Developmental Origins of Aggression

by Richard E. Tremblay

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Author: Richard E. Tremblay

Publisher: The Guilford Press

Hardcover:
ISBN 10: 1593851103
ISBN 13: 978-1593851101

While aggression is often conceived as a learned behavior that peaks during adolescence, this important volume shows that aggressive behaviors have their origins in early childhood and even infancy. Findings from major longitudinal research programs are used to illuminate the processes by which most children learn alternatives to physical aggression as they grow older, while a minority become increasingly violent. The developmental trajectories of proactive, reactive, and indirect aggression are reviewed, as are lessons learned from animal studies. Bringing together the best of current knowledge, the volume sheds new light on the interplay of biological factors, social and environmental influences, and sex differences in both adaptive and maladaptive aggression.

Review

"With impeccable scholarship and compelling writing, this book convinced me that aggression is a natural feature of human and animal development. Each chapter speaks with authority, and together the chapters record everything known about the origins of aggression. An essential reference for anyone striving to understand where antisocial behavior comes from."--Terrie E. Moffitt, PhD, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK, and Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison

"Our understanding of aggression has gone through a virtual revolution during the past few decades. This splendid book admirably indicates what is new about the ideas and findings, why they are important, and how they should influence policy and practice. The approach taken is critical but constructive, and readers will gain an appreciation of the excitement of the field, the puzzles that remain, and the challenges ahead. Altogether, this is a remarkable book that researchers and practitioners alike will want to turn to for years to come. It provides answers where they are available and provokes questioning thought when that is what is needed."--Michael Rutter, MD, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, UK

"This is a superb, cutting-edge volume that advances our understanding of why some youth and adults are aggressive and commit acts of violence against others. Developmental Origins of Aggression should be required reading for students from a wide variety of fields--including psychology, medicine, social work, criminology, and sociology--who are interested in human behavior."--Frederick P. Rivara, MD, MPH, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine

"In addition to being a rich source of material to those keeping abreast of aggression research, Developmental Origins of Aggression could be used as a graduate text. The book would nicely serve as a discussion piece for a developmental psychology course or a seminar on aggression in peer relations....The book is informative for those conducting aggression research but also offers theoretical viewpoints that may benefit other scientific areas and would be a useful teaching resource."

, PsycCRITIQUES Published On: 2005-03-17

About the Author

Richard E. Tremblay, PhD, is Professor of Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Psychology at the University of Montreal and Director of the Inter-University Research Unit on Children's Psychosocial Maladjustment. For over 20 years, he has conducted a program of longitudinal and experimental studies addressing the physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development of children from conception onward to understand the development and prevention of antisocial behavior.

Willard W. Hartup, EdD, is Regents' Professor Emeritus and former Director of the Institute of Child Development at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Hartup has spent many years researching friendship and peer relations in child development, antipathies and their significance, and conflict and aggression in childhood and adolescence.

John Archer, PhD, is Professor of Psychology at the University of Central Lancashire, Preston, United Kingdom. His research is concerned with human aggression, grief and loss, and sex differences. Dr. Archer is also the author of several books, including Sex and Gender (with Barbara Lloyd) and The Nature of Grief; numerous book chapters; and over 100 articles in refereed journals covering psychology, medicine, and biology. In recent years, he has published a number of meta-analytic reviews on topics connected with sex differences in aggression.