Handling Physical Aggression in Children

Aggression in Children

Children during the early years display signs of physical aggression like kicking or pushing their siblings, etc. However this tendency of physical aggression reduces as the child grows and matures and it completely vanishes once the child has reached an age of 6-7 years.

In order to help your child grow out of this phase, you need to exercise patience and consistency. If this issue is not handled at the right time, it can be a challenging task to overcome such aggressive temperament.

The foremost advice for parents facing this problem of physical aggression in child is to set behavioral expectations from the child. Be specific and straightforward about the acceptable limits. Be careful while choosing your words and explain to the child why it is bad. For instance, if your child is kicking someone, tell him that “this hurts” rather than saying “don’t kick”.

The next step is to maintain consistency in your approach towards the child if he is not following the established patterns of behavior. Tell your child about the consequences if he continues to misbehave and punish him for undesired behavior.

However harsh punishment can lead to aggravating the aggressive tendency in the child. Be an ideal for your child. Do not lose your cool and get violent in front of your child. Your child tends to mimic your behavioral tendencies. Never have an argument you’re your spouse in front of your child. Teach the child how to differentiate between good and bad behavior.

Observe the behavior of the child. He may be acting aggressive to fulfill a need. Identify the reason and take necessary action. If your child has become aggressive to gain your attention, try to spend time with your child. Help your child to overcome this aggression by mediating in between and teaching the child other means to communicate his troubles instead of using aggression.

If a certain situation has led to the development of aggressive temperament in your child, redirect him to another situation where he can calm down. Encourage and compliment your child to reinforce positive behavior. If your child uses a peaceful way of handling a situation, praise him for it. This is an excellent way of promoting positive behavior.