Dealing with Offending Behaviour - Anger Management Flashcards
What did Novaco suggest?
That cognitive factors trigger the emotional arousal which generally precedes aggressive acts. His argument is that in some people anger is quick to surface, especially in situations that are perceived to be anxiety-inducing or threatening.
How can you explain anger management in behaviourist terms?
Becoming angry is reinforced by the individuals feeling of control in that situation.
How are anger management programmes a form of CBT?
They are taught how to recognise the factors that trigger their anger and loss of control, and are encouraged to use techniques which bring about conflict resolution.
What are the 2 aims of anger management?
- Short-term aim of reducing anger and aggression in prisons where it is a serious issue
- Longer-term aim of rehabilitation and reduction of recidivism.
What is Stage 1 of anger management?
Cognitive preparation:
The offender reflects on past experiences and considers the typical pattern of anger. They learn to identify situations that have acted as triggers, and the therapist points out where they have acted irrationally.
What is Stage 2 of anger management?
Skill Acquisition:
They are introduced to techniques to help them deal with anger - dealing with situations more rationally and effectively. This may be talking to encourage calmness, assertiveness training on how t communicate more effectively and relaxation methods.
What is Stage 3 of anger management?
Application Practice:
Offenders are given the opportunity to practice their skills in a monitored environment, with role play involving the offender and therapist re-enacting threatening scenarios and practicing not being angry.
What is the strength - Distal solution.
Anger management tries to tackle the root causes of offending, giving criminals new insight into the cause of their criminality, allowing them to self-discover ways to managing themselves outside of prison.
What is the limitation - Blackburn?
He argues that whilst it has a noticeable effect on conduct in the short-term, there is little evidence of reduced recidivism in the long-term. This is because it relies heavily on artificial role-play which might not properly reflect all the possible triggers in a real-life situation.
what is the limitation - Howells
He found that participation in an anger management programme had little impact when compared to a control group. Progress was only made with offenders who showed intense levels of anger before the programme.
What is the limitation - Expensive
They are expensive to run as they require the services of highly trained specialists who are used to dealing with violent offenders. Many prisoners may not have these resources available, and change takes time and commitment and this is ultimately likely to add to the expense of delivering these programmes.
