We have all witnessed some act of aggression at some point. Whether in real life, on television or even through a novel, violence is an element that continues to be part of our society even today. But we often make the mistake of identifying aggression with physical attack.
Although obviously an act of physical violence intended to harm another is an assault, we can also observe other types of acts that can be considered as such. We are talking about different types of aggression which we are going to talk about throughout this article.
In order to understand the existence of differences between different types of aggression, it is first necessary to know what this concept refers to and what implications it has.
We understand aggression to any act of violence characterized by causing intentional damage to a person whether said act is direct or indirect. Although, as we have indicated before, it is traditionally associated with physical violence, aggression does not have to be limited to it or it is even possible that there is no physical element in the act of aggression.
The damage can be physical, psychological, sexual, patrimonial or symbolic, and can have a series of serious effects on the health or integrity of the victim.
It is possible to find a large number of classifications regarding the different types of aggression. Examples of this are according to their nature, objective or victim.
1. Types of aggression according to their nature
There are multiple ways to classify the different types of existing attacks. One of the most common is the one that takes into account the nature of the aggression. In turn, these can be classified into two large groups, although generally The categories are not totally mutually exclusive.
Direct aggression is called any type of aggression that is carried out in a way that is perceptible to the person attacked, whether it is on a physical or psychological level. This includes both the direct exercise of aggression and the threat of carrying it out, requiring at least one aggressor and one attacked in said relationship. The victim is completely capable of identifying his attacker. From adolescence onwards, it tends to be more common in males.
1.2. Physical aggression
Any act that involves the voluntary and intentional causing of direct damage generated through any physical means and with the capacity to generate bodily harm to the attacked person. The injuries caused may be temporary or permanent and appear both in the short and long term, with consequences that can even be fatal. Physical aggression tends to be more associated with the male sex.
1.3. Verbal/psychological aggression
This is understood as any set of acts and actions that, although they do not cause physical damage, do cause or intend to cause damage to the person suffering from the aggression. some type of mental or emotional damage. It includes insults, humiliation and devaluation. In this sense, this type of direct violence is usually more distributed between the sexes. Statistically, it is one of the most practiced by women.
1.4. sexual assault
Type of aggression in which the aggressor forces or coerces the attacked party to maintain some type of sexual contact (whether or not there is penetration) or deprives him or her of the freedom to decide. Includes both rape and touching, pushing or removing the condom without consent/knowledge of the fact. Although female cases have increased in recent years, the majority of sexual offenders are men.
1.5. indirect aggression
Indirect aggression is understood to be any act of aggression that is carried out indirectly, causing damage and harm to the victim anonymously (although the latter may recognize the aggressor). This type of attack is becoming more and more widespread, and is the most common in women from adolescence, both at the academic and work levels. Includes the spread of rumors and slander anonymous or publication of humiliating and ridiculing websites and messages.
Form of indirect aggression based on the social exclusion caused by the attacked person, or on the causation of damage to your reputation through slander. It is usually verbal or psychological.
1.7. Cyber aggression
Although it can be included in some of the previous groups (both indirect and direct), cyber aggression’s main distinctive characteristic is the fact that information and communication technologies are used for it. Through it we can find attacks on social networks, identity theft, coercion, theft of accounts, defamatory publications, non-consensual recordings (including that of possible attacks carried out on the victim), etc.
1.8. Patrimonial aggression
This type of aggression is based on the destruction or damage to the possessions of the attacked person. Its subtraction or usurpation can also be observed. It may or may not be aimed at causing harm to the attacked subject, especially if said possessions are of high emotional value or obtaining them required a great effort. In reality, it can be both indirect and direct (since the destruction can occur covertly or not).
1.9. Symbolic aggression
Type of indirect aggression characterized by the fact that the attack is not carried out directly on the victim, but about elements that symbolize aspects linked to him or her such as religion, politics, sexual orientation or nationality.
2. According to your objective
In addition to the main aggressions mentioned above, we can also find other types of aggression depending on the objective they pursue.
2.1. Hostile aggression
This type of aggression refers to any action aimed primarily at inflicting some type of damage on a person, so that damage is the main objective of the aggressor.
2.2. Instrumental aggression
On this occasion, the aggressive act is not intended to cause harm to the person attacked, the suffering or discomfort of the other not being what was intended, but what motivates the attack is the obtaining of some type of gain or benefit from said attack. An example may be economic gain, social approval or the acquisition of a position of dominance and power.
This is a type of aggressive act in which the aggressor acts motivated by other people or by factors such as fear or the attempt to escape from some highly aversive situation.
3. Depending on the victim
Different types of aggression can also be observed depending on who is the person at whom the act of violence is directed.
3.1. Self-inflicted aggression
It is called as such any act of aggression in which the person who is the victim of this is the same person who causes the aggression. That is, it is an attack on oneself that can be motivated by a large number of causes. This can include self-harm caused by people with different pathologies or suicide.
3.2. Interpersonal aggression
This is the most classic and well-known type of aggression, in which one person voluntarily inflicts damage and harm to another.
3.3. Collective aggression
Type of aggression characterized by being carried out intergroup, attacking one group against another. The objective of the aggression can be variable, in many cases there is hatred, stigmatization and attempts to eliminate the other group. In this type of aggression we could include events as serious as genocides.
4. According to the context in which it occurs
Another possible classification of attacks may come from the context in which they occur. In this sense, we can find, among others, the following
4.1. Domestic and couple aggression
This type of interpersonal aggression can be separated from the rest by the fact that has the characteristic of occurring within the same family or between people who in principle maintain an emotional connection. Domestic violence can take many forms, being mainly direct, whether at the level of physical, psychological or even sexual aggression.
4.2. Aggression in the workplace
Any act of aggression produced in the context of work. We can include in this the presence of physical, verbal or even sexual attacks between employees with the same rank or those that occur taking advantage of the difference in rank and position within the company.
4.3. Aggression at school
On this occasion we refer to acts of aggression carried out in the academic field between students or between students and teachers. We can observe, among others the presence of bullying.
