Term Paper on "Anger Management for Students in Schools Tom"

Term Paper 15 pages (4292 words) Sources: 15

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Anger Management for Students in Schools

Tom Mashberg writes about teens who meet once a week in Boston MA to address the explosive anger they have inside them in his newspaper article: "Breaking chains of anger challenges teens in therapy." (Mashberg, 2000, ¶ 1) Jesska, 13, carries Bic lighters with her and burns herself, along with other things. She was arrested and ordered to attend anger management classes, after she threatened to burn down her school. (Mashberg, 2000, ¶ 2) Masheberg relates several other teens anger-related stories, including the one about George, 13, who knifed another kid who insulted him. Stephen, 16, assaulted his father and brothers and said he could not take it any more... all the constant arguing and screaming in his house. Nicki, 14, beat on another girl with a kitchen knife handle after she said something, "stuff," about Nicki's mom. (Mashberg, 2000, ¶ 3-5) Although today's headline repeatedly note stories such as Mashberg cites, not all angry teens are afforded the opportunity to attend anger management classes. These teens, he writes about, along with 5 others, were sentenced to the teen version of anger management to hopefully learn to manage their explosive anger and, in turn, display more "civilized" behaviors. (Mashberg, 2000, ¶ 6) Since this program four years ago, teens have been sentenced to learn specific skills, such as apologizing for the wrong they did; listening to what other have to say, instead of interrupting them. The recidivism rate for kids who completed an anger-management class dropped to 30% in 1999, while other areas in the state averaged 50. (Mashberg, 2000, ¶ 9-10) Another writer, Sue Schultz (2001), author of the newspaper article: "Teens Learn Anger Management; a Nonprofit Group Works With Teens to Find Less Violent Means of Solving Conflicts," teens participating in, also reports positive aspects of anger management. "The Wright Focus Group" targets youths 8 to 18 years old. Youth in the group discuss the negative health effects they may experience from anger and stress, along with learning positive ways to work through and control their anger. (Schultz, 2001, ¶ 8, 14 & 16) Donna Thomas, an independent group facilitator, reminds teen anger management participants that anger is normal and that human beings regularly get angry. She stresses, however, that if anger is not managed and/or controlled, it may get out of hand and people get hurt. (Schultz, 2001, ¶ 5)

Schools are going to be stressing the courses with younger students in the future to help prevent some of the violence," (Schultz, 2001, ¶ 7) the group workshops started in response to a communitywide survey after adults recognized problems youth were experiencing with their anger. (Schultz, 2001, ¶ 9-10)

Statement of the Problem

Anger Management Workshop Aims to Help Students Stop the Violence," the title of the newspaper article Stephanie a. Crockett, (1999), a staff writer for the Virginian Pilot wrote, aptly reflects the problem statement for this research proposal: Today's news headlines reporting daily incidents of angry display, which too often turn into violence by youth, confirm the need for an anger management program in Davy Crockett's (fictitious name) urban high school. During December of 1999, after engaging in an "alleged fight," Antwan E. Merritt, an 18-year-old from Portsmouth died when he "fell" from the eighth floor of his dormitory window at Shaw University in Raleigh, N.C.. (Crockett, 1999, ¶ 3) Following this young man's death, Portsmouth Better Beginnings Coalition began hosting an anger management workshop. (Crockett, 1999, ¶ 1)

Potential Benefits of the Intervention

Stephanie a. Crockett, newspaper article, noted in the introductory chapter of this research project relates that Clifford Barnett, pastor of Brighton Rock AME Zion Church, a co-sponsor of the workshop, states: "Enough is enough. Bottom line is, it's enough." (Crockett, 1999, ¶ 6) Approximately five panelists work with youth teach them the SODA concept, a four-step way to help prevent violent behavior: "Stop. Observe. Decide. Act.

Crockett, 1999, ¶ 7-9) the workshop, like Crockett's article, aims to educate parents, guardians, grandparents, along with other adults who care about teens. (Crockett, 1999, ¶ 15) the goal Crockett (1999, ¶ 18) reports, is to open lines of communication with teens so parents and other will begin to hear what youth think and have to say. (Crockett, 1999, ¶ 19) the hope this article posits, is that adults will begin to control their own anger, and in turn, help teens begin to lean positive ways to manage their anger. (Crockett, 1999, ¶ 17)

This research proposal posits that the potential benefit for the suggested intervention is that participating individuals, such as those Crockett writes about, will say, "Enough is enough," and begin to amend the wrongs brought about through out-of-control anger.

Overview of the Project

II. Literature Review

Real Life Looks

Concept from Janet Bode's latest book, Hard Time: A Real Life Look at Juvenile Crime and Violence, co-authored with Stun Mack, a reporter and cartoonist, portrays points this researcher contends can be attributed to unchecked anger. In turn, this literature shares "real life" looks at this contemporary concern. Bode also authored several nonfiction books for and about teenagers,.".. including Heartbreak and Roses: Real Life Stories of Troubled Love, the Voices of Rape: Healing the Hurt, and New Kids on the Block: Oral Histories of Immigrant Teens. In her article, "Our collective responsibility: programs across the country reach out to hardened adolescents, Bode (1997, Ibid, ¶ 1) states: "Juveniles are often influenced by persuasive and misguided adults," a factor frequently contributing to anger management concerns. Bode (1997, Ibid, ¶ 29) presents positive perceptions through the course of her article and contends, "As long as people say crime and violence are beyond our control, that there's no solution, we give ourselves permission to walk away... We've got to know whom we're dealing with in order to arrive at a truce."

In her article, published on the Web: "Get Psyched TEENS," Diane Litynski, PhD (2002, ¶ 1) states, "The irony of anger is that, on the one hand, its job is to protect, but on the other hand, when its uncontrolled and held inside without an outlet, anger can destroy." Litynski (Ibid, ¶ 2) notes that when anger is experienced, adrenaline and noradrenaline are released into the systems of the perpetrator (person displaying anger), as well as the victim (individual who receives anger). Physical symptoms of anger or what Litynski deems to be:

energy buid-up," include an increase in heart rate; muscle constriction; increase in blood pressure. To reduce "it," anger's energy level, in positive ways, a person may utilize one or more of three primary techniques:

Express it

2. Suppress it

3. Redirect it (Litynski, 2002, ¶ 3)

When not controlled or managed, Litynski (2002, ¶ 2) warns,.".. dysfunctional behavior occurs - drug abuse, eating disorders, domestic violence, even suicide and homicide." (Litynski, 2002, ¶ 2) Her article, addressed to the general population, particularly teens, presents plain, pertinent points relating to ways to manage anger, which this researcher posits are also applicable to the focus for this paper:

Anger Management? Litynski (2002, ¶ 6) relates several exercises that may be used in an anger management group settings, when working with adolescents. She encourages readers to express their anger in positive ways and reminds them that doing so is important to a person's health. (Litynski, 2002, ¶ 10) When adolescents learn to confront and address their anger in healthy ways, they learn to.".. make sense of and manage anger long before it escalates to more serious forms of anger, which may include aggression." Golden (2003, p. 4) argues that utilizing this positive psychology practice emphasizes and fosters skills' development and increases knowledge. Golden (2003, p. 4) contends that: "Healthy anger management is based on the following key guiding principles. (Golden, 2003, p. 4)

1. Anger is a natural human emotion.

2. Anger varies in intensity and duration.

3. Anger is often a reaction to other emotions.

4. Anger is a reaction to emotions and thoughts within us.

5. Anger really tells us more about our own wants and needs than about the person or situation that may lead to our anger.

6. The emotion of anger is distinct from the behavioral expression of anger.

7. As we increase our awareness of thoughts and emotions leading up to anger, we gain increased freedom to choose how we express anger.

8. Healthy anger management is based on specific skills that can be taught.

9. Healthy anger management is based on being able to flexibly choose from a variety of anger management strategies.

10. Real intimacy grows with an increased ability to share anger and other emotions.

11. Healthy anger management involves being able to let go of anger.

12. Learning theory and skills concerning anger management is an essential component for healthy emotional well-being.

Golden, 2003, pp. 4-5)

Healthy or Not?

Unlike healthy anger management, Golden (2003, p. 5) stresses in his book, Healthy Anger: How to Help Children and Teens Manage Their Anger, in unhealthy anger management, a person frequently attempts… READ MORE

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