The Anderson & Anderson Anger Management Program

Person-directed violence, road rage, murder, rape, and child abuse are only a few of the many ways our society suffers from violent behavior. Violent behavior is the result of a stressful event that triggers an individual’s inability to control his or her anger.

Consider the following facts:
• More than 2 million people are stabbed, shot, or otherwise assaulted each
year in the United States.
• Physical violence between spouses occurs in 1/3 of all households.
• Each year, thousands of children are killed due to child abuse.

The crime wave that has taken over America’s streets has now moved into our communities, schools, churches, and workplaces. Why is this happening and how can we stop this trend? While experts struggle to explain why anger and violence have become a new hazard, the Anderson & Anderson Anger Management Program offers a practical approach to decreasing this trend, offering a positive way of looking at the problem of anger management, and developing a healthy personality. The purpose of this profile is to help individuals learn how to identify, understand, and diffuse anger, whether it is their own or that of a spouse, friend, peer, or co-worker. The Anderson & Anderson Anger Management Program consists of two components: assessment and skill enhancement.

The Conover Anger Management Assessment

Consists of the following scales:

•Interpersonal Assertion–this scale indicates how
effectively individuals use direct, honest, and appropriate expression of
thoughts, feelings, and behaviors when dealing with others. It indicates
the degree to which one is able to be direct and honest in
communicating with others without violating their rights.

•Interpersonal Aggression–this scale assesses the degree
to which communication styles violate, overpower, dominate, or discredit
another person’s rights, thoughts, feelings, or behaviors. High
interpersonal aggression is related to personality characteristics of
rebelliousness, resentment, and oversensitive responses to real or
imagined affronts.

•Interpersonal Deference–this scale measures the degree to
to which the communication style is indirect, self-inhibiting, self-
denying, and ineffectual for the accurate expression of thoughts, feelings,
and behaviors. High interpersonal deference is related to the personality
characteristics of apprehensiveness, shyness, and over-sensitivity to
threat or conflict.

•Empathy–this scale indicates individuals’ abilities to
sense, understand, and accept another person’s thoughts,feelings,
and behaviors. A strong sense of others’ feelings and emotions is a key
element to anger management. Empathy is a primary characteristic of skilled
communicators. Persons with strong empathy tend to be sociable and outgoing.

•Stress Management–this scale assesses perceived skill in
managing stress and anxiety. Anger that results in violence is usually
triggered by a stressful event that is not appropriately managed. Persons
with skills in managing stress positively are competent managers of time
and are flexible, self-assured, stable, and self-reliant.


•Change Orientation–this scale indicates the degree of
motivation and readiness for change in the skills measured by The Anger
Management Map. A high score indicates dissatisfaction with current skills
and a strong conviction of the need to make personal changes.

The Anderson & Anderson Anger Management Program

Consists of the following four skill enhancement areas:

• Anger management
• Stress management
• Communication
• Emotional intelligence

In order to master skills in the four areas listed above, it is necessary to practice these skills under the direction of a certified anger management facilitator and/or with feedback and interaction from other participants. This is not the type of program that can be offered on-line.



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