GENDER PECULIARITIES OF THE AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR MANIFESTATION BY ADOLESCENTS IN A PANDEMIC

Abstract

Objective. The article considers the theoretical analysis of pandemic impact on the aggressive behavior manifestation and empirical research into its gender differences in adolescents. Research methods: theoretical (the results of psychological research analysis and generalization); empirical (testing – to study the propensity for aggressive behavior and identify dominant strategies for protection and coping in stressful situations). Results. Gender peculiarities of the aggressive behavior manifestation were installed. It is stated that generally from 25 to 29 % of boys and girls are ready to demonstrate different versions of aggressive behavior at a high level. At the same time boys are more likely to show physical aggression, girls are more inclined to get angry. In the changing world of the pandemic period some part of young people (25,02%) use weak regulation of emotions (the percentage is 7,47 %, higher in girls than in boys) and excessive avoidance of any anxieties and confrontation to ensure internal balance (the percentage is 6,95 % higher in boys than in girls) as the strategy of psychological defense. Conclusions. It has been defined that an essential feature of aggressive behavior of the individual is to achieve their own goals, including mitigation of quarantine restrictions. Striving to overcome stress, confusion, fear, more and more often adolescents apply primitive defense mechanisms of the psyche in general, and aggression in particular. It is stated that forced restriction of the movement for the youth has become the reason for intrapersonal conflict (young people have nowhere to relieve psychological stress); developing a sense of limitation of their authority and loss of control over their destiny; reduction of feeling of kinship with others (fitting in), self-efficiency and autonomy, etc. It results in exacerbation of both depressive state and states of irritation, anger, aggression in boys and girls. Scientists prove that with the onset of the pandemic, young people began to notice a sense of aggression not typical for them before. Young men/boys mainly react with anger and physical aggression, frequent aggressive online communication and incitement to violence via the Internet. Young women/girls more often compensate for their anxiety through auto-aggression; cyber-aggression is manifested through writing hostile comments. High level of family cohesion and adaptability functions as a restraining factor of aggression only for girls.

References

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Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1274340.pdf

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