Aggression in Children in an Urban Clinic

Seeking to identify causal factors and practical means of controlling aggressive behavior, the clinical records of 35 aggressive and 35 non-aggressive boys were examined for evidence of parental and peer models, frustrating life experiences, and capacity for fantasy on projective tests. Records of 15 girls were also studied. The most striking difference between groups appeared in the high frequency of aggressive behavior in parents and peers of the aggressive children and the relative absence of such behavioral models for the nonaggressive groups. Support for fantasy and frustration theories was also found. The reduction of aggressive behavior would necessitate going beyond individual treatment and enlisting the cooperation of aggressive families.