The Use of Video Clips In Teaching Anger Management

For many participants, anger management is a mandated course. It is predictable for clients to protest/resist anything which is coerced. Therefore, it is incumbent on the anger management facilitator to not only teach content in an interesting and understandable manner, but to use teaching material and techniques to make the material more interesting and meaningful for the participants.

Anderson & Anderson has developed a series of brief, focused DVDs on “Styles of
Communication”,” Session One”, “Gaining Control of Ourselves” and “Emotional Intelligence 0 – 10”. The clips were made much shorter than the actual video tapes, which was desirable since an anger management facilitator has only a small amount of time to facilitate class content for the participants. A typical anger management class is one hour. The first ten minutes should be used for introductions of new participants and the topic of the day. The last ten minutes should be used to summarize the lesson of the day and announce the next meeting topic. This means that at best, there is only about forty minutes for the topic of the day.

Therefore, video clips are designed to provide a visual representation of course content such as assertive communication, seeking compromise, emotional intelligence or some other concept necessary to achieve any of the goals of managing anger or stress.

In addition, the clips can be incorporated into PowerPoint presentation. Running video tapes that are several hours long is impractical and inconvenient. A one hour video or movie for a one hour class will almost certainly backfire and, if it is brought to the attention of the court of referring source, will bring into question the competence of the facilitator.

Anger management is practice based. Just as it is impossible to learn to play basketball by watching games on television, it is impractical to learn to manage anger, stress or enhance communication skills and emotional intelligence by listening to lectures or watching movies. Passive learning may work for intellectual exercises but not for skill based behaviors.

George Anderson, MSW, BCD, CAMF


George Anderson, MSW, BCD, CAMF
Diplomate, American Association of Anger Management Providers
http://www.andersonservices.com/
http://www.angertrends.blogspot.com/
www.anger-management-resources.org