Things Are Not Always the Way They Seem

Common sense and conventional wisdom would suggest that most anger management referrals are mandated by the courts as the result of some type of aggressive or abusive criminal offense, i.e. Michael Richards, Alex Baldwin, Foxy Brown, Naomi Campbell and many professional athletes. In reality, most participants in anger management classes are referred by family members. The second category, in terms of numbers, are physicians who are referred by Physician Well-Being Committees or Hospital Administrators for “disruptive behavior”. The third category is employees referred by their Human Resource Departments for a wide range of unacceptable behaviors falling under the category of “angry or aggressive behavior in the workplace”.

Anger in the home is pervasive and is damaging to the perpetrator, as well as all other family members, especially children. Children who live in homes in which aggression and tension are present are learning that the world is an unsafe place, and the adults around them cannot be trusted.

It is surprising to see the number of adults who come to anger management at the urging of their children. In these cases, the children are the ticket for the parent’s motivation to change. This is good news for all concerned.

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