Anger Management

• Anger management

  Type of CBT

  Reduce emotional response using CBT skills

  Focusses on offenders with violent behaviour

  Identify triggers of anger and learn to control them

  In the short term it reduces anger and aggression in prisoners

  In the long term it reduces the reoffending rate and promotes rehabilitation
• Attribution bias

  Anger management is linked to the cognitive explanation of criminal behaviour

  Suggests that criminals have a tendency towards irrational ways of thinking - eg hostile attribution bias
• Novaco (2011)

  3 key aims:

  Cognitive restructuring (having greater self awareness & control over cognitive triggers)

  Regulation of arousal (learning to control the physiological state)

  Behavioural strategies (including problem solving, strategic withdrawal & assertiveness)
• Stress inoculation model

  Most anger management programmes are based on Novaco’s work. His model draws on stress inoculation training which is a form of CBT.

  Gives a form of coping before the problem arises.

  Tends to be carried out with a group of offenders inside prison or during probation periods.
• 3 steps of anger management

  Cognitive preparation - conceptualisation

  Skills acquisition & rehearsal

  Application
• Cognitive preparation- conceptualisation

  Offender learns about anger and analyses their own anger patterns, identifying situations that provoke them.

  Offenders thought patterns challenged.

  Offender considers the negative consequences of their anger on others.
• Skill acquisition & rehearsal

  Offenders taught various skills to manage their anger. Including:

  Stop & think

  Cognitive flexibility

  Learning relaxation techniques

  Learning communication skills to deal with conflict constructively
• Application

  Offenders apply skills to situations through role play.

  Roleplay multiple scenarios that previously made them angry to show how they can control their anger and change their response to situations.

  Therapist gives feedback.

  Later skills tried in real world settings.
• Strengths of anger management

  Self report data supports its effectiveness.

  Gives tools to control anger leading to long term benefits.

  Anger linked to health problems such as high blood pressure, headaches. Reducing anger may reduce health problems.

  Voluntary -> ethical, more likely to take it seriously.
• Weaknesses of anger management

  May encourage offenders to blame actions on anger rather than take full responsibility.

  Anger may be expressed in other ways such as verbal or emotional abuse.

  Self report data - may lie, use it as a break from prison routine.

  Wont reduce crimes not linked to anger.

  Placing people with violent tendencies in same room may lead to outbursts.