Blog Entry #6

Personally, I believe that indirect aggression occurs more than direct aggression.  Maybe this is because I am not really exposed to people physically hurting others in their presence.  I believe that because the internet is offering so many social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, and even Blogger, more and more people are able to be aggressive to others when the target is not present.  People feel more comfortable hurting others when they can become anonymous or they are not face to face.  I also believe that aggressive behavior is starting at a younger age.  Children are exposed to violent acts on TV shows, advertisements, and movies.  By being exposed to these acts of aggression, they are learning aggressive behavior.  They may begin to perform them and think that it is okay.  This is called the social learning theory.  Aggression can also lead to topics talked about in chapter thirteen.  There is a lot of aggression involved in prejudice and discrimination.  The negative attitudes and actions toward a group of people can lead to harmful behavior and pain to others.  Stereotypes are also another big source of anger.  Yes, they may just be a generalization about a group of people, but they are usually negative.  Being from New York, and going to school in Virginia, I am categorized into many stereotypes and a lot of them do not fit who I am.  I am also an only child, people believe that all only children are spoiled or they are brats.  Once again, I do not fit those categories.  Everyone experiences stereotypes and is guilty of practicing them.  I can say myself that I have stereotyped people before.  It is not fair to assign traits to members of a group regardless of whether you know them or not.