There are occasions when a person will not complain in a reasonable manner but becomes verbally or physically aggressive. People may kick, punch, slap or bite, they may make verbal insults or threats or make threatening gestures. All of these are considered to come under the broad heading of aggression (Garnham, 2001).
As with many things, prevention is better than cure. It is important to be aware of the factors that may lead to aggression and act to reduce them. Keeping people informed is particularly important as frustration can arise from anxiety and fear of the unknown, especially in strange environments such as hospitals. This may be made worse by the illness itself and the feelings of lack of control that patients or relatives may feel. For example, if there is time to be spent waiting to be seen by a member of staff it is important to keep going
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