The degree which anger and aggression are accepted differs considerably in different cultures. For example, some societies discourage physical violence, but accept the verbal expression of anger. There are also different levels of aggression between cultures.

While people expect the level and type of aggression to be common across cultures, they are often different depending on what is socially and legally acceptable. For example, in the African American culture, racism is considered aggressive. People within this culture have gone through a history of racial prejudice and they are still under pressure to stay within their race (Stevenson, 2003). The Japanese culture emphasizes on the face in terms of the social status. Individual image is crucial in the context of social interaction. People can differentiate themselves from others by the virtue of their position in the hierarchy. Behaviors which threaten a person’s social status, such as insulting the individual in public are considered aggressive behaviors. Also actions that cause humiliation or embarrassment are included here.
There are some behaviors which are usually considered aggressive through most cultures such as assaulting a target using weapons or body parts (Kassin, 2014). This form of aggression aims at infringing an individual’s right. Infringing upon what a person deserves or what belongs to another is considered as injustices across many cultures. It is also a focal interest of both religious and legal authorities.

However, there are socially sanctioned violent actions that are acceptable in certain cultures. For example, gang violence in the African American culture has been accepted because of the environment where people from this culture live (Harcourt, 2003). They live in poor neighborhoods and lack education and see joining gangs as the only way to survive. In cultures such as the Japanese, politeness, considerateness, and non-aggressiveness are crucial in social-interaction. It discourages any form of aggressiveness and the value goes back to the Buddhist tradition.

Understanding how aggression differs in different cultures is crucial in understanding them. What is regarded as an aggressive action in one culture, such as the African American culture can be different in another culture.