FP - Dealing with offending behaviour: Anger management

Question 1

What are the ways of dealing with offending behaviour?

Answer 1

Custodial sentencing and recidivism
Behaviour modification in custody - token economy
Anger management
Restorative justice programmes

Question 2

What is the cognitive approach in dealing with offending behaviour?

Answer 2

Anger management

Question 3

Anger management

Answer 3

A form of cognitive behavioural therapy specific to changing the way way a person manages their anger. Techniques include cognitive restructuring, skill acquisition and behavioural training.

Question 4

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

Answer 4

A combination of cognitive therapy (a way of changing maladaptive thoughts and beliefs) and behavioural therapy (a way of changing behaviour in response to these thoughts and beliefs).

Question 5

What are the 2 aims of the use of anger management with prisoners?

Answer 5

A 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.

Question 6

Who is associated with anger management?

Answer 6

Raymond Novaco

Question 7

What did Novaco (2013) describe prisons as?

Answer 7

‘Efficient anger factories’.

Question 8

Why did Novaco (2013) describe prisons as ‘efficient anger factories’?

Answer 8

Due to the social climate (violent inmates, overcrowding and a tendency towards a hostile attribution bias or other irrational ways of thinking which can benefit from cognitive therapy).

Question 9

Who is a longer-term aim in anger management especially beneficial for?

Answer 9

Violent prisoners.

Question 10

What is the aim of anger management in general?

Answer 10

To change the way a person handles anger and aggression.

Question 11

What does cognitive therapy accept?

Answer 11

That the situation itself may not be changeable but a person can change the way they think about it and thus change their behaviour. The therapy is one of ‘management’.

Question 12

What were the 3 aims for any anger management programme identified by Novaco (2011)?

Answer 12

Cognitive restructuring
Regulation of arousal
Behavioural strategies

Question 13

Explain Novaco’s aim of cognitive restructuring

Answer 13

Greater self-awareness and control over cognitive dimensions of anger.

Question 14

Explain Novaco’s aim of regulation of arousal

Answer 14

Learning to control the physiological state.

Question 15

Explain Novaco’s aim of behavioural strategies

Answer 15

Such as problem solving skills, strategic withdrawal and assertiveness.

Question 16

What model is used in anger management?

Answer 16

Stress inoculation model (Novaco 1975, 1977).

Question 17

What does stress inoculation aim to do?

Answer 17

Provide a kind of vaccine against future ‘infections’.

Question 18

How is therapy based on the stress inoculation model done (briefly)?

Answer 18

Therapy tends to be conducted with a group of offenders either inside prison or outside, for example during a probation period.

Question 19

What are the 3 key steps of the stress inoculation model of anger management?

Calm People Should Avoid Angry People

Answer 19

Cognitive preparation
Skill acquisition
Application practice/training

Question 20

Explain the cognitive preparation stage of anger management

Answer 20

In the initial phase, clients learn about anger generally, how it can be both adaptive and non-adaptive. They analyse their own patterns of anger and identify situations which provoke anger in them.

Question 21

Explain the skill acquisition stage of anger management

Answer 21

In the second phase, clients are taught various skills to help manage their anger, such as self-regulation, cognitive flexibility and relaxation. They are also taught better communication skills so they can resolve conflicts assertively without being angry.

Question 22

Explain the application practice/training stage of anger management

Answer 22

Clients apply the skills initially in controlled and non-threatening situations such as role plays of situations that previously made them angry. They receive extensive feedback from the therapist and other group members. Later clients can try out their skills in real world settings.

Question 23

Give examples of anger management programmes with offenders

Jane Ireland, 2004

Answer 23

Jane Ireland (2004) assess the effectiveness of an anger management therapy with 87 young male offenders. A baseline measure was made assessing pre-intervention anger (using a self-report questionnaire) and also each participant was assessed by prison officers. An experimental group of 52 part in the treatment programme, while the other 37 were placed on a waiting list. The treatment consisted of 12 one hour sessions over 3 days.

8 weeks after the treatment all participants were reassessed using the questionnaire and also assessed by prison officers. The study found significant improvements in the experimental group and no changes in the control group over that period of time.

Question 24

Give examples of anger management programmes with offenders

Timothy Trimble et al., 2015

Answer 24

Timothy Trimble et al. (2015) reported on an anger management programme with 105 offenders on probation in Northern Ireland. It was a condition of their probation that they attend an anger management programme.

The programme did not include offenders who had a poor history of anger and aggressive behaviour alone. It included those whose anger and poor emotional control predisposed them to offend.

The programme was conducted across a range of centres. There were 9 weekly sessions lasting 2 hours, with a 15-minute break.

It was found that the programme significantly reduced the expression of anger as well as the amount of anger experienced among offenders compared to their pre-treatment scores.

Question 25

What 3 people can you use for supporting evidence for anger management?

Answer 25

Keen (2000)
Blackburn (1993)
Loza-Fanous (1999)

Question 26

Explain Keen’s (2000) supporting evidence for anger management

Answer 26

The National Anger Management Package was trailed in England and Wales with offenders aged 17-21. There were initial issues of offenders not taking the course seriously and forgetting their routines, the programme was considered to be a success. Offenders reported high levels of self-control and increased awareness after the course.

Question 27

Explain Blackburn’s (1993) supporting evidence for anger management

Answer 27

There is little evidence that anger management reduces recidivism in the long term. This is mainly because the application stage is based on role play which does not cover all the possible situations in which a trigger can arise in real life. The controlled role-play scenarios are very different to a busy pub environment on a Saturday night.

Question 28

Explain Loza-Fanous (1999) supporting evidence for anger management

Answer 28

Loza-Fanous devised a psychometric test and discovered there was little difference between the non-violent and violent offenders. Anger management courses may also give offenders an excuse/justification for their behaviour. Many crimes are also not motivated by anger such as financial crime/fraud.