anger management

• anger management programme- aggressive emotional responses are cognitive processes and are controlled with form of cognitive behavioural therapy
• helps to provide tecnhiques that offenders can use in stressful situations
• anger management stage 1 - cognitive preparation
• cognitive preparation - offenders learn how to assess their own thoughts for triggers of irrational aggressive emotion.

  eg are taken from their own life
• 2nd stage - skills acquisition
• skills acquisition - ways to control anger developed

  calming exercises

  improving communication skills

  to avoid conflict
• 3rd stage - application practice
• application practice - therapist and offender play out role play scenarios that cause aggressive responses

  offenders use skills developed to stay calm
• IRELAND SUPPORT OF ANGER MANAGEMENT

  group based anger management program

  self report questionnaires completed before and after intervention and behavioural checklist report from prison staff.
• IRELAND FINDINGS

  48% experimental group showed improvement on both measures

  biggest improvement in most aggressive prisoners
• LIM of IRELAND


  self report has problem of social desirability bias

  risks are much higher as prisoners hope for early release
• POSITIVE OF ANGER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

  skill developed in anger management can be applied outside of prison and help prisoners retain employment and relationships