SVOBODA, J. Agrese a agresivita v předškolním a mladším školním věku. Praha: Portál. 2014, 164 s. ISBN 978-80-262-0603-3.
The aim of the publication "Aggression and Aggressiveness in Preschool and Early School Age" was, according to the author, to introduce readers to the issue of aggressiveness in contemporary children, as well as the changes affecting upbringing and the overall orientation of the family. In addition, the publication also aims to highlight certain mistakes in upbringing and to inspire readers in the context of how these mistakes can be corrected, or alternatively how to ensure the course of events so that these mistakes do not arise at all.
In terms of content, the publication is divided into twelve thematic areas that are directly or indirectly related to the topic. The individual chapters are balanced and offer very valuable professional information on the subject. In the introductory sections, the author maps the early stages of child development, describes transition rituals, and points to the executive function of the brain, which is tasked with ensuring self-reflection and the overall organization of the personality in terms of adhering to established rules. Subsequently, the author focused on the definition of aggressiveness, but also on describing its functions. In the context of understanding what lies behind a child's aggressiveness, we can better comprehend aggressiveness and at the same time approach it much more sensitively and professionally. The difference between aggressiveness and aggression is understood in the paradigm that aggressiveness is a certain predisposition to act aggressively, while aggression is a specific act that has undesirable manifestations and aspects. When defining the differences between aggressiveness and aggression, the author could have focused more on defining aggression, because a reader who is not sufficiently versed in this area may confuse the terms due to their misunderstanding.
Aggressiveness is, according to the author, a natural manifestation of every living being and has its foundations in the instinct of self-preservation, while if we deal with aggressiveness in an aggressive manner, we create a stimulus for further aggression. The author follows this summary with a section in which he focuses directly on the neurobiological principle of the functioning of the organism and the subsequent emergence of aggressiveness. According to the author, the issue of aggressiveness is thoroughly studied by all fields that deal with human existence, with neurobiology playing a significant role in explaining aggressiveness. In this section, the author places emotions and rational analysis in mutual context, arguing that in the neurological model, aggression is a natural manifestation of vital force and life itself. Subsequently, the author deals with the behavior of children in kindergarten and aggression among peers at school.
The author offers a very interesting perspective on the issue in that if we consider the natural existence of kindergarten, we must admit that it is an anomaly, because it is very unlikely that in the ancient history of humanity more than twenty children would regularly interact in such a small space. Anomalous conditions thus evoke anomalous behavior, and therefore some parents are truly surprised when they learn from a teacher that their child is behaving aggressively. According to the author, this is merely the satiation of basic needs, and this satiation continues in elementary school as well. The author's opinion is professionally substantiated and based on real practical experience. Although aggressiveness in children is not a new phenomenon in itself, the intensity and brutality of aggressiveness have become new elements. The author states that we can only speculate about this problem, as no adequate research on this topic is known; however, he believes it is the interplay of several factors: prosperity, absence of quality role models, negative role models from computer games, low capacity for mutual communication, and ever-increasing individualization.
In the following part of the publication, the author focuses on the basic social needs of the child and the consequences of their unsatiation. These are primarily the need for sufficient space (area), the need for safety, the need for stimulus, and the need for care and nutrition, support and backing, and the need for limits. The author discusses individual needs and the possibilities of their satiation through case studies that are part of the entire publication. Among the presented needs, we were particularly struck by the need for limits. The author considers the limit to be the second most important basic need, right after the need for space. He regards the protective aspect and the simultaneously preventive aspect as the basic function of the limit. We debate with the author in this context insofar as the preventive aspect may directly derive from the protective one, and thus this function of the limit is rather a subfunction of the protective aspect.
In the final parts of the publication, the author reflects on social support and its significance, discussing this topic in broader contexts, especially in relation to the crisis in partner relationships. The conclusion of the publication is devoted to certain types of child addiction: gambling, computer addiction, theft, drug addiction, as well as predispositions to alcohol use.
In the conclusion, the author presents some examples from practice, which we evaluate very positively primarily because the publication thus offers a unique connection between theory and practice. The publication is significant not only because it provides a body of professional information and a comprehensive view of the issue. We consider the fact that it is linked to practice and can thus be an important aid not only for the professional scientific community but also for professionals who work with children, for example, specifically mentioned professional foster parents, who currently encounter aggressiveness in children very often, to be a great contribution. The work has a uniform professional style and is logically structured, allowing the reader to gain a coherent overview of the subject matter.