from YAPRap June 2007
by Suzanne Egan, Research Officer, Rosemount*
The impetus for this research was the experiences and observations of the counsellors in Rosemount's Adolescent and Family Counselling Program:
- Firstly there had been a marked increase in referrals for anger issues.
- Secondly the counsellors experienced difficulty engaging a significant proportion of the young people in traditional counselling and considered a targeted group work program may be more effective.
- Thirdly, there appeared to be a lack of clarity in how the term anger management was being used with the result that young people were referred for ‘anger management issues' for a diverse range of issues that did not always prove consistent with anger difficulties.
- Finally there was concern that , in a social and political climate where young people are often portrayed as dangerous and out of control, ‘anger management' not be used to silence or disempower young people.
Therefore, the importance of approaching the issue form a social justice perspective was emphasised from the outset.
Research aims & methodology
- to examine the existing research on the effectiveness of anger management programs
- to analyse how the issue of anger management has been problematised within the literature
- to extend on the existing body of knowledge by drawing on the experience of both local practitioners and young people themselves.
A series of focus groups were conducted with practitioners employed in a variety of settings that brought them into contact with young people experiencing anger difficulties. Focus groups were also run with young people participating in Rosemount's educational programs. In addition, a questionnaire was developed and distributed to a broader range of agencies and completed by both staff and young people using the services.
What is anger management?
Anger management generally targets externalised, as opposed to internalised, expressions of anger. That is, anger which is overt, disruptive, and noticeable to others. The purpose of standard anger management programs is for clients to react to life with minimal and appropriately expressed anger. Most programs use a group work model and employ a cognitive behavioural approach. This approach typically involves participants learning to: recognise trigger situations, change accompanying thought patterns and practise physical relaxation skills. These new responses are then rehearsed using role-plays, until they become automatic.
How effective are anger management programs?
The increasing popularity of anger management programs has lead to a number of systematic reviews of research on the outcomes of these interventions. Overall, these reviews have found anger programs to be effective. For example, they have similar success rates as for other issues, such as anxiety and depression, where cognitive behavioural interventions are commonly used. It is important to note though, that interventions were most successful where adolescents had moderate levels of anger, as opposed to those with either very mild anger difficulties or a history of violent behaviour. However, one of the major limitations of these reviews is that they examine studies that have taken place under well-controlled research conditions. 'Ecological validity', or the extent to which these findings can be transferred to community settings, has yet to be established and indeed remains an acknowledged goal of outcome research.
The view from the literature: anger management as an individual problem
The barriers to successfully transferring research into practice are often framed in quite individualised terms... For example, the perceived motivational problems of people with anger management difficulties are widely discussed in considerable detail. There is little in the standard anger management literature that considers systemic and environmental issues or that considers anger as a legitimate response to injustice. However, what is considered a valid or invalid expression of anger does not exist in a social vacuum but is closely linked to issues of power and control. That is anger (overtly expressed anger) is more readily accepted if one is perceived to be of high rather than low status. Given that social welfare agencies such as Rosemount provide services to many marginalised young people these are crucial factors to consider. Finally, the dominance of quantitative research frameworks has meant there is little research to date which gives voice to the knowledge and experiences either of youth work practitioners or of young people themselves.
The view from the field: anger management as a social issue
Largely both practitioners' and young people's understandings of the term anger management and their expectations of program outcomes conformed to the literature. However, there were some wide-reaching criticisms made of the concept of anger management. These included the focus on a specific expression of anger (externalised), the neglect of difficulties with internalised anger and the targeting of 'problem' young people as opposed to universal program provision. Some practitioners raised issues about the individualised nature of anger management programs and the potential for broader social issues to be ignored or mislabelled. An example was given of a child, who subjected to racism from peers, was referred for 'anger management' on the basis of their response to this discriminatory treatment. Referral patterns reflected those observed by Rosemount staff and ranged from minor issues such as swearing through to cases of physical assault.
Both practitioners and young people identified environment influences as key factors for young people experiencing difficulties with anger. These included school environments, the proliferation of violent films and the effects of different forms of child abuse, for example living with domestic violence. Perhaps not surprisingly, practitioners highlighted the need for programs which adopt a systemic approach and include young people's families, schools and service providers where relevant. Young people's comments focused on the importance of skill-based approaches ('doing' not 'just talking'), grounded in their context of their day-to-day experiences. Interestingly this view supports the research literature, which found skills-based rather than educative models to be most effective for adolescents.
Confusing anger with violence
There appears to be a slippage occurring, in both the literature and the field, between the terms anger and violence. For example, some young people saw problems with anger as being the result of exposure to violent films, while practitioners focused on anger management difficulties as an outcome, or effect, of different forms of child abuse such as living with domestic violence. Yet these factors are generally posed as risk factors for the development of violent behaviour. Similarly, the research papers often introduce their anger management findings via at times quite apocalyptic descriptions of escalating descriptions of youth crime and violence. The point is made not to refute a relationship between anger and (some) violence, but to question the implication that violence is anger and that, by implication, anger management programs provide a solution to issues of violence. Equally concerning is the assumption, that youth crime and violence is escalating, as there is little Australian evidence to support this claim.
Implications
The complex social and political issues surrounding 'anger management' and young people require ongoing discussion, analysis, and research. The youth service sector, with its strong tradition of advocating for the rights and needs of young people, is in a prime position to ensure this occurs. Services within the sector are also ideally located to ensure the implementation of sound and effective programs to assist young people experiencing anger difficulties. The current research findings suggest that key to this are skills-based programs clearly linked to the everyday realities of young people's lives, coupled with a systemic approach that moves beyond the individual as the focus of intervention. Finally, consideration needs to be given to either adapting or developing programs to include difficulties with internalised anger.
More information
Suzanne Egan, Research Officer, Rosemount Good Shepherd Youth and Family Service
(02) 02 9560 4588
*Rosemount
Rosemount Good Shepherd Youth and Family Service is located in Marrickville an inner-western suburb of Sydney. The service has two main streams of service provision:
- educational programs for young people experiencing difficulty in the mainstream education system
- counselling programs (both generalist and sexual assault) for young people and their families.
In addition, Rosemount employs a research officer, whose role is to conduct practice-based research on issues identified within the agency.
