Aggression among Preschool Children within the Framework of Temperament, Attachment and Parental Attitudes

Abstract

Aggression is a common problem in preschool children. The relationship between aggressive behaviors in early ages and psychopathologies in later years has been shown in previous studies. Therefore, it is imperative to understand both the causes of childhood aggression and identify the sustaining factors. This review discusses aggression in the context of temperament, parental attitudes, and attachment factors. The concept of temperament was explained with the terminology of difficult and easy temperament, emotionality, activity, sociability, and impulsivity factors, especially from the perspectives of Thomas and Chess, Goldsmith and Plomin, and Cloninger, and associated with aggression in the preschool period. In addition, possible causes of aggression in children were assessed with attachment theory. Finally, the relationship between parents, their attitudes towards aggression, socioeconomic determinants in the family, and the possible relationship between aggression in children were discussed. This study examines the determinants of preschool children's aggression to solve aggression problems, focusing on family and temperamental characteristics. A more holistic assessment of aggression with child and parent characteristics is intended.