How would you react if a friend was behaving in an anti-social way around you? Aggressive behaviour of any kind is completely unacceptable, and you should never take it lightly. Yet, some people who struggle with mental illness or other behavioural issues can behave in ways that may be perceived as aggressive or even malicious. You may not even know the source of their aggression or when it might pop up, but you need to be on your guard. If someone behaves aggressively toward you or is verbally abusive, you should call the police.
Tips on How to Cope with Aggressive People
Aggressive behaviours are not always easy to deal with, whether they are coming from a co-worker, friend, family member, or even a stranger. Sometimes, you can approach the person and explain how you feel, but other times, that might not be possible. If this is the case, how you respond to the person with aggressive behaviour may not be the most socially acceptable response.
- Stay Safe, and Involve Others – Everyone has encountered an aggressive person at some point in their lives. Whether it’s someone waving their fist in your face, yelling obscenities at you, or trying to hurt you physically, it can really take a toll on you. But what do you do when confronted with an aggressive person? How do you protect yourself and others? The answer is to stay safe and involved.
- Don’t Respond with Anger – It can be scary when another person has aggressive or threatening behaviour. We know it’s uncomfortable. But it’s important that you don’t respond with anger. Instead, stay as calm as possible, and stand up for yourself.
- Distance Yourself Emotionally – Have you ever encountered someone that was annoying, rude, or obnoxious to the point that you were just completely turned off? Maybe they were overly talkative, rude, or had no respect for other people. You feel so stressed out or nervous around them, and maybe you just want to push them away.
- Distract Them – Everyone gets annoyed at others sometimes, but when we cross the line into aggressive behaviour, it becomes a serious matter. When dealing with someone exhibiting aggressive behaviour, it’s important to stay calm and focused on the situation. Distracting the person is possible, but be careful of doing so in an aggressive way.
- Help Them Control Their Anger – Being the “good” person can be hard, especially when you find yourself in the unfortunate position of being a bystander to someone having aggressive behaviour. The last thing you want to do is lash out, and you definitely don’t want the person to escalate the situation.
- Respecting the other person’s personal space – Respecting someone else’s personal space is fairly easy. If someone asks you to stop walking in their personal space, such as blocking their path, you should apologize and ask if they would like you to walk around them.
It’s a scary thing to imagine, but some people are violent towards others. Some of us are lucky enough never to encounter such behaviour, but for those unfortunate enough to have to confront an aggressor, this can be a terrifying situation.
When another person’s behaviour becomes aggressive, it can have a devastating impact on you, even if you are not directly involved. Whether it’s someone you know or someone who visits your home, workplace, or school, it can be very difficult to know what to do. Aggressive behaviour can include intimidating or harassing another person, often verbally, but it can also include physically aggressive behaviour, such as punching or shoving.
Aggressive behaviour is that expresses aggression without the intention to do harm. This type of behaviour can adversely affect a person’s well-being and social relationships. Aggressive behaviour is also any behaviour that is excessively rude or mean. Researchers have found that this behaviour can stem from several factors. According to research, aggression among adults is influenced by several factors. For example, some people may have genetic tendencies toward being more impulsive and aggressive. Others may have self-esteem issues, causing them to be more likely to lash out at others. Still, others may struggle with feelings of inadequacy, causing them to lash out at others as a means of protecting their core sense of self.