Gender differences in aggression with specific reference to Anne Campbell's work - Essay Example

? Discuss gender differences in aggression with specific reference to Anne Campbell's work' Aggression can be defined as hostile or destructive behavior towards others. Aggression can be direct or indirect. The behavior of aggression is usually triggered by provocation and the magnitude of response differs depending on the sex of a person. According to Campbell (2006), greater involvement of men in aggression might be due to their higher levels of anger or from their lower levels of fear inhibition. Men are more likely to engage in direct aggression than women. Imperatively physical aggression has stronger sex differences as compared to verbal aggression. Further research has also shown that the magnitude of sex difference increases according to the gravity of the nature of behavior (Archer, 2004). When the act of violence becomes more dangerous, the level of aggressiveness among women decreases significantly. This is supported by findings that there are far less women involved in aggravated assaults in comparison to those involved in attacks resulting in minor injuries. Provocation and emotional arousal provide the basic psychological mediators that which influences the sex differences in relation to aggression. Provocation increases aggression and diminishes the level of sex differences. At low levels of arousal, men and women are able to regulate their behaviors and responses. Thus, the sex differences are small in terms of their aggression. At high levels of emotional arousal, behavior and emotional regulation are equally impaired in both sexes hence their aggression levels are similar. However at the intermediate prevocational levels, men experience greater emotional arousal and weaker capability to control their behavior. Campbell (2006), suggests that the sex differences in aggression levels can be attributed to women’s lower impulsive behavior and their ability to exercise physical restraint in various circumstances. Women tend to have an expressive social representation of aggression while men hold aggression as an instrumental representation (Campbell et al, 2003). Men tend use aggression as a justification to impose their control over situations or other people. Women on the other hand project aggression as a loss of self control that corresponds to excuses for certain actions. Sex differences are evident in social representations of aggression. It was found out that its women’s lower instrumentality relative to men that gives a remarkable difference between the sexes (Archer, 2004). Imperatively, the expressivity of women does not point out to significant sex differences in response to aggression. Of great significance is the observation that women’s aggression is more morally acceptable than that of men. In the area of partner violence, the society has allowed women more latitude to employ violence than for men without stigmatizing them. Both men and women judged aggression towards a woman worse than against a male. Girls have been shown to have higher indirect aggression than boys. The use of covert forms of aggression by girls is in tandem with the social representation of both sexes. Girls can use instrumental acts to depict aggression without doing physical harm. To implement this, girls can exclude others from their social interactions, tell discrediting stories about them and engage in negative publicity to make others hate the person. Expressive aggression may also comprise of behaviors that are aimed at relieving anger. This can be done avoiding or ignoring a person in order to minimize contact which can lead aggression. Also, the girls can engage in cursing and negative commentary on the character of their perceived enemies. It should be noted that it is in the nature of girls to be expressive rather than directly depict their aggression. According to Campbell (2007), women’s aggression differs from that of men in that women generally do not intend to harm or injure. Thus, women may express their aggression through behaviors that lack intent to harm or injure. Researchers have found out that anger does not necessary lead to aggression. However, anger has to be channeled in a way that relieves the affected person. In the case of women, symbolic aggression can be used to relieve them of anger. An angry woman can engage in explosive actions as solutions to their anger. In this case, anger is not expressed in direct aggression but rather withheld until the provoker is gone. Once the person is alone, she may engage in smashing objects, screaming and cursing. The emotional arousal might be still high and the driving anger is intensified. However, the actions are not directed at harming or injuring the provoker. The other way through which women can express their aggression without injuring the provoker is through defusing. In this case, the woman can achieve solace by avoiding contact with the provoker. The avoidant behavior helps to reduce the need of inhibiting or restraining overt behavior. Sulking and refusal to communicate is a psychological form of aggression that minimizes the chances of interacting with the provoker (Else-Quest et al, 2006). Further, women can defuse their anger and limit aggression by talking to a third party on the issue that is bothering them. According to research, women are inclined to speak to a supportive friend concerning the issues they face with a view of obtaining a sympathetic verdict (Campbell, 2006). Women talk to a third party in order to explain their interpretation of the events. The affected woman would project herself as unjustly mistreated yet able to exercise restraint. In this case, the supportive audience is supposed to be a good listener and be emphatic to the offended person. However, men are less likely to seek support from a third party. Men tend to prefer handling their issues independently since they belief that seeking support is a major sign of weakness on their part. The effect of emotions in influencing aggression shows significant differences between the sexes. Whilst anger triggers behavior that impels attack, fear inhibits behavior by encouraging withdrawal. Therefore, the likelihood of aggression depends on how the two emotions are handled. Given the fact that men are more inclined to aggression than men, it would be imperative that man and women differ in either their impulsion or restraint capability. Archer (2005) found out that indeed, both men and women feel relatively similar levels of anger and the difference comes in their levels of restraint. There are significant differences in gender aggression. Some of the differences in aggression between the sexes are as a result of the social representation. The society has imposed different expectations for the genders in regards to their levels of aggression. The other factor for the gender differences in aggression is the varying emotional responses. In conclusion, it is important to note that gender differences in aggression are both social and emotional. Bibliography Alexander F, Allen C, Brooks J, Cole C, Campbell A. 2004. Reason to believe: Representations of aggression as phenomenological read-out. Sex Roles 51:647–659. Archer J, Coyne SM. 2005. An integrated review of indirect, relational and social aggression. Pers Soc Psychol Rev 9:212–230. Archer J. 2000. Sex differences in aggression between heterosexual partners: A meta-analytic review. Psychol Bull 126:651–680. Campbell, A. 2006. ’Sex differences in direct aggression: what are the psychological mediators? Aggression and violent behavior., 11 (3). pp. 237-264. Campbell, A., Muncher, S., Woodhouse, D., McManus, I. 2003. Instrumental and Expressive Representations of Aggression. Pyschol Bull 135:865-87. Else-Quest NM, Hyde JS, Goldsmith HH, Van Hulle CA. 2006. Gender differences in temperament: A meta-analysis. Psycho Bull 132:33–72. Read More