Although there are many different theoretical perspectives on aggression, it can be defined as acts committed by individuals that threaten or harm other people (National Research Council in Allan, Nairne & Majcher, 1996, p. 1). In spite of public programs of intervention, incidents of aggression are a common occurrence throughout the country (Allan et al., 1996, p. 17). The examples of aggression that are discussed in this essay--racial violence, domestic violence, sports violence and violence on campus, illuminate the inherent complexity underlying these acts of aggression. In each of these examples, the individuals who committed the acts of violence were motivated by different factors. Therefore, it is important to analyze these incidents within the context of theories of aggression and other factors in order to understand the multi-faceted nature of aggression.
Lynette Clemetson's article, "The New Victims of Hate," and Elissa Gootman's article, "Two Teenagers Attacked During Voter Drive," depict acts of aggression that are motivated by race. In the first article, a Korean-American was attacked by the school's wrestling team because they thought he was Chinese. The rising population of Asian-Americans has become the new targets of other racial groups because they are perceived as the "model minority" (Clementson, 2000, p. 61) Instead of considering Asian-Americans as a minority group, other racial and ethnic groups resent Asian-Americans for their success in the school and work settings (Clemetson, 2000, p. 61). Apart from new immigrants, Gootman's article that describes the assault of two African Americans by white and Hispanic youths in Queens illustrates the existence of interracial violence among other racial groups (p. 1).
According to the frustration-aggression theory, acts of aggression stem from the feeling of frustration (Dollard, Doob, Miller, Mowrer, & Sears, 1939). In a more sophisticated variation of this theo...