ANGER IN CHILDREN: A MINIREVIEW

AGATA MALTESE^1*, PALMIRA ROMANO^2*, LUCREZIA D’ORO^3*, BEATRICE GALLAI⁴, ROSA MAROTTA⁵, FRANCESCO LAVANO⁵, SERENA MARIANNA LAVANO⁵, GABRIELE TRIPI^6,7, MARGHERITA SALERNO⁸

¹Department of Psychological, Pedagogical and Educational Sciences, University of Palermo, Italy - ²Centro LARS, Sarno, Italy - ³Centro Relax, Benevento, Italy - ⁴Department of Surgical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy - ⁵Department of Medical and Surgery Sciences, University “Magna Graecia”, Catanzaro, Italy - ⁶Department PROSAMI, University of Palermo, Italy - ⁷Childhood Psychiatric Service for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, CH Chinon, France - ⁸Sciences for Mother and Child Health Promotion, University of Palermo, Italy

Aggressive behaviour is a peculiar characteristic of most animal species playing an important role in species preservation and two types have been identified: interspecific and intraspecific aggression. The interspecific refers purely to the instinct of predation, while the intraspecific is the purpose for species preservation. Anger has been found in very young children between the ages of four and seven, is manifested through vocalizations, expressions and global movements affecting the entire body of the child: it is a means of communication privileged to express themselves and communicate. Anger must be considered a positive event, even if it may frighten it has a positive effect: transforming an event that could only be destructive and useless in a constructive process, and channeling the child's anger toward a specific goal.