INTRODUCTION

Now a day’s only those students who only have the highest

percentage of marks are not respected in modern day society. Because it

is not necessary that they are equally competent in expressing their ideas

and adjust well in their day to day life. In the modern day society there is

a major place only for those individuals who are able to adjust and

manage their behavior in a balanced manner. Some degree of aggression

is inherent in every one of us but the need here is to reduce and manage

it in a effective way. Most of the researches in the field of aggression find

out the fact that aggression is at the top primarily in the younger age of

life basically in the adolescent period. So if we want our country to

progress, our society to change then we have to make attempts in

reducing aggression among high school students.But it is not easy for the

teachers and the parents to develop adjustment abilities among their

children who are passing through the adolescent age because a large

number of changes in this period of stress and strain are being broken out

that they are not ready to follow the path shown by their parents and

teachers. These changes specially physical, emotional, social, intellectual

etc. cannot be handled by them in a proper way and they feel themselves

neglected and maladjusted in the society consequently they show

aggressiveness in their behaviour in order to save themselves from the

pressure that the society is imposing upon them.

This kind of aggressive behaviour or aggression that the adolescents

show cause a real destruction to their creative abilities and mental peace

because they are not able to adjust adequately. There is close relationship

between the adjustment abilities and the level of aggression that the

individual possess or in better words we can say that there is a negative

correlation between these two in general. If there is less adjustment

ability they will show more aggression amcng individuals. So there is a

need and the prime duty of the parents and the teachers develop

adjustment abilities to lower the level of aggression and to guide them in

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a proper way so they are able to do something good in life.

AGGRESSION

Aggression is a phenomenon that most see through the lens of

verbal or physical attacks. However there are many subtleties in

aggression that have to gone unnoticed by many researches. To view

aggression as simply direct attacks on a person is very limiting in

understanding aggression. However aggression is predominantly

understood by many direct physical and verbal attacks instead of these

covert methods.

Youth who display overt style aggression have been given most

attention by researchers. Everyone has a common sense notion that

aggression involves one person injuring another. The injury may result

from a physical attack such as assault, rape or murder. The attack may be

psychological involving ridicule, disparagement and similar assault on

other feelings about themselves. Economic attacks include being fired or

denied a promotion without justification.

According to Bandura (1973), “Aggression at least among human is

strangely affected by learning and situational factor.”

According to Chauhan and Tiwari (1972), “Aggression may be

defined in operationally in terms mode answering to elders, frequently

quarrelling, broken engagement, impulses of take revenge and

reactionary attitudes to traditions and beliefs.”

According to Filler (1952), the Yale group of theory frustration,

“Aggression asserts the occurrence of aggression always presupposes the

existence of frustration always leads to some forms of aggression.”

According to Hilgard (1962), “Aggression means violent attacking.”

According to Hinsie and Compbell (1960), “Action carried out in a

forceful way”.

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According to Moore and Fine (1968), “Aggression may be defined as

more or less violent physical or verbal behaviour directed against a

person or object.”

In short, Aggression is threats or harmful action directed towards

other individuals. Aggression is defined as behaviour aimed at causing

harm or pain, psychological harm, or personal injury or physical

distraction.

ADJUSTMENT

The concept of adjustment is as old as human race on earth. The

process of adjustment starts right from the birth of the child and continues

till his death. Adjustment is generally the relationship that any organism

establishes with respect to its environment. Its is the ability of an

individual to satisfy the demand of his surroundings as well as his own

needs. Originally the meaning of adjustment was borrowed from the

concept of adaptation in biology. Adaptation refers to the biological

change that facilitates the survival of species. At the psychological level

adjustment means the individuals struggle to survive in his or her

surroundings. The emphasis is on the functional or learned changes that

the individual must make to achieve as harmonious relationship with the

environment. It is an active, two way relationship between the individual

and his or her environment.

The Dictionary meaning of the word adjustment is to fit, make

suitable adapt, an'ange, modify and harmonize.

Adjustment is learnt and acquired. As we have to learn how to drive

a car so we have to learn how to deal with a friend, when to eat and to

teach, when to wear and how to wear. All these modes of behaviour are to

be learnt.

Adjustment means how well a person gets along in a situation. This

suggests that individual learns to direct his energies is ways of gratifying

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both to himself and society. (Skinner, Charles). In our life proper

adjustment means harmony within and without.

According to Crow and Crow (1973), “An individual’s adjustment is

adequate whole some or healthful to the extent that he has established

hannonious relationship between himself and the conditions, situation and

persons who comprise his physical and social environment.”

According to Eysenck (1972), “Adjustment is a state in which the

needs of the individual on one hand and the claims of the environment on

the other hand are fully satisfied of the process by which this harmonious

relationship can be attained.”

Dunn (1963): “Adjustment is a continuous process of maintaining

harmony with the attributes of the individual and the environment

conditions which surround him.”

Skinner (1963):”Adjustment means how well a person gets along in

a situation. This suggests that the individual learns to direct his energies

in ways that gratifying and the society.”

Poduska (1980): “Adjustment is the ability to select appropriate and

effective measures to meet the demands of the environment while

maintaining a healthy attitude, towards the circumstances.”

In short, “a person is said to be adjusted when he is so related to a

reasonably adequate environment that he is relatively happy, efficient

and has a proper degree of social feeling.” It is generally accepted that

the progress in life depends upon the ability to adjust to new situations. A

well adjusted individual is more likely to be highly motivated, realistic,

reasonably adventurous, competitive, emotionally balanced and mentally

alert with the result that he holds wholesome and positive attitude.

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REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

The review of related literature involves, locating, reacting to and

evaluating the researches carried out earlier and also the casuals

observations and opinions that are related to any research to have a

thorough understanding and insight into the work already undertaken and

key areas to be explored further. No research endeavour unique is

descriptive research and variables under investigations are studied in

different combinations for understanding the dynamics of cause and effect

relationship underlying the phenomena.

A lot of research work has been conducted to study the level of

aggression and adjustment.

Studies Related To Level of Aggression

Eron et.al. (1963) in his study found that aggression in school

children was positively related to punishment for aggression at home,

especially maternal punishment of boys.

Urberg and Labouvie-vief (1976) asked adolescents to check the

adjectives that described their idea of an ideal male and female.

Aggression in this study referred to those behaviours that attack or hurt

others. Both males and females judged aggression and dominance to be

male traits and to be more desirable in males than in females.

Albert Bandura (1985) has performed studies that indicates that

aggression is a learned behaviour. Using children in his studies, Bandura

demonstrated that, by watching another person act aggressively and

obtain desirable reward or by learning through personal experience that

such behaviour yields rewards, aggression can be learned.

Allen, Kashani and Reid’s (1998) study of 100 consecutive inpatients

in a mental health centre between the age of 7 to 12 years old is that

children with hostile parent are more likely to have poor social skills and

are more socially incompetent than children without a hostile parent. This

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incompetent social behaviour includes aggressive behaviour. Aggressive

behaviour has been found to be related to the family and mental health as

a result of family stress. Often causes a youth to disengage from the

cause of the stress.

Crick and Bigbee (1998) used a combination of self respect and peer

nomination device with a sample of 3834th -5th graders from public school

in the Midwest. This sample was 90% European-American, 9.4% African-

American and 0.5% from other ethnic groups. Findings from this study

indicated that girls were more likely than boys to be the victims of

relational aggression act.

Arcus(2002) found that children who experience corporal

punishment from their parents are more likely to be aggressive towards

their parents. 40% of the mothers who used corporal punishment three or

more times in the past year had been hit by their child in that year and

30% who had used corporal punishment once or twice had been hit,

compared to only 13% who did not use it at all.

Gershoff (2002) reviewed 88 studies that examined the relationship

between corporal punishment and 11 different child and adolescent

outcomes. Of the studies reviewed In the meta-analysis, 32 used

childhood aggression as an outcome variable. Gershoff concluded that

physical punishment has negative consequences on child adjustment in

general, including aggression. The metaanalysis also suggested that the

utility of physical punishment was limited to immediate compliance.

However, Gershoff contended that because many children who are

spanked later repeat the undesired behaviour, the overall utility of

physical punishment for correcting noncompliant behaviour was not

worthwhile given the negative impact on children's overall adjustment.

Gershoff concluded from this meta-analysis that physical punishment was

unequivocally related to child aggression across multiple contexts.

Hess & Hagen (2006) have found differences in the types of

aggression used by males and females, at least in children and

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adolescents. Boys tend to use direct physical or verbal aggression,

whereas girls tend to use more indirect forms of aggression that

prominently feature gossip. Evolutionary theories of sex differences in

indirect aggression propose selection pressures that would have acted on

older teenagers and adults. Evidence for sex differences in indirect

aggression in adults, however, is equivocal. Virtually all studies of adults

have found a sex difference in physical aggression, but most have failed

to find sex differences in the use of the more indirect forms of aggression.

Almost all of these studies have measured indirect aggression using self-

reports of aggressive behaviour. We investigated sex differences in the

psychology of indirect aggression by exposing young adult women and

men to the same aggression-evoking stimulus. As evolutionary models

predict, we found that women had a stronger desire than men to aggress

indirectly, even after controlling for perceptions of social norms and

approval. Future work on both evolutionary and social norm models of

indirect aggression is warranted.

McRae (2006) studied that physical punishment is a disciplinary

technique that many parents utilize and report as being effective.

Nevertheless, researchers continue to debate its usefulness and impact on

child adjustment. Many have argued that physical punishment is

detrimental to children's socio-emotional functioning, and in particular,

that it increases aggression. However, some have argued that whether

parents utilize physical punishment is less important than how they use it,

citing strong evidence that not all children who are spanked display

abnormal levels of aggression. This has led to the theory that various

parenting characteristics and techniques. may moderate the relationship

between physical punishment and aggression. The current study

examines parental warmth as a moderator of the relationship between

physical punishment and aggression 30 months later. Results of the study

yielded no evidence that this relationship exists. Several limitations are

believed to have contributed to the null findings. Directions for future

research are discussed.

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Morris (2011) found in the studies that children subjected to

corporal punishment may engage in more aggression and delinquent

behaviour than those who are not. Past research, however, is limited

methodologically. This is largely the result of a lack of matched corporally

punished and non-punished children. Findings indicate that (a) a large

amount of selection bias exists, indicating that child and family

characteristics of those subjected to corporal punishment are substantially

different from characteristics of those not punished, and (b) when children

exposed to corporal punishment (vs. those who are not) are matched on

their propensities of being punished, the relationship between punishment

and subsequent aggression and delinquency become statistically non-

significant and substantively small.

STUDIES RELATED TO ADJUSTMENT

Rawat (1995) explored the effect of parental absence on

adjustment, study habits and academic development of students of high

school. Sample comprised 25 schools. He found that the parent present

students differed significantly from the parent absent students on their

personality adjustment while they did not differ on the study habits,

except on comprehension and concentration dimensions of study habits

and there is no adjustment difference between the two groups on their

academic achievement.

Mehta et al. (1996) studied the effect of achievement motivation,

self confidence and assertiveness upon adjustment of higher secondary

female students in emotional, social, educational, home, health areas and

upon total adjustment. They used, the sample of 400 female students of

XI and. XII grades, The measurement devices used were (i) Achievement

Values and Anxiety Inventory (AVAI) by Dr. Prayag Mehta (1969) (ii)

Agnihotri's Self Confidence Inventory (ASCI) by Dr. Rekha Agnihotri (1987)

(iii) Sinha and Singh's (1971) Adjustment Inventory for School Students.

They found that there was no significant difference between girls having

high and low achievement motivation, with regard to their level of

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adjustment in different areas. Secondly they found adjustment in all areas

under study was positively affected by the self confidence.

Dutta et al. (1998) studied social adjustment of adolescents. They

used. a sample 200 adolescents. The tool used was the adjustment

inventory for school students. They concluded that there was not much

difference in adjustment aspect between the girls and the boys to social

areaa. Their findings also revealed that as educationally sound, the

adolescents" adjustment pattern towards their social group was good.

Jain and Jandu (1998) compared school adjustment of adolescent

girls and boys of employed and non employed mothers. They used a

sample of 240 students. The tools used were background information and

adjustment inventory for school students, They concluded that there was

a difference in total adjustment between boys and girls. The girls had

better adjustment than boys. They further concluded that girls were more

adjustable than boys in educational area of adjustment.

Kaur (1999) studied the adjustment problems of adolescents in

relation to their academic achievement. She used a sample of 250

students. She concluded that adolescents face adjustment problems and

boys and girls differ slightly in their adjustment problems.

Bajpal (2001) studied caste belongingness and adjustment of high

school girls. They used a sample of 371 students. The tool used was

Sharma's Adaptation of Bell's Adjustment Inventory. They concluded that

scheduled tribe girls were found to be significantly least adjusted group in

home, health, social and overall adjustment. Backward class girls were

lesser adjusted in above areas than general caste girls.

Garber et al. (2001) examined the relations among maternal

depression, family dysfunction, emotional autonomy, and adolescent

adjustment. Participants 'were 145 mothers and children who were

assessed in 8th grade and again in 9th grade. Results indicated that

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maternal depression significantly moderated the relation between

emotional autonomy and adolescent adjustment.

Beyers et al. (2003) examined the association between

psychological separation adjustment to university in a sample of 969 late

adolescents. Results indicated that both dimensions of psychological

separation (independence from parents and positive separation feelings)

positively predicted better adjustment to university.

Kia-keating et al. (2007) examined school belonging and

psychosocial adjustment among a sample of 76 Somali adolescents

resettled in the United States. A greater sense of school belonging was

associated with lower depression and higher self-efiicacy, regardless of

the level of past exposure to adversities. School belonging did not

moderate the effect of exposure to adversities on psychological

adjustment. These results were used in investigating ways of improving

school experiences would be particularly useful in the effort towards

continued development of school-based mental health programs for

young refugees.

Martinez‘ et al. (2009) examined behavioural and emotional

adjustment in family contexts in which there was high versus low demand

for adolescents to serve as language brokers in a sample of 73 recently

immigrated Latino families with middle- school-aged adolescents.

Language brokering was conceptualized as a family process rather than

merely an individual phenomenon. Results indicated that those in high

language brokering contexts, compared with those in low language

brokering contexts, demonstrated higher levels of family stress, lower

levels of parenting effectiveness and poorer adolescent adjustment in

terms of academic functioning, socio emotional health and substance use.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

A STUDY OF LEVEL OF AGGRESSION AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN

RELATION TO ADJUSTMENT.

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NEED AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Today, in schools we face a major problem of in-discipline. This

problem is the result of aggression and maladjustment among students.

Today we see that aggression and unrest is increasing in our day to day

life results into indiscipline, violence etc.

The main reason of the aggression is the problem of adjustment.

World of today is changing in extraordinary speed and manner. In highly

changing modern society, our students find it difficult to adjust according

to changing situations of life. They are facing problems in making

adequate adjustment in every sphere of life like; home, school, social,

emotional, occupational and financial adjustment. It has become more

difficult for parents, teachers, and society at large to understand and fulfil

the varied need of the students in this highly scientific and technological

based society. Moreover the value pattern in this modern society is also

transforming into new complex dimensions which results in

maladjustment among students especially among high school students.

Failure in the direction of adjustment increases aggression and aggressive

behaviour among high school students towards school, home, and society.

It is very true to say that no two individuals are same. Every

individual has its own characteristics which make him a unique

personality. These different features of his personality affect his level of

aggression in society. Aggression in an individual may be affected by

number of factors. One of them may be adjustment. This sensitive issue

convinced the investigator to do an in depth study of aggression level

among high school students in and the way they adjust themselves in

their various spheres of life.

The investigator will also try to provide a platform of the relationship

between the aggression and adjustment of the high schools students of

the Bathinda and Patiala district of Punjab. Moreover this is the most

contemporary relationship which has been left unexplored.

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So, the study under investigation can be of great help in realizing

the relationship between the level of aggression and adjustment among

high school students with regard to certain demographic variables so that

much can be done in this direction to to save our youth from the evil

effects of aggression and to guide them in a proper way to show their

abilities

1.6 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1. To study the level of aggression and adjustment among high school

students.

2. To study the relationship between the level of aggression and

adjustment of high school students.

3. To examine the relationship between the level of aggression and

adjustment among male high school students.

4. To study the relationship between the level of aggression and

adjustment among female high school students.

5. To ascertain the relationship between the level of aggression and

adjustment among rural high school students.

6. To study the relationship between the level of aggression and

adjustment among urban high school students.

7. To know the difference in the level of aggression between male and

female high school students.

8. To find out the difference in the level of adjustment between male

and female high school students.

9. To know the difference in the level of aggression between rural and

urban high school students.

10.To find out the difference in the level of adjustment between rural

and urban high school students.

HYPOTHESES OF THE STUDY

1. There will be no significant relationship between the level of

aggression and adjustment among high school students.

2. There will be no significant relationship between the level of

aggression and adjustment among male high school students.

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3. There will be no significant relationship between the level of

aggression and adjustment among female high school students.

4. There will be no significant relationship between the level of

aggression and adjustment among rural high students.

5. There will be no significant relationship between the level of

aggression and adjustment among urban high school students.

6. There will be no significant difference in the level of aggression

between male and female high school students.

7. There will be no significant difference in the level of adjustment

between male and female high school students.

8. There will be no significant difference in the level of aggression

between rural and urban high school students.

9. There will be no significant difference in the level of adjustment

between rural and urban high school students.

Delimitations of the study:-

1. The study will be delimited to analysis of data collected from 240 high

school students of Bathinda and Patiala districts of Punjab.

2. Only two variables aggression and adjustment will be studied in relation

to each other.

OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS

AGGRESSION

Aggression is a threats or harmful actions directed towards other

individuals. Aggression is defined as behaviour aimed at causing harm or

pain, psychological harm or personal injury or physical distraction.

According to Chauhan and Tiwari (1972) “Aggression may be

defined operationally in terms of mode answering to elders, frequent

quarrelling, broken equipments, impulses of taking revenge and

reactionary attitudes to traditions and beliefs”.

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For the present study the variable aggression stands for the score of

high school students on aggression scale constructed at standardized by

Km. Roma Pal and Dr.(Smt.) Tasneem Naqvi (1983).

Adjustment:-

Adjustment is dynamic rather than static in quality. We change, our

environment change too. Some key ideas in understanding adjustment

are motive, frustration, conflict, anxiety and learning etc.

According to Shaffer (1961) “Adjustment is the process by which a

living organism maintains the balance between its needs and the

circumstances that influence the satisfaction of these needs”.

For the present study the variable adjustment stands for the scores

of high school students on test of adjustment constructed and

standardized by Dr Penni Jain.

METHOD AND PROCEDURE

This chapter deals with the sample, method, tools used, procedure

of data collection and statistical techniques of analysis employed for

testing the hypotheses.

METHOD OF THE STUDY

The present study will be constructed by following the quantitative

approach in educational research in the following manner:-

Design :- The present investigation will be designed to study the

aggression among male and female high school students residing in rural

and urban areas in relation to their adjustment.

The significance of difference will also be worked out between:-

Aggression of male and female rural high school students, male and

female urban high school students, rural male and urban male high school

students ,rural female and urban female high school students.

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Sample: - The sample of the study will consist of 240 high school

students of Bathinda and Patiala districts Of Punjab.

Male and female, rural and urban high school students will be

selected from different schools in the areas as per the shown follow:-

240 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS OF PUNJAB

BATHINDA PATIALA 120 120

60 60 60 60 Male female male female

30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30

Fig:1 Showing details of sample

TOOLS OF STUDY

The following tools will be used in the present study to collect the data:-

1. Aggression Scale by Km. Roma Pal and Mrs. Tasneem Naqvi (1983).

2. An Adjustment Inventory by Dr. Penni Jain(1999).

STATISTICAL TREATMENT OF DATA

The following techniques will be used in the present study to make the

data meaningful:-

1. Descriptive statistics i.e. mean, standard deviation will be used to

describe the nature of sample.

2. “r” Pearson Product Moment Coefficient of Co-relation will be used to

find out the relationship between the aggression and adjustment of male

and female, rural and urban high school students.

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Rural Urban Rural Urban Rural Rural Urban Urban

3. Differential statistics i.e. t-test will be used to find out the significance

of difference between male and female, rural and urban high school

students on the basis of their mean aggression and adjustment score.

CHAPTER SCHEME

The dissertation will be divided into seven chapters:-

1. Introduction.

2. Review of related literature.

3. Method and procedure.

4. Analysis and interpretation of data.

5. Conclusion, Educational implications and suggestions for further

research.

6. Summary.

7. Bibliography.

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Allen.et.al.(1949). A Study of Relationship between level of Aggression

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Best, J.W. and kahn, J.V. (2006). Research in Deucation (9Th edd.). New

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