Medical Services

Aggressive behaviour problems are recurring behaviours in which a person purposefully hurts or threatens another person or destroys property. These behaviours include verbal abuse, bullying, physical aggression and property damage. Causes involve multiple elements: biological variables such as genetics, neurodevelopmental variations, and brain injury; environmental impacts such as family conflict, exposure to violence, and inconsistent punishment; and psychological concerns such as impulse control disorders, mood disorders, and trauma-related responses. Aggression is frequently seen in conjunction with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, or oppositional defiant disorder among children and adolescents, and in adults it can be aggravated by substance abuse and untreated mental illness. Early detection matters because ongoing aggressive habits are associated with worse social, scholastic, and occupational outcomes without intervention.

Effective management involves a combination of behavioural therapies (parent management training, cognitive-behavioural therapy and social skills training), school-based assistance and family therapy. Medication may be warranted when the aggression is due to a psychiatric illness or when it raises safety issues.

Prevention involves creating safe environments, consistent discipline, emotional management skills and stable attachments. Multidisciplinary assessment (paediatrician or psychiatrist, psychologist, and educational professionals). Individualise treatment according to the underlying reasons and risk levels. Timely, evidence-based therapies reduce harmful behaviours and enhance functioning in many individuals.