Ravi snatched the ice cream out of the hand of a child in junior school. This is an example of _____ aggression.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Proactive
Option (1) Verbal — Incorrect. Verbal aggression is aggression through words, such as name-calling and swearing. Ravi says nothing; he acts.
Option (2) Physical — Incorrect. Physical aggression means hitting and fighting. Ravi does not hit or fight the child; he uses his size to take what he wants from a younger child.
Option (3) Hostile — Incorrect. Hostile aggression is directed at inflicting injury on others, as an expression of anger. Ravi is not angry with the child and does not try to hurt him; he wants the ice cream.
Option (4) Proactive — Correct. Proactive aggression means dominating and bullying others without provocation. An older boy snatching ice cream from a child in junior school, who has done nothing to him, is bullying of this kind.
Note: One can argue that snatching the ice cream is physical aggression, since Ravi uses his hands. NCERT, however, describes physical aggression as hitting and fighting, and proactive aggression as dominating and bullying others without provocation. NTA has probably interpreted the act as an older boy bullying a younger child who has done nothing to him, which is proactive aggression, and the NTA answer key gives Option (4).
NCERT (2025-26): “Disruptive, Impulse-Control and Conduct Disorders … The behaviours typical of conduct disorder include aggressive actions that cause or threaten harm to people or animals, nonaggressive conduct that causes property damage, major deceitfulness or theft, and serious rule violations. Children show many different types of aggressive behaviour, such as verbal aggression (i.e. name-calling, swearing), physical aggression (i.e. hitting, fighting), hostile aggression (i.e. directed at inflicting injury to others), and proactive aggression (i.e. dominating and bullying others without provocation).…” |