Compare and contrast the different types of aggression that children may exhibit and the developmental course of each type of aggression.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The ideal answer should include:
1. Physical aggression (pushing, hitting, biting, or grabbing another child's toy) peaks between 24 and 42 months and declines after that, although a subset of children can remain aggressive after this period of time.
2. Verbal aggression (insulting, threatening, or name-calling) becomes more common as children's language skills grow.
3. Relational aggression (damaging a person's position or relationships with peers by means of social exclusion or spreading rumors) may begin around age 3 and increases over time. Girls are more likely to show relational than physical aggression, and boys are the opposite.
4. Instrumental aggression is physical or relational aggression directed at achieving a goal, such as acquiring an object. It is high at 4 years of age but declines between 4 and 8 years, possibly because children's improving language and social skills enable them to find other ways to achieve goals.
5. Reactive or hostile aggression is physical or relational aggression aimed at harming another person, and it becomes more common than instrumental aggression after age 8 as children begin to understand others' intentions and to perceive hostile intent from another person that leads to retaliation.