Anger Management Programmes

Question 1

Up until the late 1990s what were the main methods of modifying criminal behaviour based on?

Answer 1

The behaviourist principle of punishment

Question 2

What percentage of criminals were reconvicted within 1 year of their release?

Answer 2

46% which shows punishment was largely ineffective

Question 3

What approach are AMPs based on?

Answer 3

Cognitive Approach

Question 4

What do cognitive psychologists believe criminal behaviour is a result of?

Answer 4

negative/irrational/inappropriate thoughts

Question 5

What is attribution theory?

Answer 5

when we encounter other people we interpret what we experience by making attributions by looking for causes for behaviours. We can make functional (someone smiled at me because they are happy)or dysfunctional attributions (someone smiled at me because they are being sarcastic.)

Question 6

What do dysfunctional attributions lead to

Answer 6

Hostile attribution bias and this interpretation often leads to feelings of anger and potential violence

Question 7

What are the three aims of AMPs

Answer 7

Novaco’s (2011) aims
1. Regulate Arousal
2. Restructure Cognition
3. Develop Behavioural Strategies

Question 8

Novaco used the principles of what therapy to develop AMPs?

Answer 8

CBT

Question 9

Regulate Arousal

Answer 9

learning how to reduce physiological arousal

Question 10

Restructure Cognition

Answer 10

learning how to think differently and to reduce feelings of anger

Question 11

Develop Behavioural Strategies

Answer 11

learning appropriate ways of behaving such as strategic withdrawal

Question 12

What are the 4 key stages the three aims are achieved in

Answer 12

1. Relaxation Training
2. Cognitive Restructuring
3. Social Skills Training
4. Application

Question 13

Relaxation Training

Answer 13

offender can restore their arousal to a state of calm

Question 14

Cognitive Restructuring

Answer 14

therapist will help the offender understand how their dysfunctional thoughts are causing their violent behaviour so that they can help replace dysfunctional thoughts with functional ones

Question 15

Social Skills Training

Answer 15

taught new behavioural strategies to helm them manage volatile strategies.

Question 16

Application

Answer 16

using role play the new skills will be combined and practiced before being used within the real world

Question 17

Give an example of a real life AMP

Answer 17

Controlling Anger and Learning to Manage it (CALM)
This is a 24 session AMP ran by the Probation Service which runs for 2 hours.

Question 18

What evidence did Trimble et al find in 2015

Answer 18

-AMPs reduced the expression of anger and experiences of anger within the offenders based on their pre-treatment assessments
-condition of probabtion
-105 offenders in northern ireland
-range of centres
-nine, 2 hourly weekly sessions

Question 19

Issues with Trimble et al study

Answer 19

-expression and experience of anger measured using a self-assessment questionnaire
-social desirability bias - may answered this as part of probation
-reduction in anger showed but does not show whether this caused show reduction in recidivism

Question 20

Study that showed that AMPs reduced recidivism?

Answer 20

Dowden et al 1999
substantial study into effectiveness of AMPS with offenders in Canada
-ran for 25 two hour sessions and found to successfully reduce recidivism in offenders over a 3 year post training period

Question 21

What factors can reduce effectiveness of AMP

Answer 21

Watt and Howells 1999 found that AMPs are unlikely to work if there is poor motivation from the offender, high complexity of program content, low program integrity, limited opportunities for offenders to practice their new skills.
-target only violent offenders

Question 22

Why do AMPs have an issue of lack informed consent?

Answer 22

offenders may be required to attend AMPs as part of their probation meaning they are unable to provide their own voluntary and informed consent.

Question 23

What does the Ethical Code for Anger Management and Domestic Violence Professions state?

Answer 23

valid informed consent should be obtained when appropriate demonstrating there are cases when it is appropriated for informed consent to be omitted. Such cases probably occur when the benefits of programme to the offender themselves and wider community outweigh the cost of obtaining informed consent.

Question 24

Why is lack of confidentiality also pose as an issue in AMPs?

Answer 24

-therapists only break confidentiality when they believe client’s safety or safety of other’s at risk
-AMP therapists will be hired by the criminal justice system and have the duty to the institution which they work
-Their ethical code is that a confidence can be broken in most serious circumstances.

Question 25

How can AMPs improve prison environments?

Answer 25

-reduce recidivism -reduce levels of anger -benefit prison staff and other prisoners -less anger means less hostility between prison staff and prisoners -less violence

Question 26

How much does recidivism cost?

Answer 26

£18 billion per year within England and Wales

Question 27

Why are AMPS beneficial?

Answer 27

make society safer, frees money to be spent on other things such as NHS and education.