ABSTRACT
It seems as if there are two parallel universes, each taking a different view of the association between aggression and competence during childhood and adolescence. In one universe, aggression is seen as antithetical to adaptation and positively correlated with all things bad and negatively correlated with all things good. In the other universe, aggression is seen to coexist with, or even promote, competence and adaptation. How can the perspectives of these two universes—one claiming that aggression is a negative factor for healthy development while the other claims it can be linked to competent functioning—be reconciled? In this chapter, we outline the evidence from the two universes and propose that recent findings argue for the need to reconsider how aggression and adaptation are inter-related. We propose that the two universes can be reconciled by reframing many of the questions that have been asked about aggression and development. At the base of our thoughts is the idea that the typical ways that we have studied and considered aggression need, at least in part, to be reconsidered. The most challenging part of this sort of re-analysis derives from the highly differentiated and complex nature of the concepts of aggression and adaptation.
