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Parent Tip of the Week: Aggressive Behavior in Children

Experiencing violence can have a serious effect on young children and their development. Children who witness violence may resort to violence as a way to solve their problems. They may “act out” and perceive the world as a dangerous and scary place. These children may not trust people. They may have difficulty concentrating and may do poorly in school. In the long run, children who experience aggression and violence—and behave in these ways—may develop serious problems including juvenile delinquency.

The following factors increase a child’s risk of aggressive behavior. No one factor or combination of factors necessarily mean a child will become aggressive or violent:

Individual factors—temperament, genes, birth complications, attention deficit, and exposure to mother’s drug use during pregnancy.
Family factors—lack of parental supervision, harsh parenting, being abused by parents, domestic violence, access to weapons and too many violent TV shows and video games.
Community factors—belonging to a gang, drug trade in the neighborhood, and violence in the neighborhood.
Societal factors—violence in the media, access to weapons, discrimination, poverty.

If your child is expressing aggressive behavior, you may find helpful information in our section on Disruptive Behavior Disorders. Also, MHA offers consultation, services and information about parenting an aggressive child. Learn about this by calling our Information and Referral Service at 914-345-5900, extension 240 or e-mailing us at help@mhawestchester.org.

Have a tip you want to share? E-mail Dr. Barbara Bernstein at Bernsteb@mhawestchester.org with your Parent Tip of the Week!

This material has been adapted by MHA from materials of the ACT (Adults and Children Together Against Violence) program developed by the American Psychological Association (APA), a scientific and professional organization that represents psychology in the United States.

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