Making Sense of Aggression

Course created by Dr. Gordon Neufeld

Facilitated by Lisa Weiner, MSN, Neufeld Institute Faculty

The key to making sense of aggression is to get past the violating behavior to the emotional experience of the child and to what is missing in the child’s processing or functioning. The underlying experience is one of frustration, not anger as is commonly supposed. What is missing are vulnerable feelings as well as a consciousness of anything that would counter the impulses to attack. Such children are inclined to attack when up against things they cannot change. Such children are also unable to benefit from traditional means of discipline such as correction, confrontation, consequences and isolation. It is only as the roots of the problem are addressed that aggression can be effectively cured.