Treatments for Offenders

Cognitive Treatment - Anger Management

Anger management focusses on people with aggressive behaviour that needs to be controlled.

• Some offenders are placed on anger management programmes because of the nature of the offence or because of personal characteristics.
• The ultimate goal is that the individual learns to control their anger and avoid engaging in criminal behaviour.

It involves three key steps:

1. Cognitive preparation

• Offenders identify the situations that provoke anger.
• Thought patterns are challenged.
• The negative impact of their anger is considered.

2. Skills acquisition

• Individuals learn behavioural and cognitive coping strategies, which helps them to recognise when an aggressive outburst is likely to occur.
• Assertive training can help deal with the issue constructively rather than violently.

3. Application and practice

• Individuals try out the skills they've learnt in role plays and actual situations. They are positively reinforced for appropriate, non-aggressive responses.

Proper eating regimes are suggested alongside training. Group sessions are held which may include "check-ins|" where each individual briefly explains how they are feeling.

The course is usually held twice weekly and can run for up to 10 weeks. They are run by a psychiatrist and are always group sessions. Patients talk about their feelings and the course is a group effort.

Topics that a course may cover include: how to stop anger affecting you, the difference between anger and rage…