Workshop on Aggression is a medium-sized conference and an annual event for all European and international researchers in the field of empirical aggression research, enabling a platform for the presentation and discussion of the newest research findings, theoretical advancements, and practical applications in aggression research. This makes the Workshop on Aggression an ideal place for scientific exchange between researchers with different theoretical and methodological backgrounds concerning aggression.
The theme of the 29th workshop was Aggression, Media, and Digital Technologies, reflecting the growing importance of understanding how technological developments shape human interaction and behaviour. The programme brought together research on cyberbullying, cyberhate, online incivility, and sexual aggression in digital spaces, as well as research on traditional aggression and a wider spectrum of aggression-related topics. The full programme can be found here.
The 29th workshop was organised by IRTIS members Hana Machackova, Marie Jaron Bedrosova, and Jan Pfetsch.
DAY 1
We began the Workshop on Wednesday afternoon, with a welcome speech from Hana Machackova and David Smahel.
Keynote: Brad J. Bushman
The first conference keynote presentation, “Blood, Gore, and Video Games: Effects of Violent Content on Players”, was made by Brad J. Bushman.
In today’s popular culture, the video game industry has established itself as a major force, surpassing the movie and music industries. Most people now play video games. They are played on consoles, computers, and handheld devices (including mobile phones). The top selling video games contain lots of blood and gore. Bushman will discuss a new meta-analytic review of violent video game studies (1,678 effects from 733 independent studies that included 425,559 participants). Using the General Aggression Model as a theoretical framework, he will focus on five violent video game effects: (1) aggressive cognition, (2) angry feelings, (3) physiological arousal, (4) hostile appraisals, and (5) aggressive behavior. He will also discuss potential moderators of these effects (e.g., gender, age, Western vs. Eastern country). Finally, he will discuss some reasons why people deny violent media effects.
Q&A With Journal Editors
In the afternoon, we also held a special session, “Q&A With Journal Editors”, with our member Lenka Dedkova, Brad J. Bushman, and Joris Van Ouytsel. This interactive Q&A session offered participants a behind-the-scenes look at academic publishing through an open conversation with experienced journal editors. They shared their editorial experience from Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, Psychology of Violence, and Personal Relationships.
IRTIS Presentations
On the first day, two presentations from IRTIS members were also held. Barbora Lisztwan Honusová presented on “Parental Knowledge of Children's Experiences With Cyberaggression and Online Sexual Solicitations: The Role of Relationship Quality and Information Management”. And Shanu Shukla presented “Social Media Multitasking and Cyberaggression on Social Media: The Moderating Role of Emotion Regulation in Emerging Adults”.
DAY 2
Keynote: Lenka Kollerova
The second keynote presentation, “When Teachers Intervene in School Bullying: How Morality and Bias Related to Peer Exclusion Shape Antibullying Efforts”, was delivered by Lenka Kollerova.
Effective teachers' antibullying efforts reduce adolescents' involvement in school bullying, understood as aggressive behaviors characterized by power asymmetry between bullying and victimized students. While teachers believe that bullying (offline and online) is unfair, harmful, and deserving of intervention, they sometimes struggle to recognize these features in real-life incidents, especially in relational and online bullying. One critical reason for failing to recognize bullying in these contexts is the complexity of peer exclusion, an adversity that may precede or follow bullying or present a form of bullying. Teachers perceive that evaluations of peer exclusion are context-dependent and difficult, as peer exclusion is viewed as an inherent part of adolescent social functioning and relates to the developmental need of autonomy. Experimental research of these evaluations supports their context-dependency and suggests that teachers' moral reasoning about peer exclusion is shaped by ethnic and gender biases, as well as stereotypical beliefs about cross-group functioning. Moreover, teachers may alter power asymmetry in bullying using (in)appropriate teaching practices related to peer inclusion. Therefore, to reduce school bullying more effectively, teacher education should go beyond antibullying strategies and also focus on developing competencies to navigate peer exclusion, promote peer inclusion, and foster equal distribution of power among students.
From Research to Practice: A Panel Discussion
On Thursday, we also held a panel discussion, “From Research to Practice”, co-organised by the organisation Onfine. The panel discussion explored how social science research can meaningfully reach the public, policymakers, schools, and other stakeholders, and it addressed collaboration between researchers and practitioners. The speakers included Marie Jaron Bedrosova from IRTIS, Radka Kůřilová and Markéta homolková from Onfine, Petr Baďura and Radek Palaščák from Healthy Generation, and Adam Klocek from Masaryk University and the Czech Academy of Sciences.
IRTIS Presentations
In the afternoon, Martina Novotná presented her presentation about "Online Incivility on Social Media and Its Effects". And in the evening, Filip Kyslík presented his poster on “One Heartbeat From Death: The Competitive Element as a Driver of Arousal and Aggression in Violent Gaming”.
DAY 3
Keynote: Jörg Matthes
On Friday, the last keynote presentation, “Cutting One Head, Growing Two: The Struggle to Combat Digital Hate”, was given by Jörg Matthes.
In recent years, digital hate - defined as any malicious expression performed by and directed against an individual or a collective online - has emerged as a pervasive and destructive force in the digital sphere. There is mounting evidence from around the globe that digital hate can create tremendous harm, by silencing others, fueling division between individuals and groups, leading to negative psychological effects, or even inciting real-world, violent action. The more difficult question, however, is, how digital hate can be stopped. In this talk, I will try to explain the reasons behind digital hate. Using data from several European countries, I aim to shed light on the perpetrators of digital hate, who they are, why they spread hate, and the psychological and social factors driving their behavior. Looking at regulation, content moderation, technology development and citizen competence, I will then discuss some common strategies to create safer digital spaces. But is it a "Digital Hydra" - a monster that will regrow two heads, for every head chopped off?
Closing and Goodbyes
We are glad that the workshop provided all of us with opportunities to discuss our research and exchange ideas and perspectives. Many thanks to all presenters and participants, it was a pleasure to welcome you to Brno!
