Causes of Aggression and Anger Management Issues
There are many causes of anger management issues aggression for instance high testosterone levels. Studies on castrated prisoners showed less aggression and more again when given testosterone (Eysenck, 2000). Other causes supported by scientific evidence include feeling frustrated and the aggression increases when the cause of the frustration is unjustified. The aggressive behaviour does not always depend on frustration. Any aversive or unpleasant event can result in anger. The key finding about causes of anger management issues or aggression is Bandura’s (1973) social learning theory. Bandura proved in his experiments and research that people can become aggressive by observing other aggressive people. Anger management issues and aggression does not depend only on observational learning or modelling. Anger management issues and aggression can be also caused by the beliefs we hold about the world and how we interpret situations.
What are the effective and ineffective anger management tools and ways to change aggression?
Catharsis and Venting
Freud proposed catharsis, taking part in venting aggression through sports but study by Walters et al (1963) proved that children that kicked, punched a doll behaved later in an aggressive way towards their classmates.
Social Skills Training
Eysenck (2000) proposed that people have anger management issues and behave aggressively because they don’t have the skills or tools to manage social situation in non-aggressive way. Guerra and Slaby (1990) provided social skills training that included anger management techniques for delinquents and found that the delinquents were less aggressive in their behaviour at the end of the project.
Punishment
Eysenck reviewed experiments and research on punishment and referred to study by Baron (1977) that concluded that punishment can be an effective method to manage aggression when it is delivered quickly in authoritative as opposed to autocratic manner, it has to be strong, consistent and the punishment must be clearly defined and explained what it is for.
ANGER MANAGEMENT TOOLS AT ANGER THERAPY LONDON
The sessions at Anger Therapy London abstain from penalising and punishing clients. The clients who come to Anger Therapy London are good judges of what is right and wrong and the therapeutic relationship is collaborative and friendly aimed at supporting clients in meeting their goals. At Anger Therapy London we have a range of anger management techniques and tools that former clients reported to be effective. The measurement used to assess progress was seeing a decrease in arguments at home observed by family members and clients, showing a self-control and improved communication style that prevented the flare-ups. The primary goal at Anger Therapy London is to find the triggers and causes of the anger issues, find solutions, provide clients with anger management techniques and tools to empower them, review the communication style and believes that could maintain the anger management issues and equip clients with gaining control over the anger management issues.