Dealing with offending behaviour: anger management

Define anger management

A therapeutic program that involves identifying the signs that trigger anger as well as learning techniques to calm down & deal with the situation in a positive way

what is the aim of anger management

is not to prevent anger but to recognise it & manage it

Anger management can be offered in prison to…

encourage self-awareness & facilitate rehabilitation

Anger management is a form of ….

cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT)

In anger management, the individual is taught…

how to recognise the cognitive factors that trigger their anger and loss of control, and then are encouraged to develop techniques which bring about conflict resolution without the need for violence

what are the 3 stages of anger management programs

cognitive preparation, skills acquisition, application practice

In cognitive preparation, an offender…

reflects on past experiences & considers the typical pattern of their anger

In cognitive preparation the offender learns to…

identify situations which act as triggers to anger, and if the way that they interpret the event is irrational, the therapist's role is to make this clear

In re-defining the situation as non-threatening in cognitive preparation the therapist is attempting to…

break an automatic response of anger for the offender

what happens in skills aquisition

Offenders are introduced to a range of techniques & skills to help them deal with anger-provoking situations more rationally & effectively.

what techniques can offenders be introduced to in skills aquisistion?

Cognitive techniques e.g. positive self-talk, Behavioural techniques e.g. assertiveness training in how to communicate more effectively & Physiological techniques e.g. relaxation training/meditation

what happens in the application practice stage

Offenders are given the opportunity to practice their skills in a controlled environment through role play with the therapist re-enacting scenarios. If the offender deals successfully with the role play, they are positively reinforced by the therapist.

explain the strength the benefits of anger management programmes may outlast those of behaviour modification

unlike behaviour modification, anger management tries to tackle the causes of offending - the cognitive processes that trigger anger, and ultimately, offending behaviour. Alternative treatments such as behaviour modification deal only with surface behaviour and not the processes that drive such behaviour. Furthermore, experience of anger management may give offenders new insight into the causes of their criminality and allow them to self-discover ways of managing themselves outside of a prison setting - anger management prepares offenders to re-enter the real world

explain the weakness follow up studies of anger management tend to not support the assumption that anger management can lead to permanent behavioural change

whilst anger management may have a noticeable effect on conduct of offenders in the short term, there is very little evidence that it reduces recidivism in the long term. This may be because the application phase of treatment of treatment relies on role play which might not properly reflect all the possible triggers that are present in a real-world situation; any progress made in therapy may not be applicable in the real world

explain the weakness success may depend on individual factors

one researcher found that participation in anger management programme had little overall impact when compared to a control group who received no treatment however it was shown in offenders who were open to change and highly modification from the outset (called ‘treatment readiness’)

explain the weakness not a cost-effective method of dealing with offending behaviour

anger management programmes are expensive to run as they require the services of highly-training specialists who are used to dealing with violent offenders. For this reason, many prisons may not have the resources to fund such programmes. Furthermore, the success of anger management is often based on the commitment of those who participate - this may be a problem if prisoners are uncooperative and apathetic. Changes take time and this is ultimately likely to add to the expense of delivering effective programmes