Anger Management Describe Flashcards
Where can it be used?
In prisons
How may offenders take part?
Voluntarily or part of their sentence
What is the aim of anger management?
To identify triggers that may cause aggressive outbursts. By preventing aggression the likelihood of crimes being committed is lessened
How often does it occur and who with??
Usually twice a week and a trained practitioner runs the group, usually acting as a facilitator
How do offenders begin?
By talking about their day, describing their feelings are discussing their progress
How is a trigger identified?
When the offender starts to discuss what makes the angry and thus trigger the aggressive outbursts
How is a trigger dealt with?
Typically it is turned around so that it is viewed in a positive light
What happens once the offender starts to make progress?
The length of time between sessions is gradually increased so the support of the group is reduced over time
What are the three key stages of anger management programme?
Cognitive preparation, skill acquisition and application practice
What does skills acquisition involve?
Teaching offenders techniques that will help them to manage their behavioural response to triggers in a more productive way.
What does cognitive preparation involve?
Analysing past aggression and discovering patterns so the facilitator can look for recurring triggers. Offenders must also examine the consequences of their aggression and realise change is needed.
In the skills acquisition stage, what are cognitive skills?
Cognitive skills aim to change thoughts and perceptions of a situation in order to damp down the emotional response eg thought stopping techniques like counting to ten or instructive themselves to “calm down calm down”.
In the skills acquisition stage, what are behavioural skills?
Behavioural skills aim to reduce the physiological fight or flight response and give options for dealing with the situation. Eg relaxation training to try and damp down the release of hormones and assertiveness training to help the client maintain their view without resorting to violence
What does application practice involve?
This allows the offended to test their skills in a range of situations. The group members can role play situations that reflect their triggers and allow them to practice dealing with them in a non aggressive way. This reinforces good behaviour and positivity within the group.
