PERSONALITY AND BEHAVIOR DEVIATION

Meaning

 Personality, defined psychologically, is the set of enduring behavioral and mental

traits that distinguish human beings.

 It is the combination of an individual thoughts, characteristics, behaviors, attitude,

idea and habits.

 Ogburn and Nimkoff define it as the totality of sentiments, attitudes, idea, habits,
skills and behaviors of an individual.”

 Personality is the combination of thoughts, emotions and behaviors that makes you
unique. It's the way you view, understand and relate to the outside world, as well as
how you see yourself.

Personality forms during childhood, shaped through an interaction of two factors:

 Your genes. Certain personality traits may be passed on to you by your parents
through inherited genes. These traits are sometimes called your temperament.

 Your environment. This involves the surroundings you grew up in, events that
occurred, and relationships with family members and others.

Personality traits

For identification and classification of traits and characteristics of a person’s personality,

The Big Five Personality Model is used

THE BIG FIVE PERSONALITY MODEL

1. Openness

Openness is shorthand for "openness to experience." People who are high in openness enjoy
adventure. They're curious and appreciate art, imagination and new things. The motto of the
open individual might be "Variety is the spice of life."

People low in openness are just the opposite: They prefer to stick to their habits, avoid new
experiences and probably aren't the most adventurous eaters. Changing personality is usually
considered a tough process, but openness is a personality trait that's been shown to be subject
to change in adulthood.

2. Conscientiousness

People who are conscientious are organized and have a strong sense of duty. They're
dependable, disciplined and achievement-focused. You won't find conscientious types jetting
off on round-the-world journeys with only a backpack; they're planners.
People low in conscientiousness are more spontaneous and freewheeling. They may tend
toward carelessness. Conscientiousness is a helpful trait to have, as it has been linked to
achievement in school and on the job.

3. Extraversion

Extraversion versus introversion is possibly the most recognizable personality trait of the Big
Five. The more of an extravert someone is, the more of a social butterfly they are. Extraverts
are chatty, sociable and draw energy from crowds. They tend to be assertive and cheerful in
their social interactions.

Introverts, on the other hand, need plenty of alone time, perhaps because their brains process
social interaction differently. Introversion is often confused with shyness, but the two aren't
the same. Shyness implies a fear of social interactions or an inability to function socially.
Introverts can be perfectly charming at parties — they just prefer solo or small-group
activities.

4. Agreeableness

Agreeableness measures the extent of a person's warmth and kindness. The more agreeable
someone is, the more likely they are to be trusting, helpful and compassionate. Disagreeable
people are cold and suspicious of others, and they're less likely to cooperate.

5. Neuroticism

People high in neuroticism worry frequently and easily slip into anxiety and depression. If all
is going well, neurotic people tend to find things to worry about. One 2012 study found that
when neurotic people with good salaries earned raises, the extra income actually made them
less happy.

In contrast, people who are low in neuroticism tend to be emotionally stable and even-keeled.

Unsurprisingly, neuroticism is linked with plenty of bad health outcomes. Neurotic people die
younger than the emotionally stable, possibly because they turn to tobacco and alcohol to
ease their nerves.

Types of personality

Following are the three types of personality

1. Extrovert Personality
This type has the tendency to live mostly outside the like to live with others. Those
individuals are highly socialized and have contact with outside people in the society. They
want to join other groups who are more in number. These type of people are drivers,
excessive drinkers, smokers, robbers, thieves, wicked persons etc.
2. Introvert Personality
Introvert is opposite to extrovert. Those people are always live alone in their rooms and do
not want to go outside. They have their own imaginary world. They are teachers, scientists,
thinkers and philosophers.

3. Ambivert Personality
Between extrovert and introvert personalities there is a third one type called ambivert. People
belonging to this type enjoy both the groups and attend them. They have middle mind and
want to live in both parties. Sometimes they join outside people but sometimes they live in
their own rooms.

PERSONALITY DISORDERS

Personality disorder is a term for several behavior patterns that make it consistently difficult
for people to get along with others, regardless of the circumstances.A person is classified as
having a personality disorder if their abnormalities of behavior impair their social or
occupational functioning. These patterns of behavior typically are recognized in adolescence
and the beginning of adulthood and, in some unusual instances, childhood.

Those diagnosed with a personality disorder may experience difficulties in cognition,

emotiveness, interpersonal functioning, or control of impulses. These behavioral patterns in
personality disorders are typically associated with substantial disturbances in some behavioral
tendencies of an individual, usually involving several areas of the personality, and are nearly
always associated with considerable personal and social disruption.

Types and Symptoms of Personality Disorders/deviations

Types of personality disorders are grouped into three clusters, based on similar characteristics
and symptoms. Many people with one personality disorder also have signs and symptoms of
at least one additional personality disorder.

Cluster A

Cluster A personality disorders are characterized by odd, eccentric thinking or behavior. They
include paranoid personality disorder, schizoid personality disorder and schizotypal
personality disorder.

Paranoid personality disorder

 Pervasive distrust and suspicion of others and their motives

 Unjustified belief that others are trying to harm or deceive you
 Unjustified suspicion of the loyalty or trustworthiness of others
 Hesitant to confide in others due to unreasonable fear that others will use the
information against you
 Perception of innocent remarks or nonthreatening situations as personal insults or
attacks
 Angry or hostile reaction to perceived slights or insults
  Tendency to hold grudges
 Unjustified, recurrent suspicion that spouse or sexual partner is unfaithful

Schizoid personality disorder

 Lack of interest in social or personal relationships, preferring to be alone

 Limited range of emotional expression
 Inability to take pleasure in most activities
 Inability to pick up normal social cues
 Appearance of being cold or indifferent to others
 Little or no interest in having sex with another person

Schizotypal personality disorder

 Peculiar dress, thinking, beliefs, speech or behavior

 Odd perceptual experiences, such as hearing a voice whisper your name
 Flat emotions or inappropriate emotional responses
 Social anxiety and a lack of or discomfort with close relationships
 Indifferent, inappropriate or suspicious response to others
 "Magical thinking" — believing you can influence people and events with your
thoughts
 Belief that certain casual incidents or events have hidden messages meant specifically
for you

Cluster B

Cluster B personality disorders are characterized by dramatic, overly emotional or

unpredictable thinking or behavior. They include antisocial personality disorder, borderline
personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder. It's
not necessary to exhibit all the signs and symptoms listed for a disorder to be diagnosed.

Antisocial personality disorder

 Disregard for others' needs or feelings

 Persistent lying, stealing, using aliases, conning others
 Recurring problems with the law
 Repeated violation of the rights of others
 Aggressive, often violent behavior
 Disregard for the safety of self or others
 Impulsive behavior
 Consistently irresponsible
 Lack of remorse for behavior

Borderline personality disorder

 Impulsive and risky behavior, such as having unsafe sex, gambling or binge eating
 Unstable or fragile self-image
 Unstable and intense relationships
 Up and down moods, often as a reaction to interpersonal stress
 Suicidal behavior or threats of self-injury
  Intense fear of being alone or abandoned
 Ongoing feelings of emptiness
 Frequent, intense displays of anger
 Stress-related paranoia that comes and goes

Histrionic personality disorder

 Constantly seeking attention

 Excessively emotional, dramatic or sexually provocative to gain attention
 Speaks dramatically with strong opinions, but few facts or details to back them up
 Easily influenced by others
 Shallow, rapidly changing emotions
 Excessive concern with physical appearance
 Thinks relationships with others are closer than they really are

Narcissistic personality disorder

 Belief that you're special and more important than others

 Fantasies about power, success and attractiveness
 Failure to recognize others' needs and feelings
 Exaggeration of achievements or talents
 Expectation of constant praise and admiration
 Arrogance
 Unreasonable expectations of favors and advantages, often taking advantage of others
 Envy of others or belief that others envy you

Cluster C

Cluster C personality disorders are characterized by anxious, fearful thinking or behavior.

They include avoidant personality disorder, dependent personality disorder and obsessive-
compulsive personality disorder. It's not necessary to exhibit all the signs and symptoms
listed for a disorder to be diagnosed.

Avoidant personality disorder

 Too sensitive to criticism or rejection

 Feeling inadequate, inferior or unattractive
 Avoidance of work activities that require interpersonal contact
 Social inhibition, timidity and isolation, especially avoiding new activities or meeting
strangers
 Extreme shyness in social situations and personal relationships
 Fear of disapproval, embarrassment or ridicule

Dependent personality disorder

 Excessive dependence on others and feels the need to be taken care of

 Submissive or clingy behavior toward others
 Fear of having to provide self-care or fend for yourself if left alone
 Lack of self-confidence, requiring excessive advice and reassurance from others to
make even small decisions
  Difficulty starting or doing projects on own due to lack of self-confidence
 Difficulty disagreeing with others, fearing disapproval
 Tolerance of poor or abusive treatment, even when other options are available
 Urgent need to start a new relationship when a close one has ended

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

 Preoccupation with details, orderliness and rules

 Extreme perfectionism, resulting in dysfunction and distress when perfection is not
achieved, such as feeling unable to finish a project because you don't meet your own
strict standards
 Desire to be in control of people, tasks and situations and inability to delegate tasks
 Neglect of friends and enjoyable activities because of excessive commitment to work
or a project
 Inability to discard broken or worthless objects
 Rigid and stubborn
 Inflexible about morality, ethics or values
 Tight, miserly control over budgeting and spending money

Types of personality disorders (refer above)

1. Paranoid personality disorder Paranoid personality disorder is characterised by a

pervasive distrust of others, including even friends and partner. The person is guarded and
suspicious, and constantly on the lookout for clues or suggestions to confirm his or her fears.
He or she has a strong sense of self-importance and personal rights, is overly sensitive to
setbacks and rebuffs, easily feels shame and humiliation, and persistently bears grudges. As a
result he or she may have a tendency to withdraw from other people, and find it particularly
difficult to engage in close relationships.

2. Schizoid personality disorder

Coined by Bleuler in 1908, the term ‘schizoid’ designates a natural tendency to direct
attention toward one’s inner life and away from the external world. In schizoid personality
disorder, the person is detached and aloof and prone to introspection and fantasy. He or she
has no desire for social or sexual relationships, is indifferent to others and to social norms and
conventions, and lacks emotional response; in extreme cases, he or she may appear cold and
callous. Treatment is often not provided because people with schizoid personality disorder
are generally able to function well despite their reluctance to form close relationships, and are
not unduly concerned by the fact that they may be seen to have a mental disorder. Another
view about people with schizoid personality disorder is that they are highly sensitive and
have a rich inner life; while they experience a deep longing for intimacy, they find initiating
and maintaining interpersonal relationships too difficult or too distressing and so retreat into
their inner worlds.

3. Schizotypal disorder

Schizotypal disorder is characterized by oddities of appearance, behaviour, and speech, and

anomalies of thinking similar to those seen in schizophrenia. Anomalies of thinking may
include odd beliefs, magical thinking (for example, thinking that words affect the world—
‘speak of the devil and he’ll appear’), suspiciousness, obsessional ruminations, and unusual
perceptual experiences. A person with schizotypal disorder often fears social interaction and
sees other people as ill-intentioned and potentially harmful. This may lead him or her to
develop so-called ‘ideas of reference’, which are fleeting impressions that objects, people, or
situations have a special significance for him or her. For example, he or she may have the
impression that strangers on the bus are talking about him or her, or that the traffic warden’s
signaling is an elaborate means of revealing his or her destiny. Compared to the average
person, people who suffer from schizotypal disorder have a relatively high probability of
‘converting’ to schizophrenia at some time in the future; for this reason, schizotypal disorder
has historically been referred to as ‘latent schizophrenia’.

4. Antisocial personality disorder

Until Schneider broadened the concept of personality disorder to include those who ‘suffer
from their abnormality’, personality disorder was more or less synonymous with antisocial
personality disorder. Antisocial personality disorder is far more common in men than in
women, and is characterized by a callous unconcern for the feelings of others. The person
disregards social rules and obligations, is irritable and aggressive, acts impulsively, lacks
guilt, and fails to learn from experience. In many cases he has no difficulty finding
relationships, and can even appear superficially charming (the so-called ‘charming
psychopath’). However, his relationships are usually fiery, turbulent, and short-lived. People
with antisocial personality disorder often have a criminal record or even a history of being in
and out of prison.

5. Borderline personality disorder

In borderline personality disorder, the person essentially lacks a sense of self, and as a result
experiences feelings of emptiness and fears of abandonment. There is a pattern of intense but
unstable relationships, emotional instability, outbursts of anger and violence (especially in
response to criticism), and impulsive behaviour. Suicidal threats and acts of self-harm are
common, for which reason people with borderline personality disorder frequently come into
contact with healthcare services. Borderline personality disorder was so-called because it was
thought to lie on the ‘borderline’ between neurotic (anxiety) disorders and psychotic
disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder. It has been suggested that
borderline personality disorder often results from childhood sexual abuse, and that the reason
why it is more common in women is because women are more likely to be victims of
childhood sexual abuse. However, feminists have argued that borderline personality disorder
merely appears to be more common in women, since women presenting with angry and
promiscuous behaviour tend to be diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, whereas
men presenting with identical behaviour tend to be diagnosed with antisocial personality
disorder.

6. Histrionic personality disorder

People with histrionic personality disorder lack a sense of self-worth, for which reason they
depend on the attention and approval of others. They often seem to be dramatizing or
‘playing a part’ (‘histrionic’ derives from the Latin ‘histrionicus’, ‘pertaining to the actor’) in
a bid to attract and manipulate attention. They may take great care of their physical
appearance and behave in a manner that is overly charming or inappropriately seductive. As
they crave excitement and act on impulse or suggestion, they may put themselves at great risk
of having an accident or being exploited. Their dealings with other people often seem
insincere or superficial, which can impact on their social and romantic relationships. This is
especially distressing for them, because they are especially sensitive to criticism and rejection
and react badly to loss or failure.

7. Narcissistic personality disorder

Narcissistic personality disorder takes its name from the myth of Narcissus, a beautiful youth
who fell in love with his own reflection. In narcissistic personality disorder the person has a
grandiose sense of self-importance, a sense of entitlement, and a need to be admired. He or
she is envious of others and expects them to be the same of him or her. He or she lacks
empathy and readily exploits others to achieve his or her goals. To others he or she may seem
self-absorbed, controlling, intolerant, selfish, and insensitive. If he or she feels slighted or
ridiculed, he or she may be provoked into a fit of destructive anger and revenge-seeking.
Such ‘narcissistic rage’ can have disastrous consequences for all those involved.

8. Avoidant personality disorder

In avoidant personality disorder, the person is persistently tense because he or she believes
that he or she is socially inept, unappealing, or inferior, and as a result fears being
embarrassed, criticised, or rejected. He or she avoids meeting people unless he or she is
certain of being liked, is restrained even in his or her intimate relationships, and avoids taking
risks. Avoidant personality disorder is strongly associated with anxiety disorders, and may
also be associated with actual or perceived rejection by parents or peers during childhood.

9. Dependent personality disorder

Dependent personality disorder is characterized by a lack of self-confidence and an excessive

need to be taken care of. The person needs a lot of help to make everyday decisions and
needs important life decisions to be taken for him or her. He or she greatly fears
abandonment and may go to considerable lengths to secure and maintain relationships. A
person with dependent personality disorder sees him- or her-self as inadequate and helpless,
and so abdicates personal responsibility and puts his or her fate in the hands of one or more
protective others; he or she imagines being at one with these protective others whom he or
she idealises as being competent and powerful, and towards whom he or she behaves in a
manner that is ingratiating and self-effacing. People with dependent personality disorder
often assort with people with a cluster B personality disorder, who feed from the
unconditional high regard in which they are held.

10. Obsessive-compulsive (anankastic) personality disorder

Obsessive-compulsive or anankastic personality disorder (not to be confused with obsessive-

compulsive disorder or OCD) is characterized by excessive preoccupation with details, rules,
lists, order, organisation, or schedules; perfectionism so extreme that it prevents a task from
being completed; and devotion to work and productivity at the expense of leisure and
relationships. A person with anankastic personality disorder is typically doubting and
cautious, rigid and controlling, humorless, and miserly. His or her underlying high level of
anxiety arises from a perceived lack of control over a universe that escapes his or her
understanding. As a natural consequence, he or she has little tolerance for grey areas and
tends to simplify the universe by seeing actions and beliefs as either absolutely right or
absolutely wrong. His or her relationships with friends, colleagues, and family tend to be
strained by the unreasonable and inflexible demands that he or she makes upon them.

Causes of personality disorders/Risk factors

Certain factors seem to increase the risk of developing or triggering personality disorders,
including:

 Family history of personality disorders or other mental illness

 Low level of education and lower social and economic status
 Verbal, physical or sexual abuse during childhood
 Neglect or an unstable or chaotic family life during childhood
 Being diagnosed with childhood conduct disorder
 Variations in brain chemistry and structure

Effects of personality disorders:

 Loss of ability to make responsible financial decisions

 Loss of job or source of income
 Inability to secure and maintain satisfying work
 Poor relationship quality
 Decreased function in the family
 Self-injury or physically hurting others
 Feelings of worthlessness and/or hopelessness
 Getting arrested
 Thinking about suicide
 Trying to commit suicide
 Substance abuse and addiction
 Developing additional mental disorders or existing disorders becoming more severe

Rehabilitation and Re-intergration of people with deviant behavior

1. Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy, also called talk therapy, is the main way to treat personality disorders. During
psychotherapy, you learn about your condition and talk about your mood, feelings, thoughts
and behaviors with a mental health provider. Using the insight and knowledge you gain, you
can learn healthy ways to manage your symptoms and reduce behaviors that interfere with
your functioning and relationships.

Psychotherapy may be provided in individual sessions, in group therapy, or in sessions that

include family or even friends.

2. Medications

Several types of psychiatric medications may help with various personality disorder
symptoms.
  Antidepressants. Antidepressants may be useful if you have a depressed mood,
anger, impulsivity, irritability or hopelessness, which may be associated with
personality disorders.
 Mood stabilizers. As their name suggests, mood stabilizers can help even out mood
swings or reduce irritability, impulsivity and aggression.
 Antipsychotic medications. Also called neuroleptics, these may be helpful if your
symptoms include losing touch with reality (psychosis) or in some cases if you have
anxiety or anger problems.
 Anti-anxiety medications. These may help if you have anxiety, agitation or
insomnia. But in some cases, they can increase impulsive behavior, so they're avoided
in some personality disorders.

3. Hospitalization and residential treatment programs

In some cases, a personality disorder may be so severe that you require psychiatric
hospitalization. This is generally recommended only when you aren't able to care for yourself
properly or when you're in immediate danger of harming yourself or someone else. After you
become stable in the hospital, your doctor may recommend a day hospital program,
residential program or outpatient treatment option

Summary on rehabilitation and re-intergration of people with deviant behavior

 Individual psychotherapy has been a mainstay of treatment. There are long-term and
short-term (brief) forms.
 Family therapy, including couples therapy.
 Group therapy for personality dysfunction is probably the second most used.
 Psychological-education may be used as an addition.
 Self-help groups may provide resources for personality disorders.
 Psychiatric medications for treating symptoms of personality dysfunction or co-
occurring conditions.
 Milieu therapy, a kind of group-based residential approach, has a history of use in
treating personality disorders, including therapeutic communities.

AGGRESSION

Aggression refers to a range of behaviors that can result in both physical and psychological
harm to yourself, others, or objects in the environment.

Social psychologists define aggression as behavior that is intended to harm another

individual who does not wish to be harmed

Aggressive behavior is behavior that causes physical or emotional harm to others, or

threatens to. It can range from verbal abuse to the destruction of a victim's personal property.

Types of aggression
  Impulsive aggression: Also known as affective aggression, impulsive aggression is
characterized by strong emotions, usually anger. This form of aggression is not
planned and often takes place in the heat of the moment

 Instrumental aggression: Also known as predatory aggression, instrumental

aggression is marked by behaviors that are intended to achieve a larger goal.
Instrumental aggression is often carefully planned and usually exists as a means to an
end. Hurting another person in a robbery or car-jacking is an example of this type of
aggression

Forms of aggression

Aggression can take a variety of forms, including:

 Physical- exa; hitting, kicking, pushing

 Verbal- exa; abuses, yelling,
 Mental-exa; intimidations
 Emotional exa

Signs and Symptoms of Aggression

Aggression may associated with other symptoms that are determined by the underlying
disorder or illness. Ailments that influence behavior often also have psychological, cognitive,
and physical symptoms. Some additional signs and symptoms may include:

 Anxiety
 Moodiness
 Agitation
 Disorientation or memory problems
 Depression or flat affect
 Trouble with concentration and attention
 Trouble thinking in an organized manner,
 Poor communication skills due to overt negative affect
 Trouble with language comprehension, writing or reading
 Hallucinations
 Delusions
 Hyper-arousal or acute awareness of the environment
 Personality fluctuations
 Impaired judgment and decision making
 Insomnia
 Social withdrawal
 Being a danger to yourself or others
 Threatening behavior
 Alterations in mental status
 Confusion, disorientation, delirium, lethargy,
 Trauma, such as bone deformity, burns, scar tissue, eye or ear damage and other
injuries
Causes of aggression/factors influencing aggression

 Hormones. Important in this regard is the male sex hormone testosterone, which is
associated with increased aggression in both animals and in humans. In comparison to
women and girls, who use more nonphysical and relational aggression such as
shouting, insulting, spreading rumors, and excluding others from activities, men and
boys prefer more physical and violent aggression—behaviors such as hitting, pushing,
tripping, and kicking
 Culture- Relates to presence of social norms that condones and even encourages
responding to insults with aggression, known as the culture of honor.
 Genes. Animals can be bred to be aggressive by breeding the most aggressive
offspring with each other
 Drugs and substance abuse. Consumption of alcohol increases aggression.Alcohol
disrupts executive functions, which are the cognitive abilities that help us plan,
organize, reason, achieve goals, control emotions, and inhibit behavioral tendencies .
 Negative emotions(bad mood and anger). When we are angry and frustrated in
general—we are likely to have many unpleasant thoughts and feelings, and these are
likely to lead to violent behavior.for example; Frustration occurs when we feel that
we are not obtaining the important goals that we have set for ourselves
 Social situation. Situational exposures to violence have an effect on aggressive
behavior for example; media violence people(Tv, Movies), violent families exposure
to violence increases aggression thrugh reinforcement through modeling
 Attitudes, beliefs and values toward the appropriateness of using violence. Some
people are simply more likely to believe in the value of using aggression as a means
of solving problems than are others. For many people, violence is a perfectly
acceptable method of dealing with interpersonal conflict, and these people are more
aggressive(Individual differences in personalities and values

Effects of Aggression

Aggression can be the result of numerous causes, some of them serious illnesses. Thus
leaving aggression untreated can lead to serious complications and permanent physical, legal
and psychological ramifications. Some of the potential complications those with serious
aggressive tendencies are at risk for include:

 Difficulties interacting appropriately at work, in school, and in social environments

 Loss of a social network
 Troubled parent-child relationship
 School expulsion
 Unemployment
 Drug and alcohol use and abuse
 Drug overdose or alcohol poisoning
 Increased risk of injury
 Law violations and legal troubles
 Self-harm
 Suicide or violence
Intervention measures towards aggression

 Reducing the prevalence of violence must involve changes in cognitions and

emotions, as well as behavior. Installation of good morals. Also, this work must begin
with children of very young ages, before aggressive behaviors, thoughts, and feelings
become so well developed that they are difficult to change

 Reduce exposure to violence, particularly among children. ust as many countries have
developed advertising campaigns, taxes, and laws to reduce the use of cigarettes,
particularly among minors, so we must work to reduce the exposure, particularly of
children, to violent material. Governments can and have been involved in this effort
, but the primary source will be parents, who must find out what their children are
watching on TV, in movies, and on the Internet—as well as what video games they
are playing—and monitor and restrict their use.

 Help people control their emotions. It is important to teach children early to think
about how they are feeling, to consider the sources of their negative emotions, and to
learn ways to respond to them that do not involve aggression
 Work at the societal and government level by creating and enforcing laws that punish
those who are aggressive, by increasing controls on the presence and availability of
handguns and violent material more generally, and by creating programs to help the
many victims of sexual and physical violence

 Reducing the large income disparities between the poorest and the richest members of
society will also be important. As a result of upward comparison, poverty creates
frustration that begets violence.

 Reducing the large income disparities between the poorest and the richest members of
society will also be important. As a result of upward comparison, poverty creates
frustration that begets violence.

 Children (and adults) must be better educated about the causes of violence, because
understanding the causes can help us learn to be less aggressive. Furthermore, because
abuse of alcohol and other drugs so often leads to violence, better education about the
effects of such substances, as well as support for individuals who need help dealing
with them, is an important investment, not only for these individuals but also for the
people around them.

 Work to improve the situation in which children find themselves. Children who grow
up in abusive homes learn that aggression is the norm; it is not surprising that they
then often respond to social problems through aggression. If we can reduce the extent
of violence within families, then children who grow up in those families will likely be
less violent themselves.