Social Factors as Primary Drivers of Aggression: An Analysis

This essay explores the multifaceted nature of aggression, emphasizing the significant role of social factors as primary determinants. It defines aggression as an intense feeling of anger leading to harmful behaviors, influenced by biological, environmental, and health-related elements. The paper argues that flawed social relations, stemming from legal defects, social rejection, and religious fanaticism, are the strongest drivers of aggression, citing the United States and groups like ISIS as examples. It further discusses the prevalence of aggression among men and individuals with mental illnesses, highlighting the impact of social rejection and religious radicalization. The essay concludes by advocating for further research to minimize aggression and promote peaceful coexistence, underscoring the importance of understanding and addressing social factors to improve quality of life.

Running head: AGGRESSION
Aggression
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

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Aggression
Aggression refers to an intense feeling of anger. This feeling leads a person to engage
in confrontation or activities that cause harm. Although aggression mainly leads to physical
harm, it could cause psychological and mental harm (Sherif, 2015). There are several factors
that determine the level of aggression. Some of these factors are biological. For instance, men
are more likely to be more aggressive than women. Another factor is the environment that
surrounds an individual. Extensive evidence reveals that the level of aggression is higher
among people who live in chaotic environments (Rosell and Siever, 2015). Another factor
that is likely to cause aggression is health. People with certain medical conditions are likely
to be more aggressive. These conditions include epilepsy and dementia. Other factors include
alcohol use, drug abuse, and social rejection. I have encountered cases of aggression
severally. These cases were usually from persons under the influence of alcohol or socially
rejected. In most of the cases, men were the perpetrators of aggression. This paper is going to
focus on aggression. The most aggressive populations and factors influencing aggression are
also going to be discussed. Social factors are the strongest determinant of aggression.
The most aggressive populations of the world are those whose social relations are
flawed (McDougall, 2015). These flaws arise from defects in the law or due to other factors
such as social rejection and religious fanaticism. For instance, the United States of America is
considered to be among the top countries exhibiting aggression. This may be due to the
increased cases of came social rejection and gun laws. In addition, populations that employ
religious fanaticism/ radicalization exhibit great aggression. A good example is the ISIS
Islamic group of Syria. Although the Muslim religion does not advocate for violence, this
group has wreaked havoc in Syria and other countries for several years now. Research shows
that the population of aggressive people in the US is approximately 11% (Thibaut, 2017).
Most of these people live in areas with high levels of crime. In addition, they are likely to

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have been socially neglected. This figure also includes the number of people who have
mental illnesses such as psychosis.
Men are more likely to be aggressive when compared to women. Several studies have
shown that this is the case. For instance, a study carried out the US in 2007 found out that
about 70.6 percent of all offenders were men while 20.6 percent were women (Dinstein,
2017). These statistics show without a doubt that men are likely to be more aggressive than
women. There exist differences in kind of aggression that men and women are likely to
engage in. Men are more likely to engage in physical aggression while women are more
likely to perpetrate in emotional aggression (Rosell and Siever, 2015).
Social factors are the strongest determinants of aggression. Human beings are social
by nature. In fact, man is the only social being endowed with the ability to reason. When a
relationship among human beings go sour, say among lovers, there is likely to be aggression
(McDougall, 2015). There are several social factors that cause aggression. These include
social rejection and religion. As observed above, religious fanaticism/ radicalization is one of
the greatest causes of aggression. The ISIS of Syria is a great example when it comes to
aggression arising from religion (Sherif, 2015). Social rejection is a social factor. It refers to a
situation where an individual does not have a sense of belonging in society. This may result
from discrimination either by their parents or social group. Such an individual is likely to
develop great hatred towards people. This increases the chance that such an individual will
engage in acts of aggression. These factors demonstrate that social factors are the most
important when it comes to aggression.
In conclusion, there are various factors that influence aggression. These could be
biological, environmental or physical. Biological factors include sex. Here, men are more
aggressive when compared to women. Social factors are the strongest determinants of

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aggression. They include religion and social rejection. Religion promotes aggression in a
situation where fanaticism/ radicalization is practiced. Social rejection refers to the
discrimination either by parents or a social group. An individual who is socially rejected
develops a hate for people and is likely to be aggressive. More research should be carried out
to identify ways of minimizing/ eradicating aggression. This would help improve people’s
quality of life. It is important to ensure that we live in a manner that encourages peace to
reduce cases of aggression.

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References
Allan, J. (2017). Aggression: A Social Learning Analysis (3rd ed). England: Macat Library.
Dinstein, Y. (2017). War, aggression, and self-defense (2nd ed). England: Cambridge
University Press.
McDougall, W. (2015). An introduction to social psychology (4th ed). New York: Psychology
Press.
Rosell, D. R., & Siever, L. J. (2015). The neurobiology of aggression and violence (3rd ed).
New York: CNS Spectrums.
Sherif, M. (2015). Group conflict and co-operation: Their social psychology (2nd ed). New
York: Psychology Press.
Thibaut, J. W. (2017). The social psychology of groups (3rd ed). New York: Routledge.