Dealing with offending behaviour:
Anger management
Anger management is a therapeutic programme that involves identifying the signs that trigger anger as well as
learning techniques to calm down.
Anger management programmes are a form of CBT – the individual is taught how to recognise when they are
losing control, and then encouraged to develop techniques which bring about conflict-resolution without the
need for violence.
Three stages: Novaco:
1. Cognitive preparation • Suggests that cognitive
• Reflection on past experiences where the offender has factors trigger emotional
become angered. arousal which generally
• If the triggers detected are irrational, it is the therapist’s preceded aggressive acts.
job to make the irrationality known. • Anger appears quicker in
anxiety-inducing situations.
2. Skill acquisition
An example - Keen:
• Offender is introduced to new ways of dealing with anger
more rationally. • Keen et al. studied the
• These include: cognitive – positive self-talk, behavioural progress made by young
– training in how to communicate more effectively, offenders (aged 17-21) who
physiology – relaxation. took part in the National
Anger Management Package
(NAMP).
3. Application practice • The course comprised of
• Role play where all the new found skills are put into eight two-hour sessions, the
practice, it involves the re-enactment of situations that first seven over a three-
previously made the offender’s emotional responses week period with the last
escalate. session a month afterwards.
• During which, offenders will demonstrate a new, and • Overall, offenders reported
more positive way of coping. increased awareness of their
• Successful negotiation of the role play would be met with anger management
positive reinforcement from the therapist. difficulties and an increased
capacity to exercise self-
control.
Strengths Weaknesses
A holistic approach – the three stages involve a cognitive, Isn’t effective for everyone – Ireland: found that 8% of the
behavioural and social aspect. Therefore, this 50 inmates in a young offenders’ institution were worse
multidisciplinary approach knowledges that offending is a after receiving a treatment programme of twelve one-hour
complex social and psychological activity, and any attempt sessions over three days. After the programme their anger
to address it, should include these different elements. was again measured 8 weeks later; this would’ve made it
hard to control other variables that could influence the
inmates’ anger (e.g. interaction between inmates). Also, the
results can’t be generalised to other groups (e.g. released