What Does Anger Management as a Part of Cognitive Behavior Therapy Teach a Person - Literature review Example

Anger Management Tool For Tackling The Root Cause Of Violent Behavior Introduction Criminal psychology is a branch of psychology that studies behavior of people who commit crime (Howitt, 2009, p.2). The aim of criminal psychology is to understand the root cause of the criminal behavior (Howitt, 2009, p.2). Reaching the roots of the behavior pattern of people who commit crime can help people involved in the legal system to handle them effectively and reduce the rate of crime by helping those people to modify their behavior pattern. The psychological theories like psychodynamic theory, psychoanalytical theory, trait personality theory etc. support the idea that crime is the result of the unresolved emotional conflicts of the childhood and unhealthy development pattern of the personality. People who commit crime suffer from lack of control over their negative emotions like anger, rage and frustration, and this makes them to behave violently and impulsively. The root cause of the anger lies in person’s childhood problems and the cognitive associations he has developed while experiencing those childhood problems (Schmidt, 1993, p.35). To deal with people who commit most violent crimes, what is necessary is a technique which not only helps them to modify their conscious behavior pattern but which also helps them in resolving and releasing their childhood traumas and pain that is suppressed inside their unconscious mind. Hence, anger management program which not only trains people in avoiding violent behavior by being aware of the mental process that creates anger (Dwyer, 2001, p.162), but also helps them in restructuring the unconscious cognitive and emotional aspects of a past, (Schmidt, 1993, p.35) could be used in very effectively in dealing with people who commit most violent crimes. Root cause of violent behavior The psychodynamics of the crime shows that most of the times, the intention behind the violent act is not to hurt the other person. Violent act is carried out to give an outlet to the pent up frustration and the anger inside (Groth & Birnbaum, 1979, p. 12). Even the violent crimes like rape, which seems to be committed for sexual pleasure, are in fact committed with the motive of releasing the pent up anger (Groth & Birnbaum, 1979, p. 13). After the interviews of people who committed rape and the study of the nature of the crime, it has been found that through the act of rape, they try to find an expression and an outlet to their suppressed negative emotions like anger, frustration, resentment and rage (Groth & Birnbaum, 1979, p. 12). Even though aggression and sexuality are involved in every incidence of rape, it is evident from the studies that sexuality is used as a ‘means’ of expressing the feelings of aggression that are in the mind of the person who commits rape (Groth & Birnbaum, 1979, p. 13). The primary motive behind the act of rape is not sexual pleasure but is anger and rage against the victim (Groth & Birnbaum, 1979, p. 14). The person who commits rape uses sexual assault as a means of causing the ultimate degree of emotional, physical and psychological pain to the person who is the victim (Groth & Birnbaum, 1979, p. 14). However, most of the times, people who commit rape or murder do not plan or think of committing crime (Groth & Birnbaum, 1979, p. 15). For them, it happens impulsively and without their control (Groth & Birnbaum, 1979, p. 15). This makes them to dissociate themselves psychology from the act and become aware of what they have done only after the crime is committed (Groth & Birnbaum, 1979, p. 15). This indicates that the influence of anger and rage is so strong on the mind and body of people who commit crime, that they completely lose control over themselves. As the studies reveal that feelings like anger and frustration are the root cause of the violent crimes, it is evident that the training in anger management can prove beneficial in modifying the behavior pattern of the offenders by helping them to learn how to handle their emotions effectively and positively. Theories explaining the cause of violent behavior According to Eysenck’s trait theory of personality, when people scores extremely high on the emotionality and extroversion aspect in his ‘personality inventory dimensions test’, then they display a possibility of committing crime (Cassel & Bernstein, 2007, p.79). The reason being that people who score on the extremes on these traits are not able to control their emotions, which in turn, makes them impulsive and aggressive (Cassel & Bernstein, 2007, p.79). People who commit violent crimes and are suffering from antisocial personality disorder (also known as psychopathy) are found to display an extreme amount of either extroversion or emotionality in their personality (Cassel & Bernstein, 2007, p.80). This shows that when a person loses control over his emotions and is not able to control his actions driven by emotions, he commits violent crime like murder or rape. David Abrahamsen (1960) used Freudian personality theory to explain the psychology behind violent crimes like rape and murder (Cassel & Bernstein, 2007, p.83). According to him, the unresolved conflicts developed during the phallic stage in the childhood are suppressed in the unconscious mind (Cassel & Bernstein, 2007, p.83). These conflicts find an outlet in mental state of jealous rage which leads a person to commit a murder or a rape of woman who rejects him (Cassel & Bernstein, 2007, p.83). However, this is called symptomatic murder as these murders are committed as a retribution against the mother who rejected him in his childhood and was a source of his misery (Cassel & Bernstein, 2007, p.83). The suppressed anger and the hatred felt in the childhood is taken out in the later life when the person experiences some conflict situation again. Hence, most of the times, people who commit murder or rape do not actually intend to commit that act. However, under the force of their anger and hatred, they end up losing the control over their action and commit the murder or rape. Also, according to psychodynamic theory, when a person is not able to direct his negative emotions like anger and hatred towards the figure of authority, he directs it towards people who are submissive and dependent on him (Cassel & Bernstein, 2007, p.83). This is called as ‘displacement’ of feelings. This feeling makes him to commit crime like physical violence against his wife, children or relatives (Cassel & Bernstein, 2007, p.83). The aggression is misdirected and this leads to criminal act. This shows that when anger and hatred is not controlled, it leads a person to commit crime. According to Abrahamsen(1960), the psychodynamic theory of crime is based on the understanding that “every element that prevents children from developing in healthy way, both physically and emotionally, tends to bring about a pattern of emotional disturbances which is always at the root of antisocial or criminal behavior” (Cassel & Bernstein, 2007, p.84). Hence, to prevent crime, what is necessary is to train people in controlling their negative emotions like anger and hatred so as to keep them from committing the regrettable and violent acts under the influence of these emotions. As anger management program deals with the techniques of controlling emotions and behavior, it is effective in dealing with people who have violent behavior pattern. How anger management techniques help. For people to enjoy a safe and peaceful life, the society has to be free of people who have anti-social and violent behavior pattern. The statistics showing the number of crimes committed by people who are still in their teenage is disturbing. In a study of 10-to 17-year-olds living in deprived areas, Wilson (1990) found that twenty percent of young people had a record of crime (Howitt, 2009, p.22). These people, if not treated and transformed, have the potential of committing most violent crimes later in their lives. In the British Crime and Justice Survey, it was found that over 20% of the population had committed serious crimes involving the attack that caused injury to the victim (Howitt, 2009, p.22). If the society is full of people who have aggressive and violent behavior patterns, then people living in the society are in danger of being a victim of different sorts of crimes committed by those people. For the safety and peace of the society, it is extremely important to take correctional measures at the early stages of development of violent behavior patterns. The root of most of the crimes is the underlying anger and frustration of the people who suffer from deprivation and abuse in the childhood. It is found that large number of people who commit violent crimes are not able to deal with their aggressive thoughts, anger and hostility towards other people (Hughes, 1995, p.485). The difficulty in dealing with aggression and its consecutive behavior pattern results in person committing violent crimes like murder and rape (Hughes, 1995, p.485). People who commit violent crimes, when put through the anger management program, show effective improvement in their behavior pattern and their ability to handle anger and aggression. The techniques used in anger management programs prove effective as they are cognitive-behavior techniques that aim at controlling the anger (Schmidt, 1993, p.35). The techniques used in anger management try to deal with the emotional and psychological aspects of behavior pattern that causes a person to become aggressive and angry. According to Stordeur and Stille (1989), the techniques used in anger management have three components, and they are as follows (Schmidt, 1993, p.35): 1. Relaxation and stress reduction Nadig and Friedman (1984), while implementing the group anger management program to the offenders, teach the group to identify the physiological changes that occur when they get angry (Schmidt, 1993, p.36). For example, the increase in the pulse rate, breathing becoming chaotic, tension in muscles etc. (Schmidt, 1993, p.36) are the signs of arousal of anger. The identification of these physiological aspects helps the person in becoming aware of the occurrence of anger. By practicing the relaxation techniques taught in the program, that person can reduce the tension and the stress that causes the person to become angry (Schmidt, 1993, p.36). This reduces the chances of violent behavior. 2. Cognitive restructuring How people perceive and interpret the people around them and events happening around them matters a lot as far as their behavior pattern is concerned. People who perceive their surrounding situations negatively develop a negative attitude towards other people and life situations. This generates a negative cognitive structure which makes them to behave in hostile and angry way towards others. Arousal of anger is determined by how people perceive the world, their social expectations and the internal language pattern they use to interpret the external events (Schmidt, 1993, p.36). If the cognition is negative, then the resultant behavior is anti-social and violent. Hence, having a conscious control over the interpretation and perception of the events is extremely important . In anger management programs, the group members are taught to become conscious of the thoughts and the beliefs that arise automatically as a response to the events (Schmidt, 1993, p.36). Making a change in the automatic and unconscious thoughts like labeling, vengeance, anger, prejudice and aggression, helps in making a positive change in the cognitive structure of a person (Schmidt, 1993, p.36). The positive change in the cognitive process results in development of behavior pattern which is rational, controlled and socially acceptable. The cognitive restructuring technique used in anger management help in dealing with the social, psychological and emotional aspects of the unconscious mind that cause people to become angry and commit violent crimes. The report by Hunter (1993) showed that anger management program creates a positive change by reducing the impulsiveness and depression in the behavior of the people who have commit crimes (Dwyer, 2001, p.162). The anger management techniques help in treating the root cause (i.e. anger) of the violent behavior patterns and hence, it is very effective. 3. Development of interpersonal skills The group members are taught to recognize the difference between the passive, assertive and aggressive behavioral response to the surrounding stimulus (Schmidt, 1993, p.36). This helps the group members to develop a passive behavior pattern where they withdraw and take no action when they are angry, instead of losing control over their aggression and committing violent acts (Schmidt, 1993, p.36). The group members are also introduced to the assertive mode of communication where they learn to adjust with the people around them in healthy way by developing the verbal skills that help them to communicate their feelings and thoughts in right and acceptable way. In this way, the communication skills taught in anger management programs help the group members to develop confidence in themselves and make them aware of the fact that feelings and thoughts can be communicated without using violence or domination. CONCLUSION Being a part of cognitive behavior therapy, anger management helps in reducing the chances of crime by teaching the offenders how to control their violent behavior by becoming aware of the unconscious thoughts and automatic reactions to the situations, which provoke them to behave violently and commit crime (Lipsey & Landenberger, 2007, p.58). The techniques used in anger management program teaches a person to deal with all the aspects that lead to arousal of anger. For example, the physiological awareness of anger helps people to deal with the anger in the present moment, the cognitive restructuring helps in dealing with the past traumas that work unconsciously in development of aggression and the communication skills help in making people capable of avoiding violent behavior in the future. Hence, as anger management deals with the root cause of the violent behavior, it is one of the most beneficial tools in dealing with people who commit violent crimes. References Cassel, E., & Bernstein, D.A. (2007). Criminal Behavior. New Jersey : Lawrence Earlbaum Associates. Dwyer, D. (2001). Angles on Criminal Psychology. UK: Nelson Thornes Ltd. Groth, A. N., & Birnbaum, H. J. (1979). Men Who Rape: The Psychology of the Offender. New York: Plenum Press. Howitt, D. (2009). Introduction to Forensic and Criminal Psychology. Essex: Pearson Education Limited. Hughes, G.V. (1995). Short and Long term Outcomes for a Cognitive- Behavioral Anger Management Program. In D. Graham, S. Lloyd-Bostock, M. McMurran & C.Wilson (Eds.), Psychology, Law and Criminal Justice. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter & Co. Lipsey, M.W. & Landenberger, N.A. (2007). Cognitive- Behavioral Interventions. In B.C. Welsh & D.P. Farrington (Eds.), What works for Children, Offenders, Victims and Places. New York: Springer. Schmidt, T.(1993). Anger management and Violence Prevention: A Group Activities Manual for Middle and High School Students. MN: Hazelden. Read More