[The aggressive patient--comments on the social psychology of violence]

The management of the violent patient in hospital requires highly skilled therapeutic staff. Prevention, restriction and therapy of aggressive behaviour needs adequate diagnosis and therapy of the underlying disorder, furthermore a well structured ward milieu. This study pays attention to maladaptive structuring of the therapeutic milieu, which interferes with the integration of the violent patient. Modernized psychiatric institutions with liberal administration tend to expel the troublesome, especially the violent patient, when the formal organization of the institution superstructure is weakened.