anger management

Question 1

anger management

Answer 1

type of cognitive behavioural therapy
to identify what triggers outbursts and how it can be changed so criminals can grow more prosocial

Question 2

what are the 3 steps of anger management

Answer 2

• cognitive preparation
• skills acquisition
• application and practice

Question 3

cognitive preparation and restructuring

Answer 3

group members helped to recognise their anger patterns and triggers and retrain them

Question 4

skills acquisition

Answer 4

learn behavioural and cognitive coping strategies like relaxation to replace anger with acceptable responses

Question 5

application and practice

Answer 5

individuals try out skills in role play and actual situations and are positively reinforced

Question 6

CALM

Answer 6

main AM treatment in UK prisons
24 two-hour sessions
used especially in young male offenders
6 steps that focus on thinking patterns, communication and preventing relapse
fully scripted so very short training programme and easy for poor literacy skills and low education levels

Question 7

Ireland

Answer 7

compared 50 prisoners who’d completed CALM and a control group of 37 who hadn’t
used a cognitive behavioural interview + questionnaires to test effectiveness
92% showed improvement on at least 1 angry behaviour, but 8% deteriorated

Question 8

Howell 2005

Answer 8

experimental AM group improved slightly in AM but no significant statistical diff between AM and controls
the AMs that scored better on SCQ (more motivated) had higher improvement

Question 9

Escamilla

Answer 9

16 juvenile offenders who had a 6 session group intervention into angry behaviour
1 year following completion 25% had not recommitted, 50% had reoffended and 25% had committed aggressive offence
no sig diffs with non-matched control

Question 10

Blacker

Answer 10

9 day course, drama-based programme called ‘insult to injury’ to explore aggression
helped offenders look at situations that may trigger anger and consider ways of dealing with it
significant reduction in anger in all 62 male offenders who took part

Question 11

strengths of AM

Answer 11

• looks at root triggers in aggression so more effective than TEP
• Howells says that those who are motivated are more likely to improve, voluntary so more effective
• useful in offenders who committed impulsive/unplanned crime due to anger
• holistic, range of different tactics to reduce anger

Question 12

weaknesses of AM

Answer 12

• counterproductive, helps violent offenders who make planned attacks manipulate techniques to gain power e.g. lying to parole boards to get out early
• no sig diff in improvements in controls and AM group - Howells
• only effective in reducing physical aggression
• reductionist, doesn’t consider biological
• not useful in premeditated violence