Making Sense of Aggression
Aggression problems are deeply rooted in instinct and emotion and are therefore resistant to conventional discipline practices. Dr. Neufeld uncovers these roots and outlines steps to addressing them. His rich professional experience with aggressive children and violent youth informs this refreshing approach to an age-old problem. The principles apply to children of all ages and all settings: home, school and treatment.
Course Outline
Session One: Frustration, Attachment & Aggression
- a working definition of aggression
- the many faces of aggression, including suicide
- recognizing the nonviolent forms of aggression
- the role of frustration in aggression
- the role of attachment in aggression
- the role of peer orientation in aggression
Session Two: Tears, Temper and Attack
- aggression as problem of adaptation
- impulsiveness, integration and the aggression problem
- the displacement effect in aggression
- the flight from vulnerability and the temper problem
- the role of the prefrontal cortex in aggression
- why some children fail to grow out of aggression
- why aggression is normal in toddlers and preschoolers
Session Three: Handling and Reducing Incidents & Violence
- why conventional approaches backfires with aggression
- why consequences and time-outs are counterindicated in the treatment of aggression
- how to differentiate between aggressive behaviour and an aggression problem
- differentiating between incident management and addressing the aggression problem
- guidelines for incident management
- why aggressive behaviour needs to be `bridged`
- how to facilitate safe eruptions of foul frustration
- how to reduce attachment frustration
Session Four: Facilitating Alternate Outcomes to Aggression
- how to shift the focus from aggression to frustration
- how to foster a relationship with frustration
- how to uncover frustration from the camouflage of behaviour and emotion
- how to help children form nonviolent intentions
- how to address impulsiveness
- how to prime adaptation and help futilities sink in
- how to soften defenses against vulnerability
- how to help children grow out of the aggression problem