ANGER CONTROL TRAINING

1. ANGER CONTROLTRAINING

2. Theories of Aggression Innate Drives Frustration Learned Behavior

3. Multi-Layered

4. Aggression is simultaneously a BEHAVIORAL, COGNITIVEandEMOTIONALphenomenon. So, too, must be the interventions designed to address it.

5. Aggressive behavior can take many forms • Physical Aggression • Verbal Aggression • Relational Aggression • Includes such behaviors as gossiping, spreading cruel rumors, and encouraging others to reject or exclude someone.

6. Aggression: Verbal Injury • Character Attacks “Why can’t you do anything right?” • Competency Attacks “How could you be so stupid?” • Background Attacks “You’re just like your father, a loser!” • Physical Appearance Attacks “Must you always look like a slob?” • Maledictions “You’ll never amount to anything!”

7. Aggression: Verbal Injury • Teasing • Ridicule • Threats • Swearing • Nonverbal Emblems (Making derogatory faces)

8. Research supports that aggression is learned. Given that AGGRESSION is learned, WHO is teaching it? AND WHERE are they teaching it?

9. Three major classrooms for the learning of aggression • The home • The school • The mass media

10. Development of Aggression In Childhood Coercive Parenting Early Aggression Peer Rejection Social Isolation Attribution of Hostile Intent Affiliation with Antisocial Peer Group Inadequate Social Skills Development Continued High Levels of Aggressive Behavior

11. Emotional needs met through aggression • Power • Belonging • Freedom • Fun

12. Choosing to meet emotional needs Aggression… • …may get others to help us. • …may be used as an excuse for our unwillingness to do something more effective. • …helps to gain powerful control even if someone is frightened, small, or feels powerless.

13. Aggression as an Addiction A long term stable behavior, repetitively enacted. Subjective compulsion to use it. Reduced ability to control or reduce it, in frequency or intensity. Frequent relapses involving negative emotional states, interpersonal conflicts, and situations where used before.

14. Aggression as an Addiction Initiated and sustained by both person and environment. Yields short-term pleasure despite long-term consequences. Used in response to, and to relieve, stress, negative mood and general arousal. Often encouraged and rewarded by peer and family “enablers”.

15. Aggression as an Addiction • Often experienced with a “rush” of pleasure or excitement. • Frequently accompanied by denial (e.g., attribution of blame). • Preoccupied with others’ use of the behavior (e.g., aggressive TV viewing). • High rate of health risk, injury, and death.

16. Video games may affect brain activity • Research by the Radiological Society of North America @ Indiana School of Medicine in Indianapolis. • Studied brain activity of teens ages 13-17, half of whom were diagnosed with disruptive behavior disorder (DBD). • MRI’s showed reduced brain activity in the frontal lobe (controlling thinking, learning, reasoning and emotions). Video source: youtube.com

17. Research has demonstrated a link between exposure to violence in the media and negative outcomes for children, including… • …increased aggressive behavior and attitudes. • …fears or pessimistic attitudes about the world. • …desensitization to both real and fantasy violence. • …increased depression, nightmares and sleep disturbances.

18. Anger Control Training • Discussion of anger and aggression, benefits of controlling anger. • Relabeling of anger and aggression (as weak, immature, counterproductive, etc.) and nonviolence (as putting youth in a stronger position by giving them options besides fighting). • Expression of a qualifier: The goal is anger management, not to eliminate anger or to convince anyone that fighting is always wrong.

19. Constantly evaluate each client’s: COGNITIVE ABILITY low……………………………………high EMOTIONAL ABILITY low……………………………………high SOCIAL ABILITY low…………………………………….high The level of the client’s ability will have a strong influence on their coping skills

20. Anger Control Training The Emotional Component of ART Original studies conducted by Donald Meichenbaum et al. (1969) looked at the relationship between impulsivity and poor verbal control of overt behavior.

21. What to change? • Could hyperactive, impulsive youngsters be trained systematically to alter their problem-solving styles, to think before they act, or to talk differently to themselves?

22. Overview of a 10 Week Anger Control Training Sequence Week 1: Introduction • Explain the goals of Anger Control . • Explain the rules for participation. • Give initial assessments of the A-B-C’s: A=What led up to it? B=What did you do? C=What were the consequences? 4. Review the entire sequence.

23. Triggers - External - Internal . Self-Evaluation - Self-Coaching - Self-Rewarding Cues (Physical Signals) Anger Control Chain Anger Reducers - Count Backwards - Deep Breathing - Pleasant Imagery Thinking Ahead - Short-term Consequences - Long-term Consequences • Reminders • Positive Self-Talk • Self Instructional Talk

24. Week 2: Triggers(external/internal) Cues Reducers • Review the first session. • Introduce the Hassle Log. • Discuss what makes you angry (triggers). Cues and Reducers. • Model triggers, cues , reducers. • Review the Hassle Log and Triggers.

26. Week 3: Triggers, Cues and Reducers Review the first two sessions. Review chain taught to date – Triggers Cues Reducers. Model – Trigger, Cues Reducers Role-Play triggers + cues + anger reducers. Review the Hassle Log

27. Week 4: Reminders • Review the sequence. • Introduce reminders. • Model using reminders. • Role play triggers + cues + anger reducer(s) + reminders. • Review reminders.

28. Role Play

29. Week 5: Thinking Ahead • Review the sequence. • Introduce thinking ahead. • Short and Long term Consequences. • Internal and External Consequences. 3. Role play “if-then” thinking ahead. 4. Role play triggers + cues + anger reducer(s) + reminders + thinking ahead. 5. Review Thinking Ahead.

30. If-Then Thinking = Mental Contrasting

31. Optimists favor indulging, which means imagining the future they would like to achieve. Indulging feels really good when you are doing it but it does not correlate at all with actually achieving your goal.

32. Pessimists use a strategy called dwelling, which involves thinking about all the things that will get in the way of their accomplishing a goal.

33. Mental Contrasting combines the other two methods: concentrating on a positive outcome and simultaneously concentrating on the obstacles in their way.

34. Week 6: Self-Evaluation • Review the sequence. • Introduce self-evaluation: Self-Rewarding Self-Coaching. • Role-play triggers + cues + anger reducer(s) + reminders + thinking ahead + self-evaluation. • Review self-evaluation.

35. Role Play: If-Then

36. Week 7: Angry Behavior Cycle • Review the sequence. • Introduce the Angry Behavior Cycle. • Identify your own anger-provoking behavior. • Change your own anger-provoking behavior. Role-play triggers + cues + anger reducer(s) + reminders. • Review the Angry Behavior Cycle.

37. Irrational Beliefs Self- Defeating Beliefs Behavior Feelings Reactions Situation Feelings Intensify! Behavior Escalates! Stress Increases! Reactions Worsen! Long’s Conflict Cycle FULFILLED!

38. Week 8: Rehearsal of Full Sequence • Review the sequence. • Introduce the use of Skillstreaming skills in place of aggression. • Role-play triggers + cues + anger reducer(s) + reminders + thinking ahead +Skillstreaming skills + self-evaluation.

39. Anger Control Self Evaluation Anger Control Social Skill EXIT

40. Week 9: Rehearsal of Full Sequence • Review the sequence. • Role-play triggers + cues + anger reducer(s) + reminders + thinking ahead + Skillstreaming skills + self-evaluation.

41. Week 10: Overall Review • Review the Hassle Logs. • Recap anger control techniques. • Role-play triggers + cues + anger reducer(s) + reminders + thinking ahead +Skillstreaming skills + self-evaluation. • Give reinforcement for participation and encourage trainees to continue

42. Triggers - External - Internal . Self-Evaluation - Self-Coaching - Self-Rewarding Cues (Physical Signals) Anger Control Chain Anger Reducers - Count Backwards - Deep Breathing - Pleasant Imagery Thinking Ahead - Short-term Consequences - Long-term Consequences • Reminders • Positive Self-Talk • Self Instructional Talk

43. Anger Control Training Steps

44. 1. Define the sequence concept

45. 2. Model the sequence

46. Anger Control Steps 3-9