Anger Control in Children:

Abstract

Aggression is a major source of concern to mental health professionals working with children. Research suggests that such children are vulnerable for becoming maladjusted adults, with high incidence of drug and alcohol abuse. Given the pressure to treat aggressive children, there is little empirical evidence that traditional psychotherapeutic techniques have been effective. Therefore, there is urgent need for the development of innovative programs for working with aggressive children. This paper provides a critical review of the social skills training and interpersonal problem solving techniques for working with aggressive children. It then suggests a four factor multimethod approach with focuses on the deficits in socially appropriate behavior, the deficiency in cognitive appraisal of interpersonal situations, and the concomitant weakness in problem solving skills which are all characteristic of aggressive children. In addition, it stresses the importance of placing equal emphasis upon the impulsive aspect of anger arousal and anger management. The anger arousal model, based upon Novaco's work with adults, needs future research to implement these techniques with children. The fourth factor in a comprehensive treatment program for the control of aggression would have to consider the effects of the social environment upon the reinforcement of aggressive behavior. While beyond the scope of this paper, future research could examine the effects of the environment on the reinforcement of aggressive behavior and the relationships between media violence and aggressive behavior in children.