Treatments for offenders: CBT

Question 1

What is a form of cognitive behavioural therapy for offenders

Answer 1

Anger management

Question 2

Anger management

definition

Answer 2

Offenders are taught to recognise what triggers anger and apply methods in regulating this emotion

Question 3

Phase 1: Cognitive preparation

Answer 3

With the therapist, offenders thinks back on situations where anger was triggered and reflects how he could have acted differently

Question 4

Phase 2: Skills acquisition

Answer 4

Taught range of behavioural-techniques to help them deal with anger-provoking situations.

Exaxmple:

• counting to 10 in a stressful situation
• meditation
• deep breathing

Question 5

Phase 3: applications and practise

Answer 5

Therapist creates situations to test the newly acquired skills. These situations purposely provoke the offender to see how well they can manage their anger

Question 6

Evaluation: Strength

Answer 6

Addresses difirent apsects of offending behaviour, it’s a interdisiplinary approach that works on a number of different levels (Cognitive preperation, Skills acquisition and application).

Question 7

Evaluation: weakness ‘short term’

Answer 7

Researchers argue that anger management only helps control their conduct in the short term. This might be because there isn’t a strong relationship between anger and offending.

Question 8

Evaluation: strength ‘research study’

Answer 8

Jane Ireland:

2 groups: one anger management, one no treatment until later

Interview and questionaire conducted 2 weeks before and 8 weeks after treatment

Found: 92% showed improvement in 1 measure and 48% showed improvement on questionaire

Showed anger management to be more effective than no treatment at all

Question 9

Evaluation: competing arguement to Jane Ireland

Answer 9

Assessment of improvement was only after 8 weeks, may not be enough time to assess effectiveness of treatment. Questionable whether this study is a good indicator for effectiveness of anger management