Aggressive people try to get their way through bullying, intimidating or even physical violence. They do not or will not consider the rights of others. Signs, symbols, posture, body movements, dress, facial expressions and gestures are examples of nonverbal messages. The nonverbal messages reinforce what the speaker is saying. For example, passive communicators often have slumped posture and a lack of eye contact.
Assertive people exhibit erect posture and direct eye contact.
Forward-leaning posture, pointing and a glaring look are nonverbal signals of aggressive communication. The verbal messages for each communication style are very different. They use refusal skills to say no while maintaining important relationships. People who are aggressive often use you-statements to blame or criticize. The components of verbal messages for assertive communication include I-messages and refusals.