It is defined by being any kind of hostile or destructive behaviour of an individual. It can be pointed not only to other people, objects or animals, but also to his/her own as autoagressivity. It can be both verbal and physical, applied directly or indirectly towards the victim, manifested passively. For example : stubborness, procrastination, silent opposition, the style " says like him, do as I do it", are forms of passive agressivity.
Not all agressive behaviours make antisocial acts, as not all antisocial acts are accompanied by agressivity. For example, the activity of sportspeople during events is not an antisocial act. Pickpocketing is an antisocial act but is not accompanied by violence or agressivity.
Agressivity can take multiple forms which can be expressed phisically, communicated verbally or even nonverbally: anti-predator agressivity, fear induced agressivity, predator agressiviy, domination agressivity, inter-masculine agressivity, isolation induced agressivity, irritable agressivity, maternal agressivity, species specific agressivity, territorial agressivity, sex related agressivity and agressivity induced by brain stimulation (the hipotalamus). There are two subtypes of human agressivity:
- The instrumentally-controled subtype (with a purpose oriented to a purpose);
- The impulsive-reactive subtype (who often provokes incontrolable, inadequante or unwanted actions).