Anger Management Effects on Middle School Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders: Anger Log Use, Aggressive and Prosocial Behavior

ABSTRACT

This study examined the impact of a classroom-based, 10-week, cognitive-behavioral, anger management program plus booster sessions on middle school students with emotional disorders attending a therapeutic day school. Forty-five students were in the study; 20 received the program. The program group completed significantly more anger logs compared to the nonprogram group in both program and follow-up periods. Program students were observed to exhibit significantly more prosocial behaviors toward their teachers and showed a trend toward exhibiting fewer negative behaviors toward peers than nonprogram students at the end of the program. Program students also showed a trend toward fewer aggressive incidents than their nonprogram peers during follow-up. Findings may suggest mechanisms of change in anger management.

KEYWORDS:

• Aggressive behavior
• anger logs
• anger management
• cognitive-behavioral
• middle school
• prosocial behavior
• students with emotional/behavioral disorders

The authors would like to thank Jamilla Irons, Julie Swenson, and the teachers and school clinical social workers at CPC High Point Adolescent School for their assistance.

Notes

∗p < .03.

Note. Standard deviations are in parentheses.

∗p < .02. ∗∗∗p < .0005. †p < .08.

Note. Means are of numbers of 10-second intervals in 5 minutes of observation when behavior was seen for each student in the group. Standard deviations are in parentheses.

∗∗p < .006. †p < .085.