Season 2: Episode 2: Punishment Executed
Anti-Soc.-Girl at school after her transfer to her father's family. Now around 14 years old, she gets verbally attacked by a guy at school.
What does a decent girl at that age do if she gets harassed? Telling teachers? Insulting back? Go into a corner and cry? Of course not! She straightup fights that guy to force him to shut up!
This episode is a great example for highlighting the difference between "reactive aggression" and "instrumental aggression". While what most people think of aggression is usually "reactive aggression", pwASPD, especially among those with Callous Unemotional traits, often rather exhibit "instrumental aggression".
The former is a typical violent outburst, caused by external stimulation, such as perceived threats, provocation, or frustration. It is uncontrolled and unplanned, a spontaneous reaction and caused through an erroneous perception of hostility among others.
The latter is characterized by utility. It does not mean that no emotions are involved, but the aggression serves an outcome. It is often much calmer and less noisy, as it does not focus on warding off a threat or to intimidate others, but on achieving a desired goal; the harm on others being a means to achieve it.
The scientific definition is that in "reactive aggression", the aggression itself is the goal. In "instrumental aggresion", the goal is something else and aggression a tool to achieve it. You can always asked yourself: Did you act like this because of something or to achieve something? _____________________________________ Spoilers:
Anti-Sociol-Girl, in this case, exhibits instrumental aggression. If she had attacked the guy directly upon the insult, it would be considered reactive. Since she came back at him, after the situation was dissolved, and decided to hurt him for the purpose of restoring her status and punishing the guy for humiliating her, her attacks serve a purpose. She planned attacking him in order to achieve something.
One could argue that her plan was still emotionally charged, as the guy left the situation before she could react, however, given the time between two school breaks, one can expect her to have calmed down in between and found one way or the other to emotionally process what happened. But rather than doing that, she waited and planned an act of revenge. As such, this is a typical form of "instrumental aggression".
