The Negative Effects of Aggression

Any form of aggression is bound to affect another person negatively. It can severely affect a person's confidence, and ultimately sever ties and ruin relationships. There are several ways that aggressive behavior or aggressive communication can affect individuals.

Here are the most common effects of how aggression can impact a person negatively.

Creates a Lack of Trust

Trust is a vital component in any relationship. Whether it is a relationship within the family, platonic or romantic, a healthy dynamic necessitates trust. Aggressiveness creates conflict, causes tension in relationships, and leads to a loss of trust. Where there is too much discomfort and pain, people will tend to create defenses to protect themselves from further hurt from the aggressive individual.

Open Communication May Become Impossible

Aggressive communication is far from healthy. It leads to the development of fear and shame. As a result, an individual who's on the receiving end of verbal abuse will tend to anticipate that there will be conflict coming, so will try to protect themselves in any way possible.

They may choose to keep their silence, hide their belongings that are special to them, and avoid the aggressive person completely, all in an attempt to try to escape any aggressive behavior towards them. In this case, a lack of communication will grow, and any honest or open communication that could have been may become impossible.

Feelings of Safety are Replaced with Fear

What aggression doesn't create is a feeling of safety. The lack of safety within the relationship creates fear, trauma, and feelings of dread in another person.

Unfortunately, aggressive individuals are also usually filled with fear. When they demonstrate aggression to others, they are transferring their fears onto the other person. This transference is like a transfer of energy. So it is important to be able to identify aggressive behavior and release it.

Their aggression contributes to feelings of doubt, fear, and overall negative energy toward the relationship. A connection that is defined by negativity will never be a source of joy or happiness. Their aggression is intended to gain power and control over the other, but it is destructive in every sense. Nothing good can come out of a relationship that is defined by an aggressive demeanor.

Heightened Levels of Stress

Any relationship defined by aggression can feel stressful. Aggressive behavior activates the fight-or-flight stress response in order to protect and defend. If our safety is threatened, we are naturally designed to be made aware that we need to defend ourselves. Being in a relationship that constantly demonstrates aggression can be extremely unhealthy and stressful.

Any person in a relationship like this, where they feel threatened all the time, should remove themselves from the situation. It is not safe, or healthy. They are living in an abusive relationship.

Loss of Self-Confidence

Aggressive behavior towards another person eventually erodes their self-worth and confidence. Being put down or feeling a lack of control all the time doesn’t help any person’s sense of worth. Bullies and narcissists usually have aggressive behaviors and can either be physically or verbally abusive. They ultimately affect their victim's self-confidence badly.

In Summary

It would be nice to think that most people would choose to communicate respectfully in any given situation. if this were so, people could be free to express themselves however they choose to.

A person can be open and honest and respectful. A person can be truthful, but also be tactful so as not to hurt another person’s feelings, and therefore considerate too. These qualities are exhibited by not an aggressive individual, but an assertive individual, and these are admirable traits to develop. These traits demonstrate self-confidence and emotional maturity.

Aggressiveness is motivated by fear and insecurity. No one should tolerate any sort of aggressive behavior. If there is a way out of this dynamic, then it is better to end or re-structure the relationship with the aggressor before the effects of their behavior affect your physical or emotional health.

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