Behavior intended to harm or injure another person physically or psychologically, encompassing hostile and instrumental forms.
From Latin 'aggressio' meaning 'an attack,' from 'aggredi' (to approach, attack).
Aggression is behavior meant to hurt — it can be a punch or a cruel word, and it comes from anger, frustration, or sometimes cold calculation.
Aggression has been coded masculine (strength, dominance) while female assertiveness is pathologized as hysteria or hostility, reinforcing gender norms around expression and power.
Distinguish between healthy assertiveness and harmful aggression; avoid gendering assertiveness as masculine.
["assertiveness","advocacy","determination"]
Women's historical exclusion from leadership narratives has meant their assertive action is reframed as aggression; recognize women's power-taking as legitimate.
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