression over the course of an event. The cohabitation strategy takes the defeatist position that aggression is part of human nature. The author contends, however, that complex problems such as aggression have multiple causes: physiological predispositions (male gender and high arousal temperaments); immediate interpersonal environments (parental or peer criminality); cultural contexts that encourage or restrain aggression; personal qualities (self-control and prosocial behavior); disinhibitors (alcohol and drugs); means (guns, knives, and other weapons); and potential victims (spouse, child, or senior). Interventions against aggression must respond to these complex causes, recognize that situational characteristics are potential antecedents of aggressive behavior, and acknowledge that aggression is learned directly or vicariously. The school setting, parental influence, and television violence all contribute to anger and aggression.
