An Exploratory Study on Factors Contributing to Aggressive Behavior among Adolescents in Selected Schools, Sri Amritsar, Punjab

Adolescence can be a specifically turbulent as well as a dynamic period of one’s life. It has been identified as a period in which young people develop abstract thinking abilities, become more aware of their sexuality, develop a clearer sense of psychological identity and increase their independence from parents. G. Stanly Hall denoted this period as one of “Storm and Stress” and, according to him, conflict at this developmental stage is normal and not unusual. Among deviant human behaviors in the society, aggression appears to be the most prevalent and perturbing. This is because aggressive behavior is displayed everywhere in the society. It starts from the home in the form of physical or verbal aggression between couples, siblings, or parents using it as a corrective measure towards the children. Neighbors often display aggression among themselves due to one misunderstanding or the other. Various meeting places including village meetings are not spared of the exhibition of aggression. In the society hoodlums perpetrate aggressive behavior in the form of robbery, kidnapping, rape and even murder. Sometimes churches are not even spared of verbal aggression.