Anger Management Flashcards
Why do people become angry according to behaviourists
Because becoming angry is reinforced by the individuals feeling of control in that situation
How are cognitive factors involved in aggressive acts according to Novaco
Suggests cognitive factors trigger the emotional arousal which generally precedes aggressive acts
Brief outline of anger management programmes
Form of CBT in which individual 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
What is involved in cognitive preparation phase
-requires the offender to reflect on experience and consider the typical triggers of their anger
-offender learns to identify those situations which act as a trigger to anger
-if the way in which the offender interprets the event is irrational, therapists role is to challenge this eg have hostile attribution bias
-therapist redefines the situation as non-threatening to attempt to break what may well be an automatic response of aggression
What is involved in step 2 skill acquisition
-offender introduced to a range of techniques and skills to help them deal with anger-provoking situations more rationally and effectively
May be:
-cognitive (positive self talk to encourage calmness)
-behavioural (assertiveness training in how to communicate more effectively)
-physiological (methods of relaxation/meditation)
-promotes idea it is possible for offender to be in control of their emotions rather than ruled by them
What is involved in step 3 application practice
-offenders given the opportunity to practice their skills within carefully monitored environment
-such role play likely to involve offender and therapist re-enacting scenarios that may have escalated feelings of anger and acts of violence in the past-must see each scenario as real
-therapist must wind up offender to assess progress
-successful negotiation of role play would be met with positive reinforcement from the therapist
-offender then practices new skills during the week and make a diary of performance in anger provoking situations
Expand on strength that anger management works on a number of different levels
-applies cognitive preparation/behavioural perspective and social approach whereby required to demonstrate what they have learnt during role play
-holistic and multidisciplinary approach which acknowledges that offending is a complex social and psychological activity and that any approach to address it should include these
Expand on strength that anger management attempts to tackle the causes of offending
-attempts to address the thought processes that underlie offending behaviour
-may give offenders new insight into the cause of their criminality enabling them to self discover ways of managing themselves outside of prison setting
-more likely that behaviour modification will lead to permanent behaviour change and reduce rates of recidivism to support in the rehabilitation aims of custodial sentencing
Expand on limitation that there is little evidence it reduced recidivism in the long term
-relies heavily on artificial role play which may not properly reflect all possible triggers of anger in real life
-best reserved for improving conduct within prison as opposed to providing a long term solution to offending
Expand on limitation that AM programmes are expensive to run
-this is because they require the services of highly trained specialists who are used to dealing with violent offenders
-not enough prisoners will benefit from treatment so does not allow offender the necessary rehabilitation needed as part of their custodial sentencing
