It is a totally unpleasant feeling to read of cases of rising violence in the country. In the times of rumour mongering, several people have lost their lives over a WhatsApp forward. While Mob lynching has become a pressing problem to counter at hand and day by day, there are other incidents, wherein the smallest of reasons have pushed people to pull the trigger. The reasons behind the deaths are as shocking as they are trivial. An argument, a negative response, something very basic has resulted in extreme actions, taking lives in most cases.

Let us take a look at cases where people have killed someone for the stupidest reasons:

Complain about food quality: A 30-year-old man in Delhi was killed by the employees of a restaurant after he complained about the quality of food. Anyone visiting a restaurant would naturally expect good food at least. When Pawan visited Kamal Dhaba in east Delhi, he complained about the food quality. The employees used the ladle as a weapon and beat him to death!

Wearing jeans without permission: An elder brother killed his younger one over an argument on a pair of jeans. The shocking incident took place in a village in Allahabad. The elder brother named Rajendra killed his younger sibling as he wore his jeans without taking his permission. It led to an argument between the two brothers and Rajendra lost his temper.

No Free Beedi Packet: A shopkeeper in Delhi was stabbed to death by two brothers, as he refused to give a beedi packet of Rs 5 for free. Both the brothers were heavily drunk and pulled out a knife when the shopkeeper refused. Although the mother of the shopkeeper pleaded, the guys did not stop and killed him.

Money matters: Fights over money can take serious turns. But there have been cases where people have been killed over Rs 250, Rs 500 and so. The money can act as a motive in some cases given the amount is more but the major point here is people cannot control their aggression.

In the timespan of a year, there have been so many cases where people have been killed over trivial issues. The reasons are bizarre and killing seems to be a normal thing these days. This is the harsh reality of the times.

What could be the causes of Excessive Aggression?

The reasons for these killings are extremely trivial but the loss is huge. The loss of life has lost the gravity of the situation. It is important to understand what triggers the aggression to such a level.

Psychiatrist Dr Era Dutta points out, "This is literally a knee-jerk reaction wherein you just react to the situation, without thinking of the effect. It is an anger issue. One thing we need to take care of is the person's mental health. Anger could be someone's outcome of depression. They do not know how to channelise their depression, so they angry."

  • People are also becoming anxious, too stressed which again triggers a knee-jerk reaction. At that time even if someone touches you by mistake, you hit back. Mindfulness and Yoga May Help Treat Anxiety in Teens. 

  • The rising substance abuse is also a major factor. People tend to get angry when they do not get their daily dose of alcohol, nicotine or any other drug. They get irritable and can trigger an impulsive reaction. Many of the accused in cases have been found to be under drug abuse.

  • A pent-up aggression can result from a past trauma. There could be a history to the action of killing which doesn't come to the fore in most of the cases. "There could have been some psychological disorder from the past. Or maybe the dynamics at home, the person's personality all contribute to them taking the harsh step," she explains.

  • Easier access to dangerous weapons. Earlier someone would sulk if they had been insulted or hit at. Today with easier access to social media, to defame someone or just easy accessibility to a knife/gun makes it easier for people to go chasing and take revenge.

Solution to aggression:

A lot of people do not know that they have a problem of extreme anger or aggression. People know they get angry but they do not realise the intensity of the problem. So the first step to dealing with the problem is introspection. Once the problem is detected, the help can be offered. Sometimes the anger stems out of a deeper problem. "Those who keep on justifying their anger are basically rationalising their actions. They keep saying what they did was right, finding reasons to support them," says Dutta. She once dealt with a case, wherein the subject had a problem of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). When someone shifted his things which he liked to be kept in order, he'd get angry. So many a times, there is a deeper cause to one's anger that needs to be checked.

There are ways to deal with aggression. Those who know they have the problem can sometimes come up with their own solutions. "Often people with aggression, find their calm in writing, painting, music. They become great artists even. It is important to channelise your anger in the right direction," she concludes.

It is important to understand that aggression is a major cause stemming out of unstable mental health. As much as we talk of depression and anxiety, we need to also address aggression.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 24, 2018 03:33 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).