The study of verbal aggression as a scientific object was first begun by psychologists. Psychologist A. A. Rean analyzed the definitions of aggression from foreign psychology and came up with two approaches on aggression: ethical-humanistic and evolutional-genetic.
The first approach considers aggression as inflicting harm. In the second approach, aggression is viewed as a biologically expedient form of a person’s behaviour, which makes for survival and adaptation. A majority of researchers define aggression as purposeful destructive behavior
Verbal aggression can be subsumed under the category of destructive interpersonal communication deafening effect. This category accommodates those forms and attributes of interpersonal communicative contacts which have a hurtful, destructive effect on one’s counterpart’s personality and can complicate the relations.
The essence of verbal aggression as a communicative phenomenon is the attacking of one of the communicators using such “weapons” as words, speech by the other, who acts as an aggressor.
Dollard’s interprets aggressive behaviour not as an evolutional process but a situational one, which is a result of effect of frustration. American psychologist P. Evans defines verbal aggression as “a means of controlling and overwhelming another person”.
Verbal aggression is a symbolic form of aggression in the form of inflicting psychological harm using mostly vocal (scream, the change in tone and verbal components of speech an accusation, abuse, etc). Verbal aggression may be open or hidden.
Open verbal aggression manifests a clear communicative intent to cause damage to the recipient and is expressed in obvious humiliating forms (curses, cries). Hidden verbal aggression is a systematic pressure on the recipient, but without public emotions.
Types of verbal aggression:
- verbal — active- direct- verbal abuse or humiliation of another person
- verbal — active — indirect- spreading malicious slander or gossip about another person
- verbal — passive — direct- refusing to talk with the other person, to answer his questions
- verbal — passive — indirect- refusal to give some verbal explanations, to speak out in defense of the unjustly criticized person.
There are four primary reasons or causes of aggression suggested by such scientists as Infante, Trebling, Sheppard, and Seeds (1984):
1. Frustration—in which a goal is blocked by someone or having to deal with an individual unworthy of one's time.
2. Social learning—in which the aggressive behaviour has been learned from observing other individuals.
3. Psychopathology—in which an individual attacks other persons because of unresolved issues.
4. Argumentative skill deficiency—in which an individual lacks verbal skills to deal with an issue.
The cases of verbal aggression in some books were analyzed and the highest per cent of using verbal aggression is in Joanne Katelyn Rowling’s work “Harry Potter”. Verbal aggressiveness often results in deterioration of relational satisfaction.
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Types of aggression in Joan Katelyn Rowling’s books |
||||
|
Title of book |
Physical |
Verbal |
Total |
Ideation |
|
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows |
0.25 |
0.30 |
0.22 |
0.84 |
|
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince |
0.14 |
0.27 |
0.07 |
0.84 |
Examples:
- “I would hate for you to run away with a false idea of your father, Potter,” he said a terrible grin twisting his face.
- “You are an idiot boy!”
- “Well, you don’t just hand in your resignation to Voldemort. It’s a lifetime of service or death”
- “I assure you! Severus Snape is a Death Eater!”
- “He’s a double agent, you stupid old man, he isn’t working for you, you just think he is!”
- “You dare use my own spells against me, Potter? It was I who invited them’ I’ the Half-Blood Prince! And you’d turn my inventions on me, like your filthy father, would you? I don’t think so…..no!”
- “I killed your father and now I will kill you!”
- “Never used an Unforgivable Course before, have you, boy?” “You need to mean them, Potter! You need to really want to cause pain to enjoy it “righteous anger won’t hurst me for long.”
- “They stuff people’s heads down the toilet the first day at Stonewall,” he told Harry.
The author used verbal aggression in these phrases. They can influence behaviour of a teenager and first of all of a child. So we should think of our actions and speech.
References:
1. Jump up Ripley's Believe it or Not, 2nd Series (Simon & Schuster, 1931); an updated reference is on page 140 of the Pocket Books paperback edition of 1948
2. The New Big Book Of U. S. Presidents By Todd Davis, Marc Frey
3. Jump up to Randi Henderson and Tom Nugent, «The Zero Curse: More than just a coincidence?" (reprinted from the Baltimore Sun), November 2, 1980, in Syracuse Herald-American, p C-3
4. Jump up Oakland Tribune, November 5, 1940, p12
5. Jump up «Pennsylvania Avenue Ponderings», Hammond Times, February 25, 1960, p18
6. Jump up Presidential Prophecies, History Channel
7. Jump up The Sunday Intelligencer (Doylestown, PA), April 5, 1981, p 8
8. Jump up Wadler, Joyce (23 May 1988). «The President's Astrologers». People Magazine. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
9. Jump up Zuckerman, Laurence (16 May 1988). «Nancy Reagan's Astrologer». Time Magazine. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
