Constructing A Definition of Childhood Aggression

Aggression in early childhood has long-term negative consequences and remains a complex phenomenon to define (Bandura, 1983). This study aimed to explore the meaning of childhood aggression from the perspectives of psychological guidance counselors, child development specialists, clinical psychologists, child psychiatrists, early childhood educators, and psychologists. It examined the operational definition of childhood aggression, its characteristics, and its categorization, providing insights specific to the Turkish context. Participants were selected based on two criteria that are a professional background in one of the specified fields and case experience with preschool-aged children exhibiting aggressive behaviors within typical developmental patterns. The study sought to uncover operational definitions, explore lived experiences, and gather insights from participants’ professional practices. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 participants recruited via snowball sampling, following ethical approval and informed consent. A descriptive phenomenological approach was employed. Intercoder agreement was calculated at 0.97, meeting high reliability standards (Neuendorf, 2002). Coding procedures followed established guidelines, including the use of multiple coders, a blind reviewer, prior coding experience, and a codebook (Cofie et al., 2022; O’Connor & Joffe, 2020).

Findings indicate that childhood aggression can be operationally defined as physical or emotional harm directed toward oneself, others, the environment, or objects. Expert perspectives varied by discipline, such as psychologists and psychiatrists emphasized biological and medical dimensions, while others highlighted developmental, social, and environmental aspects. Core features of aggression, its functions in early childhood, and an extensive set of aggressive behaviors were identified. Notably, aggression in early childhood differs from adult aggression due to limited emotional regulation, functional purposes, and distinct intentions. Contributing factors include developmental stage, temperament, socio-cultural background, family practices, and significant life changes. Aggressive behaviors vary by age and gender. For instance, younger children more often exhibit physical aggression, whereas older preschoolers display verbal or relational aggression. Common behaviors include hitting, pushing, biting, and exclusion, with biting cited as most problematic. Aggression also serves communicative, goal-directed, and exploratory purposes, often linked to language development. The study identified multiple classifications based on location, origin, medical well-being, target, form, role, and intent. Understanding intention was deemed essential, with accidental aggression often related to developmental coordination challenges, and hostile aggression linked to psychological disorders. Pathological aggression was defined as persistent, frequent, and occurring across multiple settings.

These results contribute to a multidimensional understanding of childhood aggression, offering a framework to develop discipline-specific and culturally relevant definitions. The significance of this study lies in constructing definitions and thematic categorizations derived from professionals working directly with young children in the Turkish context. The findings provide both a conceptual basis for future research and practical guidance for teachers, parents, and other stakeholders in identifying, interpreting, and addressing aggressive behaviors in early childhood. While existing literature offers various definitions and behavior lists (Carpenter, 2002), this study presents a contextualized and practice-informed perspective on childhood aggression within the Turkish context.

References:

Bandura, A. (1983). Psychological mechanism of aggression. In R. G. Geen & E. I. Donnerstein (Eds.), Aggression: Theoretical and empirical reviews (pp. 1– 40). Academic Press.

Carpenter, E. M. (2002). A curriculum-based approach for social-cognitive skills training: An intervention targeting aggression in head start preschoolers. [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. University of Maine.

Cofie, N., Braund, H., & Dalgarno, N. (2022). Eight ways to get a grip on intercoder reliability using qualitative-based measures. Canadian Medical Education Journal, 13(2), 73-76. https://doi.org/10.36834/cmej.72504

Neuendorf, K. A. (2002). The content analysis guidebook. Sage.

O’Connor, C., & Joffe, H. (2020). Inter-coder reliability in qualitative research: Debates and practical guidelines. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 19. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406919899220