anger management

• Anger management - a type of CBT aiming to reduce the emotional response ( anger ) by reconceptualising the emotion.
• Anger management aims to manage anger rather than remove it. This is a cognitive approach changing the way a person handles anger and aggression. The situation may not be changeable, but the way a person thinks about it can.
• Novaco describes prisons as “ efficient anger factories “ due to the social climate. Anger management aims to rehabilitate and reduce recidivism, especially for violent prisoners.
• Novaco identifies three key aims for any anger management:

  Cognitive restructuring

  Regulation of arousal

  Behavioural strategies
• Novaco made the stress inoculation approach, providing “ inoculation “ against future “ infections “. The therapy tends to be with a groups of offenders
• Three steps of stress inoculation:

  Cognitive preparation

  Skill acquisition

  Application training
• Cognitive preparation - learn about anger in general, analyse their own patterns of anger and identify what provokes anger in them
• Skill acquisition- taught skills to help manage their anger like self regulation, cognitive flexibilit, relaxation. They are also taught better communication skills
• Application training - apply learnt skills in controlled and non threatening situations such as role play of situations that previously made them angry. They receive extensive feedback from the therapist and group members.
• Key study. Jane Ireland ( 2004 ) assessed the effectiveness of anger management with 87 young male offenders. A base measure of anger was made with a self report questionnaire. Eight weeks after the anger management treatment, they were assessed using the questionnaire and by police officers. The study found there was a significant improvement in the experimental group, but no changes in the control group.
• AO3. Keen ( 2000 ) studied 17 - 21 year old offenders who took part in 8 two hour long anger management sessions. There were some issues with offenders not taking the course seriously, but the final outcomes were positive. Officers reported increased awareness and increased self control.
• AO3. Theories of anger assume a casual relationship between anger and offending. Many crimes are not motivated by anger so this only applies to a small group of offenders. Organised offenders are very controlled during the crime, whereas crimes committed due to anger would be more impulsive. The Home Office suggests that anger management should only be available for violent offenders who launch unplanned attacks through losing their temper that might be fuelled by drugs and alcohol
• AO3. Anger management requires specially trained staff, so it is expensive to run. Behaviour modification is easier and cheaper to implement and run. Anger management also requires active commitment from the participant, where as in behaviour modification the participant is more passive. This means that it is only useful in cases where the offender wants to reflect and learn, in prisons that don't have limited resources.
• AO3. Anger management takes a multidisciplinary approach, it acknowledges that offending is a complex and psychological problem. It is not reductionist. However, Blackburn ( 1993 ) points out that there is little evidence it reduces recidivism in the long term. Any progress made in prison might not reflect reality. Also, prisoners may show demand characteristics in order to receive a lower sentencing.