Anger Management (forensics)

Question 1

What is anger management?

Answer 1

• Cognitive behavioural therapy
• Novaco: Cognitive processes e.g. thought processes led to the emotional arousal that came before aggressive behaviour
• Reinforced by feeling of being in control.
• Helps individuals to recognise their cognitive influences (signs) and learn techniques to cope and deal with the situations more positively.

Question 2

Aims of anger management

Answer 2

1.) Reduce anger and aggression in prison
2.) Longer term aim of rehabilitation and reduction in recidivism

Cognitive therapy helps accept that the situation itself may not be changed by the person can change the way they think about it, so change their behaviour –> self management

Question 3

Three key aims for anger management programmes

Answer 3

1.) Cognitive restructuring: greater self awareness and control over cognitive dimensions of anger
2.) Recognition of arousal: learning to control the physiological state
3.) Behavioural changes: problem solving strategic withdrawal and assertiveness.

Question 4

What are the stages in stress inoculation therapy and what happens?

Answer 4

1.) Cognitive preparation: reflect on past experiences to identify situations which led to anger, therapist helps to redefine some situations as non threatening.

2.) Skills acquisition: techniques are taught which helps them to deal with situations more effectively and rationally.

3.) Application practice: roleplay activities allow the offender to practice what they have learnt in a controlled environment.

Question 5

Strengths of anger management

Answer 5

+ Better than behavioural modification: focuses on cognitive processes which trigger offending, other methods don’t address the cause. Allows prisoners to understand their own thought processes, so they can continue this out of prison. More permanent change

+ Keen, Ireland

Question 6

Limitations of anger management

Answer 6

• Expensive: requires highly trained specialists and most prisons do not have the resources or the budget. Also depends on the commitment of the prisoners to justify the costs, and takes lots of time to finish the course of around 10 weeks.
• Blackburn contradicts it being a permanent solution: this is because there is little evidence that it actually reduces recidivism rates out of prison, this could be due to the application stage which involves hypothetical roleplaying situations, therefore using artificial environments and not representing real life.