Skills training for aggression control: Evaluation of an anger management programme for violent offenders.

Anger Management

May 2021

Full Citation

Watt, B. D., & Howells, K. (1999). Skills training for aggression control: Evaluation of an anger management programme for violent offenders. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 4(2), 285-300.

Abstract

Two studies investigated the efficacy of a cognitive-behavioural anger management programme, the Skills Training for Aggression Control (STAC) with adult male inmates. A pre-test-post-test non-equivalent group design was utilized for Study 1 (39 Ss) and Study 2 (50 Ss). Violent offenders participating in STAC programmes were compared to a waiting-list control group on the dependent variables of anger knowledge, trait anger, anger expression, observed aggressive behaviour, and prison misconduct. Differential treatment effects according to trait anger level were examined in Study 2, anticipating greater gains for high trait anger violent offenders. Measures included the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory, the Novaco Anger Scale, and the Watt Anger Knowledge Scale. Data analyses provided little support for the hypothesized STAC participants' treatment gains relative to the control group participants. Hypothesized differential treatment effect by trait anger level was not supported. Based on the limited support for the STAC programmes' treatment efficacy, caution is recommended before implementing anger management programmes with violent offenders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)