A Comparative Study of Aggressive and Non-Aggressive School Students

In this modern age we have seen aggressing among men of all societies. Aggression to-day seems to dominate our problems in the world; the wars between the countries, terrorist activites all over the world, high crime rate in any country, racial, communal and caste violence in India and other countries of the world, violence in the educational institutions, organizations, offices etc. are some of the more predominant examples of aggression found among people of all kinds whether educated uneducated. To-day aggression has reached to its Peak and this has become worldwide phenomenon. The situation has reached to an alarming position. Aggressiveness has been an important aspect of human behavior all through the ages. No doubt it has helped us to some extent in controlling enemies and territories. Aggression has been an essential aspect of human behavior in some situations and it is essential for survival, at the same time its outcome may be devastating too Aggression has been regarded as instinctive to frustration. Aggression is expressed in different societies in different ways; even within the same society there may be a wide range of different socially approved expressions of aggression. Aggression in its most restricted meaning refers to the tendency for S to attack the source of blocking. It indicates hostility and it often accompanied by emotional states of anger or hate. But due to social and cultural effects aggressive behaviors occur in much more subtle forms. Than those of direct attack. The aggression may be displaced or projected away from the actual source of blocking. In a theoretical outline to guide research in the area of frustration a group of Yale University psychologists postulated that inhibition of direct aggression is due to fear of punishment (Dollard, J. Et. Al, 1931) white it has been difficult to get experimental verifications of this principle, there is every reason to believe that it represents a fundamental relationship Kumar and Singh 92006), examined the effect of aggression on adjustment and found that non-aggressive adolescents excelled in overall adjustment. We may say that aggression is part of our behavior and this has been very much vexing to psychologists, and sociologists because of its complex and unexpected relations with different factors found in the aggressor as well as in his society and culture, we found that aggression has been studied mostly in respect of need frustration and other causative factors in most unsystematic manner with some very limited purpose. The studies done so far relates to some personality and social factors in relation to aggressiveness. Hence the rescarcher planned here to compare aggressive and non-aggressive subjects in respect of adjustment and self-esteem.

The sample of study consisted of 100 aggressive and 100 non-aggressive students selected on the basis of 25 percent higher and 25 present lowest scoring on Manifest Aggression Scale (Singh, undated). The

i. Manifest Aggression Scale (Singh, undated was applied on 400 school students to recognize Aggressive and non-aggressive groups of students ii. Hindi Adaptation of Bell‘s Adjustments Inventory (Mohsin-Shamsad,1981) to asses home, health, social, emplies and total adjustment of subjects. iii. Self-Esteem Inventory (Prasad and Thakur, 1977) was administered on Ss to measure self-esteem of respondents.

First the aggression scale was administered on randomly selected 400 school students reading in class 9th and 10th classes of five selected schools of Katihar, Bihar to form aggressive (25% highest) and non-aggressive (25% lowest scoring subjects, Adjustment Inventory and Self-Esteem Inventory were than administrate one by one on subjects in small groups of 10-15 at a time to know their level of adjustment (home health, social, emotional as well as overall adjustment and self-esteem of respondents. The results obtained were analysed in respect of the general hypothesis that truants and non-truants may differ significantly in adjustment and self-esteem. T-ratio was computed to assess the level of significance and test the research hypotheses developed.

The scores on Bell‘s Adjustment Inventory and Self-Esteem Inventory of both aggressive and non-aggressive groups of adolescents are presented in Table – 1

A perusal of the above table provides a strong evidence of relationship between adjustment and self-esteem and aggressive behavior of adolescents. The results provide support to the hypothesis that aggressive group of Ss are poor in home, health, social emotional as well as in overall adjustment than 15.98; SDs = 3.32 and 3.66; t = 6.94) health (Means 18.81 and 16.15; SDs = 3.14 and 2.97; t = 5.65), social (Means = 21.72 and 14.97; SDs = 3.56 and 3.22; t = 14.06), Emotional ( Means = 20.33 and 14.99; SDs = 3.56 and 3.13, t = 11.43) and total (Means = 80.47 and 62.47; SDs = 14.97 and 15.24; t = 8.37). the aggressive and non-aggressive groups and adolescents were also observed radically different on self-esteem (Mean = 157.15 and 177.62; SDs= 12.16 and 14.63; t= 10.77). All the t-values are significant beyond .01 level of confidence. Aggressive adolescents scored higher on all the areas of adjustment as well as on overall adjustment than the non-aggressive groups of adolescents. This indicates that aggressive group of subjects show poor adjustment as compared to non-aggressive subjects because here higher score means poor adjustment. On the self-esteem also aggressive and non-aggressive adolescents were observed significantly different as the obtained t-value is significant beyond .01 levels. It is further observed that aggressive group of subjects have scored lower on self-esteem than non-aggressive group of adolescents. This indicates that an aggressive group is poor in self-esteem than non-aggressive group of subjects as perceived by them. The results obtained are in expected direction of the hypothesis that aggressive and non-aggressive groups of adolescents may differ in adjustment and self-esteem scores. The results are as expected because we know that aggression is generally considered as negative aspect of human behavior and adjustment. In such a condition aggressive subjects being poor in all areas of adjustment including overall adjustment is quite expected. Aggressive behavior is also perceived undesirable by aggressive persons in such a condition their being lower on self-esteem is Quite expected. Many previous finding such as Murthy, 1967, Mayo, 1969, Singh, 1979, Prasad, 1985; Singh, 1998 etc. support the present finding.

CONCLUSION

On the basis of the finding of the study it may be concluded that aggressive and non-aggressive groups of schools students differ significantly in adjustment and self-esteem and aggressive group of school students are poor in home, health, social, emotional including overall adjustment as compared to non-aggressive group of students. Aggressive group of students are generally lower in self-esteem than non-aggressive group of students.

Berman, M. and Karoussi, R. (1997). Neurotransmetere correlatges of Human Aggression, pg. 305-313

Aggressive and Non-Aggressive Adolesunts in Relation to Adjustment, Anusandan, Vol.-Viii. No. 12, Pg. 20-23. Kumar, J and Kumar, S. (2008) : A Study of the Effect of Aggression and Anxiety on Depression. MJSR, Vol-XIV, No. 1, Pg.82-85. Mayo, P.R. (1969) women with neurlogic symptoms, Who do not seek treatment British Journal of Medical Psychology. Murthy, V. N. (1967) Punitive and personal obsiturbances. Reprint from the translation of All India Institute of mental Health No. – 1 Mohsin, S.M. – Shamshad (1981) Hindi Adaptation of Bell‘s Adjustment inventory. Tedeschi, J. and Felson, R. (1994) Violence, Aggression, and coercive Actions. Washington, DC; American Psychological Association.

Research Scholar, Department of Psychology, B. N. Mandal University, Madhepura