Marzanna Farnicka Understanding aggression: the CICA group's multidimensional approach to aggression research

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Introduction

This text explores the development and goals of the International Conferences on Conflict and Aggression (CICA), which began in the 1980s. The conferences aim to understand the relationship between brain activity and aggression, covering topics such as violence, terrorism, and conflict. By adopting an interdisciplinary approach that includes biology, psychology, sociology, and other fields, CICA seeks to uncover and address the complex causes of aggression and violence. Over time, the conferences have expanded to include topics such as peacebuilding, conflict transformation, and human security, with recent efforts focused on extreme forms of violence, including terrorism.

Notable early contributors to the CICA conferences include Karl Pribram, Dianne McGuinness, Robert Hinde, and Grazia Attili, who offered insights into childhood aggression during the second CICA conference in Seville. This event marked the beginning of a long tradition of periodic conferences, resulting in numerous publications. The Seville Statement on Violence, finalized at a CICA conference in 1986 and later endorsed by UNESCO, emphasized that just as war is born in the minds of individuals, so is peace, positioning humanity as capable of both conflict and resolution.

While the Seville Statement (Adams et al., 1986) was criticized as an example of the moralistic fallacy, it remains an important manifesto, emphasizing that "the same species that invented war is capable of inventing peace." Peace and conflict studies have gained prominence in recent years, expanding beyond traditional security and military strategies to include conflict transformation, human security, peacebuilding, and governance. Scholars now recognize that peace and conflict depend on various factors, such as inequality, human rights, arms control, international norms, and psychological processes (Liberska & Farnicka, 2016).

The CICA conferences continue to offer a platform for interdisciplinary dialogue on aggression, bringing together experts from fields such as psychology, psychiatry, sociology, anthropology, criminology, law, and security studies. This integrated approach transcends traditional academic boundaries, fostering collaboration in addressing the multifaceted nature of aggression and its societal impact.

CICA’s Research Goals

Understanding and mitigating aggression and violence requires a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach. CICA researchers focus on identifying the complex factors contributing to violent behaviors while promoting peaceful alternatives. This involves recognizing that aggression is not only a biological or psychological phenomenon but also an intensely personal experience that affects individuals, victims, and society.

Since the late 20th century, CICA has brought together scholars from various disciplines to focus on these issues. A primary goal has been to bridge the gap between biological and social science approaches to aggression, recognizing that integrating insights from multiple fields is essential for meaningful solutions. This interdisciplinary approach allows for more effective studies of aggression and human consciousness, with the ultimate goal of fostering a deeper understanding of aggression as a fundamental human behavior.

Examples of implementing the CICA idea

The selection of articles provided to readers was guided by the desire to reflect as fully as possible the interdisciplinary spirit of the CICA conference, which offers different perspectives on aggression and violence.

The articles are divided into three themes: Youth Aggression and Cyberbullying, Educational Approaches, and the Application of Research to Social Issues.

The first two papers explore traditional forms of aggression among youth, focusing on gender differences (Marzanna Farnicka, Martha Leticia Gaeta Gonzales, Sex Differences in Adolescent Aggressive Behaviors: An Exploratory Study in Four Countries) and the growing impact of cyberbullying in everyday life (Jeysira Jacqueline Dorantes Carrión, Aggression and Psychological Effects Generated by Cyberbullying in Higher Education).

The third and fourth papers present differing viewpoints on how to study and address aggression. One offers a long-term research project (Camilla Pagani, Education Against Violence: A Research Project), while the other explores educational strategies to prevent violence in school settings (Valentin Otero Perez, Educational Perspectives on Aggressiveness and Violence in Adolescence).

The final two papers discuss how research findings can be applied to societal issues. Miguel Bettin (Colombia) examines violence from the perspective of the Colombian conflict in his paper Reactive, Emotional Violence and Predatory, Cold, Instrumental Violence. Meanwhile, Juliusz Piwowarski, Leszek Wos, and Marzanna Farnicka address psychological aggression within the context of security studies in their article Challenges, Risks, and Threats to Individual Security in the Age of Globalization: A Security Culture Perspective.

Conclusion

This collection presents the latest research from CICA Foundation scholars, focusing on factors that encourage or inhibit aggression. The articles cover psychological and pedagogical approaches to understanding aggression as a dimension of both individual and societal security. This includes both individual and interpersonal contexts, which are key to studying security culture (Piwowarski, 2024).

In sum, the research presented in these articles aligns with the goals of the CICA Foundation, offering valuable insights into preventing violence and promoting security in diverse cultural and developmental contexts. The ongoing interdisciplinary dialogue fostered by CICA continues to deepen our understanding of aggression and its broader implications for human security and societal well-being.

As J. M. Ramirez (2023) stated at the LXVI CICA Security & Defense in Postmodernity Conference, “We hope to contribute, even if modestly, to the development of a more humane and informed society.”

References:

Adams, D., Barnett, S. A., Bechtereva, N. P., Carter, B. F., Delgado, J. M. R., Diaz, J. L., Eliasz, A., Genoves, S., Ginsburg, B. E., Groebel, J., Ghosh, S.-K., Hinde, R., Leakey, R. E., Malasi, T. M., Ramirez, J. M., Zaragoza, F. M., Mendoza, D. L., Nandy, A., Scott, J. P., & Wahlstrom, R. (1990). The Seville Statement on Violence. American Psychologist, 45(10), 1167–1168. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.45.10.1167

Farnicka, M., Bettin, M., & Rosner, J. (2017). How to Create an Organization Based on Intercultural Approach? Example of CICA Organisation. Security Dimensions. International and National Studies, (23), 231–241. https://doi.org/10.24356/SD/23/14

Liberska, H., Farnicka, M. (eds.) (2016). Introduction in: Aggression as a Challenge - Theory and research: Current Problems. Peter Lang Edition.

Piwowarski, J. (2024). Kultura bezpieczeństwa. Perspektywa antropologiczna nauk o bezpieczeństwie. Naukowo-Wydawniczy Instytut Badań Bezpieczeństwa i Obronności WSBPI „Apeiron”.

Ramirez, J. M. (1996). Aggression: Causes and Functions. Hiroshima Forum for Psychology, (17), p. 14.

Ramirez, J. M., & Garcia, L. (Eds.). (2017). Conflict and Transcultural Dialogue. Universidad Nebrija and CICA Cátedra Nebrija Santander sobre Gestión de Riesgos y Conflictos. Publishing House: Universidad Antonio de Nebrija.

Ramirez, J. M. (2023). Aim of CICA. CICA International. Retrieved from http://cicainternational.org/CICAinternational/CICA_SSV.html