An Introduction to the Dynamics of Anger, Aggression, and Violence

Adam Polnay: Affiliation:
The State Hospital, Carstairs and Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh
Victoria Barker: Affiliation:
East London NHS Foundation Trust, London
David Bell: Affiliation:
British Psychoanalytic Society
Allan Beveridge: Affiliation:
Royal College of Psychiatrists, London
Adam Burley: Affiliation:
Rivers Centre, Edinburgh
Allyson Lumsden: Affiliation:
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
C. Susan Mizen: Affiliation:
Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, Exeter
Lauren Wilson: Affiliation:
Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh

Book contents

Get access

Summary

This chapter starts by considering anger and the various routes to this feeling. We discuss how anger can be a desperate call to be attended to and a powerful invitation to neglect. We then discuss aggression and violence, including the potential role of shame and humiliation. At times, violence may accompany a process of an individual projecting unwanted, intolerable, or overwhelming feelings into another person. At other times, violence may be understood more in the context of fighting a perceived danger. We take inclusive approach to contemporary theory, noting that more than one approach may be useful when trying to understand a person’s actions. We touch on wider societal responses to violence, acknowledging that this is a potentially divisive area associated with strong feelings. The dynamics of anger, aggression, and violence are not necessarily straightforward to make sense of, and it is easy for any of us to inadvertently become drawn into responses that may make a situation worse. Conversely, with an awareness of key dynamics and time to reflect on these, professionals and teams can find an understanding of angry, aggressive, or violent encounters, which is a prerequisite for safe practice, working matters through, and resisting harms.

Keywords

anger aggression violence psychodynamics of violence self-preservative violence sado-masochistic violence staff countertransference re-enactment reflective practice

Type: Chapter
Information: Cambridge Guide to Psychodynamic Psychotherapy , pp. 244 - 257

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009104425.018 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2023

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Williams, R. Anger as a basic emotion and its role in personality building and pathological growth: the neuroscientific, developmental and clinical perspectives. Frontiers in Psychology 2017;8:1950.Google Scholar

Rycroft, C. A Critical Dictionary of Psychoanalysis. Harmondsworth, London: Penguin; 1968.Google Scholar

Glasser, M. On violence. A preliminary communication. Int J Psychoanal 1998;79:887–902.Google Scholar PubMed

Yakeley, J, Meloy, JR. Understanding violence: does psychoanalytic thinking matter? Aggression and Violent Behavior 2012;17(3):229–39.Google Scholar

Busch, FN. Anger and depression. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment 2009;15(4):271–8.CrossRef Google Scholar

de Zulueta, F. Theories of aggression and violence. In Forensic Psychotherapy: Crime, Psychodynamics and the Offender Patient, Vol. 1: Mainly theory. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers; 1996. pp. 175–86.Google Scholar

Tronick, E, Als, H, Adamson, L et al. The infant’s response to entrapment between contradictory messages in face-to-face interaction. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry 1978;17(1):1–13.CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Suttie, I. The Origins of Love and Hate. Harmondsworth, London: Peregrine Books; 1963.Google Scholar

Tronick, E, Beeghly, M. Infants’ meaning-making and the development of mental health problems. American Psychologist 2011;66(2):107–19.Google Scholar

Yakeley, J. Psychodynamic approaches to violence. BJPsych Advances 2018;24(2):83–92.CrossRef Google Scholar

Freud, S. Inhibitions, symptoms and anxiety in Strachey, J, ed. & trans. In The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, Volume 20. London: Hogarth Press; 1926. pp. 75–176.Google Scholar

Fonagy, P, Gergely, G, Jurist, EL et al. Affect Regulation, Mentalization, and the Development of the Self. London: Routledge; 2019.Google Scholar

Yakeley, J, Adshead, G. Locks, keys, and security of mind: psychodynamic approaches to forensic psychiatry. J Am Acad Psychiatry Law 2013;41(1):38–45.Google Scholar PubMed

Perelberg, RJ. Murdered Father, Dead Father: Revisiting the Oedipus Complex. New York, NY: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group; 2015.CrossRef Google Scholar

Glasser, M. Aggression and sadism in the perversions. In Rosen, I, ed. Sexual Deviation. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 1979.Google Scholar

Adshead, G, Moore, E, Humphrey, M et al. The role of mentalising in the management of violence. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment 2013;19(1):67–76.Google Scholar

Adshead, G. The life sentence: using a narrative approach in group psychotherapy with offenders. Group Analysis 2011;44(2):175–95.CrossRef Google Scholar

World Health Organization. Preventing violence : a guide to implementing the recommendations of the World Report on Violence and Health. 2004.Google Scholar

Gilligan, J. Violence: Reflections on Our Deadliest Epidemic. London: Jessica Kingsley; 1999.Google Scholar

Lewis, M. Shame: The Exposed Self. Illustrated edition. New York: Simon and Schuster; 1995.Google Scholar

Hyatt-Williams, A. Cruelty, Violence, and Murder: Understanding the Criminal Mind. Northvale, N.J: Jason Aronson, Inc.; 1998.Google Scholar

Winnicott, DW. The anti-social tendency. In Winnicott, DW, ed. Through Paediatrics to Psychoanalysis. London: The International Psycho-Analytic Library; 1956. pp. 306–15.Google Scholar

Hinshelwood, RD. Abusive help – helping abuse: the psychodynamic impact of severe personality disorder on caring institutions. Crim Behav Ment Health 2002;12(2 Suppl):S20–30.Google Scholar

Reiss, D, Kirtchuk, G. Interpersonal dynamics and multidisciplinary teamwork. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment 2009;15(6):462–9.Google Scholar

RCPsych, CCQI. Standards for Medium Secure Services. Royal College of Psychiatrists Centre for Quality Improvement; 2014.Google Scholar

Craissati, J, Minoudis, P, Shaw, J et al. Working with offenders with personality disorder, A practitioner’s guide. Ministry of Justice, National Offender Management Service; 2015.Google Scholar

Adshead, G, Horne, E. The Devil You Know: Stories of Human Cruelty and Compassion. Main edition. London: Faber & Faber; 2021.Google Scholar

Tangney, JP, Stuewig, J, Hafez, L. Shame, guilt and remorse: implications for offender populations. J Forens Psychiatry Psychol 2011;22(5):706–23.Google Scholar

Taubner, S, Rabung, S, Bateman, A et al. Psychoanalytic concepts of violence and aggression. In Sturmey, P., ed. The Wiley Handbook of Violence and Aggression. London, UK: Wiley-Blackwell; 2017.Google Scholar

Book contents

Chapter 16 - An Introduction to the Dynamics of Anger, Aggression, and Violence

Summary

Keywords

Access options

References

Save book to Kindle

Save book to Dropbox

Save book to Google Drive