Each year in the United States alone, over 5 million children are directly exposed to violence. The most common form of destructive aggression takes place in the home in the form of physical abuse or domestic violence. Currently 28,000 children and adolescents are known murderers. The number of violent crimes committed by youth is expected to double by the year 2010.
Violence is heterogeneous.
Aggression is not violence. An aggressive person may not be violent. Aggression is a behavior characterized by verbal or physical attack, yet it may be appropriate and self-protective or destructive and violent. The complex set of behaviors recognized as aggression has been studied in man and animals for many years. Unfortunately, these insights have resulted in few advances in clinical practice or public policy related to domestic or community violence.