Anger management

Question 1

Anger management

Answer 1

• Cognitive intervention that aims to help the offender control their feelings of anger
• Many crimes - anger root
  = Prevent anger prompting criminal acts

Question 2

Training

Answer 2

• Based on offenders learning and practising skills

- Focused on controlling impulses and anger

Question 3

Novaco anger management programme

Answer 3

Three-stage process;

1. Cognitive preparation
2. Skill acquisition
3. Application training

Question 4

Cognitive preparation

Answer 4

• Offender spends time understanding what makes them angry and identifies triggers
• Very individualised part of training - cues for anger vary + vital to know what situation will make the angry feeling escalate.
• Impossible to stop anger - possible to mediate anger and prevent escalation.

Question 5

Skill Acquisition

Answer 5

• Dependent on the individual’s response to cognitive preparation
• Skills that are taught; relaxation techniques and assertiveness techniques
• Social skills training

Question 6

Application training

Answer 6

• Practise newly acquired skills
• Roleplay in both realistic and imaginary situations
• Offenders prepared for future
• Respond in a non-aggressive way

Question 7

Ireland (2000)

Answer 7

• Anger management programmes can be very successful
• 50 prisoners completed 2 measures of anger
• Before and after completion of AM
• 12 hours worth of intervention spread out into 1-hour intervals over 3 days
• Questionnaire and checklist of 29 problematic behaviours
• Control group of 37 prisoners (matched) - completed same measures
• Results compared
  = 92% reduction in anger levels for intervention group on at least one of the measures.

Question 8

Howells et al (2005)

Answer 8

• Measured success level of AM with violent offenders
  = Programme reduced anger - not statistically significant level
  = Level of anger reported prior to intervention - indicator of success + offender’s readiness to take part

Question 9

Koons et al (1997)

Answer 9

• Contribute the most to AM interventions with offenders
  = Offenders and practitioners both suggested = individualised programme was effective together with the way it was delivered by staff
  = Trainers needed to be selected carefully to give the programme every chance of success.

Question 10

Evaluation - Limitations

Answer 10

• Roleplay = too different from real life
• Level and intensity of emotion are greater in a real-life situation - harder to apply skills and revert back.
• Difficult to measure the success
• Levels of recidivism - reasons, why people re-offend, so repeat, may not be due to failure of AM
• Using recidivism = only measures when a person re-offend.
• Lack of evidence that AM works long-term - danger of reoffending
• Offender must be motivated - intervention doesn’t work if offender is not motivated

Question 11

Evaluation- strengths

Answer 11

• AM gives offender insight + help them understand problems with their thoughts
• AM could make them function better in everyday life - insight gained.