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Content Summary
Social Psychology Article
Christopher Theriault
Department of Psychology, Liberty University
PSY 512: Social Psychology
Dr. Snyder
October 03, 2025
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Content Summary
Introduction
Aggression takes many forms and how it is learned. It can be learned through the social
learning theory of how someone can become aggressive. From this aggression can become
bullies from what they have learned from their parents.
Aggression
There are different types of aggression. For aggression alone means to have behavior
that is intended to harm someone (Kassin et al., 2025). Another type of aggression is proactive
aggression. They can create, organize, process, and react to meaning (Chadee, 2022). This type
of aggression is also known as instrumental aggression where the aggressor is trying to obtain a
goal. Such as negative parenting. Negative parenting showed more bully/victims were more
likely to occur having been abused or neglected (Lereya et al., 2013). For example, a parent who
has been aggressive towards their child, the child will become aggressive in adolescence and
adulthood towards others.
Social Learning theory
Behavior is usually learned from other people. The social learning theory supports that it
can be learned through observation and imitation (Chadee, 2022). These models can teach
helpful behavior or aggressive behavior. It is learned from the example of others from direct
experience with rewards and punishments (Kassin et al., 2025). Such as positive parenting can
be learned to have more positive experiences. The combination effect size of bully/victims were
significantly less than negative parenting (Lereya et al., 2013). For example, if a parent was
positive towards their relationship to others, then the likely hood of the child witnessing their
parent’s positivity will lead the child to also be positive to others throughout their life.
Bullying
Bullying happens all over the world virtually in all cultures. It is to cause intentional harm
through repetition and an imbalance in power (Kassin et al., 2025). How bullying can be started
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depends on certain factors. When we consider the differences in people’s social standing, their
level of power and how they express themselves can result in bullying (Chadee, 2022). Bullying
can be learned through many ways such as poor parenting. Negative parenting can increase
bullying/victims by the observation of their parents and genes that can increase a person’s
aggressiveness to others (Lereya et al., 2013). Although generally aggression leads to negative
outcomes but with better education, empathy and enhanced power of reason can help lower a
person’s aggression to acceptable behavior among society. For example, a new parent could
take proper parenting classes if they have history of negative aggressive parenting experience to
have the potential of avoiding creating an aggressive bully/victim.
Conclusion
Aggression and bullying are not the answer. As Scripture says “Bear with each other and
forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you”
(Colossians 3:13). People should not use aggression on each other but learn to forgive and move
on.
References
Kassin, S. M., Fein, S., & Markus, H. R. (2025). Social psychology. SAGE.
Lereya, S. T., Samara, M., & Wolke, D. (2013). Parenting behavior and the risk of becoming a
victim and a bully/victim: A Meta-analysis study. Child Abuse & Neglect, 37(12),
1091–1108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2013.03.001
The Holy Bible, New International Version. (2011). Zondervan. (Original work published 1978)
