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Anger is an emotion that ranges from mild irritation to intense rage. Anger is a learned behavior that can be changed. Angry people need to be aware of the events, circumstances, and behaviors of others that trigger their anger.They need to understand the negative consequences that result from anger and develop strategies to effectively manage anger and stop the escalation before they lose control.

Closely related to anger are aggression and hostility. Whereas anger is an emotion and does not necessarily lead to aggression, aggression is behavior intended to cause harm to another person or property. Hostility involves disliking others and evaluating them negatively. 

Examination of a Violence Prevention Program for Female Offenders

Messina, Nena P., et al., 2016

This study examines results from the intervention, Beyond Violence, a trauma-informed and gender-responsive approach to violence prevention that was provided to women serving sentences for violent crimes (n = 91) in two California prisons.

Anger Management Essentials [Understanding Anger, Managing and Controlling Anger]

National Institute of Corrections, NIC Learning Center, 2013

NIC has added ten Skill Soft courses to its catalog. These online courses are aimed at helping corrections staff navigate the professional, ethical, and psychological components to handling stressful situations in the workplace.

The NIC Learning Center is available to corrections professionals whose jobs are categorized as executive management, middle management, firstline supervision, offender programming, or training/staff development.

In addition, NIC is offering the Frontline Learning Center to correctional officers, detention officers, probation and parole officers, reentry specialists, correctional health professionals, and other correctional line staff. There are currently over 70 e-courses available on corrections topics, communication, ethics, team skills, and leadership.

The new essential skills courses include:

  • Anger Management Essentials: Understanding Anger
  • Anger Management Essentials: Managing and Controlling Anger
  • Business Grammar: The Mechanics of Writing
  • Business Writing: How to Write Clearly and Concisely
  • Ethical Decision making in the Workplace
  • Introduction to Workplace Ethics
  • Project Management Fundamentals
  • Working with Difficult People: Dealing with Micromanagers
  • Working with Difficult People: How to Work with Self-Serving People
  • Working with Difficult People: How to Work with Manipulative People

Anger Management for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Clients: A Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Manual [and] Participant Workbook [Lesson Plan and Participant's Manual]

Reilly, Patrick M. and Michael S. Shopshire. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 2012

Edition: Revised [edition]' Despite the connection of anger and violence to substance abuse, few treatments have been developed to address anger and violence problems among people who abuse substances. Clinicians have found the dearth of treatment approaches for this important issue disheartening. To provide clinicians with tools to help deal with this important issue, the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is pleased to present 'Anger Management for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Clients: A Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Manual' (p. iii) ' This manual was designed for use by qualified substance abuse and mental health clinicians who work with substance abuse and mental health clients with concurrent anger problems. The manual describes a 12-week cognitive behavioral anger management group treatment. Each of the 12 90-minute weekly sessions is described in detail with specific instructions for group leaders, tables and figures that illustrate the key conceptual components of the treatment, and homework assignments for the group participants' (p. 1). This manual is divided into 12 sessions: overview of group anger management treatment; events and cues'a conceptual framework for understanding anger; anger control plans; how to change the aggression cycle; cognitive restructuring 'the A-B-C-D Model and thought stopping; Review Session #1'reinforcing learned concepts; assertiveness training and the Conflict Resolution Model' alternatives for expressing anger (two sessions); anger and the family' how past learning can influence present behavior (two sessions); Review Session #2'reinforcing learned concepts; and closing and graduation. A participant workbook is also included. 2 volumes (volume 1 - 68 pages, volume 2 - 49 pages)

Document ID: 026782

Avoiding the Anger Trap

Tudor, Caterina Spinaris. corrections.com, 2012

"To refrain from stoking the fires of anger, we need to learn to recognize and dismantle the thought patterns that feed it, the thought patterns that hook us. Let us look at some of these thought traps and ways to free ourselves from them. This material is derived from the work of pioneers of cognitive therapy, such as David Burns, Aaron Beck and Albert Ellis" (p. 1). Topics covered include entitlement, negative mind reading, negatively magnifying lens, taking offense, and unforgiveness

Document ID: 026568

Facilitator's Guide for [and] Participant Guide for Safety Series: Personal Confrontations: A Federal Judicial Center Broadcast on the FJTN [Videoconference]

Federal Judicial Center, Federal Judicial Television Network, 2003

Home contact safety, how to deal with aggression, and skills to get out of hazardous situations are covered. Two vignettes (family affair and punch drunk) and one interview (reflections on a critical incident) are presented in combination with panel debriefings. Lessons learned, supplemental discussion questions, facilitation tips, and resources for additional study and training are also provided. 31 pages 1 VHS (89 minutes)

Document ID: 019401

Four (4) Types of Correctional Violence

Barnhart, Tracey E . corrections.com, 2010


The types of violence an offender exhibits and strategies for scaling down the conflict are described. The following four types of violence are covered: fear, fury, tantrum, and extortion.

Document ID: 024195

Getting Along and Keeping Cool: A Group Program for Aggression Control

French, Rosemary. Center for Clinical Interventions (CCI), YouthLink, 2003

“The effect of aggressive behavior on young people and others in their lives can be far-reaching. Aggressive behavior may jeopardise employment status, family and other relationships as well as physical and emotional well-being. The cost to the community can be high through damage to property, days of work lost and through the physical and emotional harm which is inflicted … ‘Getting Along & Keeping Cool’ is a skills-based group program which allows the young person [at-risk youth ages 13-25] to learn and practice the skills needed for aggression control” (p. Introduction 2). Eight sessions comprise this program: introduction; overview of how anger works; identifying anger triggers and behavioral strategies; identifying feelings and looking at consequences; effective communication; using self-talk to manage anger; and putting it together. 75 pages

Document ID: 027095

Intimate Partner Violence Risk Assessment Tools: A Review

Northcott, Melissa. Canada. Dept. of Justice, Research and Statistics Division, 2012

“The purpose of this report is to provide an understanding of intimate partner violence risk assessment tools and of the issues that assessors should consider when choosing an assessment instrument” (p. 1). It is an excellent resource for individuals looking for an introduction to the process of assessing the risk of another violent encounter by an intimate partner. The beginning of this report provides a clear description of what risk assessment and intimate partner violence are. This is followed by an explanation of how a risk assessment tool is used following a violent attack by an intimate partner. The majority of this publication is taken up by a discussion of: the types of intimate partner violence risk assessment instruments based on either unstructured clinical decision making, structured clinical judgment, actuarial approaches or other approaches involving the consultation of the victim or the use of general risk assessment tool; factors to consider when choosing a risk assessment too; and the strengths and weaknesses of these tools. An appendix presents a very nice overview of the various tools according to: structured clinical judgment tools—the Spousal Assault Risk Assessment Guide (SARA), the Domestic Violence Screening Inventory (DVSI), and the Danger Assessment (DA); actuarial tools—the Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment (ODARA), and the Domestic Violence Risk Appraisal Guise (DVRAG); and risk assessment tools for general and violent offending—the Violence Risk Appraisal Guide (VRAG), and the Level of Service Inventory-Revised (LSI-R).

Document ID: 027310

Radicalization in the West: The Homegrown Threat

Silber, Mitchell D. and Arvin Bhatt. New York City Police Department, Intelligence Division, 2007

The process of radicalization - the gradual adoption of "an extremist religious/political ideology hostile to the West, which legitimizes terrorism as a tool to affect societal change" - in the West is examined (p. 16). Sections of this report include: executive summary; the threat; radicalization western style; the radicalization process; five foreign cases -- pre-radicalization, self-identification, indoctrination, and jihadization; radicalization in the U.S.; the New York City experience; September 11 revisited; findings and implications; and glossary of terms.

Document ID: 022648

Understanding and Reducing Angry Feelings

Bartholomew, N.G. and D.D. Simpson. Texas Christian University, Institute of Behavioral Research (IBR-TCU), 2004

"This manual includes a collection of materials for leading counseling sessions in correctional settings that encourage new ways of thinking about and responding to anger" (p. i). Sections contained in this manual include: understanding anger; managing anger in relationships; mapping worksheets; and the aggression cycle.

Document ID: 025423