Aggression is one of the major techniques adopted by criminals to evade the process of justice. When they become aggressive towards us, we move backward because we have been gripped by unimaginable fear. So, what happens is that they have a field day and perpetrate all forms of evil. It is not enough to tell you why criminals demonstrate aggression without telling ways in which the aggression can take. Aggression is not just based on a body language sign; they must be a significant clusters pointing to that direction.
One of the reasons criminals demonstrate aggression is due to a threatening situation. The first place to focus on is their face. Much aggression can be shown in the face, from disapproving frowns and pursed lips to sneers and full snarls. The eyes can be used to stare and hold the gaze for long period. Criminals may also squint which will prevent you from where they are looking. Furthermore, when somebody is about to attack, they give visual signal such as clenching of fists ready to strike and lowering and spreading of the body for stability. They are also likely to give anger signs such as redness of the face, lowered brow, showing teeth, scowling or sneering. If they want to dare law enforcement officers, they may willingly demonstrate aggression. It is saying ‘Go on – I dare you. I will still win.’ It can include not looking at the other person, crotch displays, relaxing the body, turning away and so on (Changing Minds, 2018).
Other ways which propel criminals to demonstrate aggression is to invade your personal space. They understand that it will not be very easy for them to gain entry into your personal space, so they make use of aggressive means. This is tantamount to a country invading the other for personal gains. They first approach you under the pretext of false friendship. Invasion is often done under the cloak of familiarity, where they act as if they are being friendly and move into a space reserved for friends, but without being invited. This gives the other person a dilemma of whether to repel a ‘friendly’ advance or to accept dominance of the other. Also, their approach matters a lot. When they come inside your comfort zone without any form of permission, they are effectively invading your territory. The closer they get, the greater their ability to use a ‘first strike’ attack, from which an opponent may not recover. While they may well not intend this, you may well feel the discomfort of this risk (Changing Minds, 2018).
There are two forms of aggressive attacks—the first is Alpha/Ego while the other is predatory attack. The first is what is typically seen in bar fight. Person A think Person B is eyeing his girlfriend, challenge ensues, egos come into play, and from there, it escalates beyond normal. Although this is mostly linked to men but it doesn’t mean women are totally excluded from it. The second form of attack is just as cruel as it sounds like. Someone is actively stalking their prey. Predatory attacks have a more criminal intent… muggings, rapes, etc (Ledford, 2018).
Having said that, here are the body language signals of aggression you can always look out for in people. Fast and shallow breathing— this type of breathing is nature’s way of loading oxygen to the muscles and organs. It’s preparation for action and a normal part of adrenaline stress response. But because of that, keep one thing in mind. It may not be present, especially in a predatory type attack. An attacker who is involved in criminal activities or fights on a regular basis may not have as high of an adrenaline response. He or she may appear calm, so don’t go by breathing alone (Ledford, 2018).
Head and neck up, back, and alert with shoulders pulled back—Attackers often make themselves look bigger. You see this in wild animals. Think about wolves. When the alpha wolf is challenged, he doesn’t immediately fight. The first thing is ears up and back, fur raised, chest out, teeth bared. Why? Because his safest way out of a challenge without injury or losing his position is to scare the challenger off. People are no different from the case study given above. But this isn’t exclusive to Alpha/Ego attacks. A predatory attack could begin this way as well. Often, a predatory human will size you up to evaluate your potential as a target. Part of this sizing up could be seeing if you are easily intimidated by creating a larger appearance (Ledford, 2018).
Directing excessive attention toward you—this is another technique that criminals use in sizing you up. There may be excessive eye contact during what seems like a normal conversation. The other person could spend time looking you over- judging your size, strength, readiness, etc. Again, this can happen in any form of attack. But keep in mind that predatory attacks often begin with a conversation. A criminal may use a simple question to draw you in. He might ask for directions, time, or help of some kind. Watch for the excessive attention. It can tell you if he’s more interested in you, or the question he asked (Ledford, 2018).
Anger is directed towards inanimate objects:Here’s another sign that’s most prevalent in Alpha/Ego attacks. Throwing objects, hitting tables or walls, kicking doors… those are signs of escalation toward an attack. Though an attack isn’t imminent, the truth is that once a person reaches this stage, you’re closer to being attacked than not. All these signs are mostly absent in predatory attacks because a predatory attacker wants to get the jump on you. He’s not likely to draw excessive attention to himself in the process (Ledford, 2018).
Acting drunk or stoned:The fact is that they may very well be high on alcohol. Alcohol is a factor in a large percentage of Alpha/Ego type attacks. But even with no alcohol or drugs, someone may act drunk or stoned as the adrenaline ramps up. It could also be a result of bad acting- trying to seem less threatening than their intentions. This pre-attack indicator can happen in predatory attacks as well. Just like a career criminal may not show the increased breathing rate, someone who hasn’t made many attacks may be more affected by the adrenaline stress response (Ledford, 2018).
References
Changing Minds (2018).Aggressive Body Language. Retrieved from http://changingminds.org/techniques/body/aggressive_body.htm
Ledford, S (2018). Reading Body Language for Pre-Attack Indicators. Retrieved from https://www.avlcombat.com/reading-body-language-pre-attack-indicators/
Vanessa, S (2018). Look for these 8 Signs of Aggressive Body Language. Retrieved from https://www.scienceofpeople.com/aggressive-body-language/
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