Aggressive children and adolescents have been found to have deficits in social information processing (SIP). Anger management programs rely on cognitive–behavioral methods of altering youths’ SIP of social goals, solution generation, decision making, outcome expectations, and enactment of behavioral solutions. When youth with anger management issues perceive a threat, they may react with physical or relational aggression, expecting that their behavior will lead to positive results. 

PAMS (Primrose Anger Management Sessions) is a 16-session, manualized group intervention that uses a cognitive–behavioral framework and teaches participants emotion regulation, coping, communication skills, cognitive restructuring, and problem solving. The treatment sessions include psychoeducation, skill building, problem solving, and training on application of these skills to real world events. Sessions 1–3 are psychoeducational and teach participants about anger, physical aggression, and relational aggression, and help youths differentiate between anger and aggression. In Session 4, participants learn cognitive-restructuring techniques to view anger-provoking situations from different angles. In Sessions 5–6, participants learn to identify physiological cues and triggers for anger. In Sessions 7–10, participants learn skill building for managing arousal and preventing aggressive behavior. Sessions 11–14 teach participants problem-solving and communication skills, including practice of those skills. Finally, in Sessions 15–16, participants practice generalizing the skills they’ve learned for future use.

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Group sessions (which are facilitated by two trained leaders) are 90 minutes long and are held twice weekly for 8 weeks. Each session begins with participants reviewing their goal sheets from the previous session. These goal sheets document the ways in which each girl practiced the skill she learned in the previous session. Previous sessions are then reviewed through techniques such as rhyming catch phrases and visual aids. Next, group leaders use activities to teach the current session’s content and skills, including role play, games, movie clips, and crafts. Participants are also encouraged to provide examples from their lives that elicited their anger or aggression.

At the end of each session, participants establish individual goals and discuss how to apply the skills they learned to real life. Participants can earn both individual and group points by attending and participating in sessions, completing homework, and working toward their goals. These points can be traded in for rewards or privileges.

 

Primrose Intervention Services LLC provides anger management services for teens.  Our anger management coaches hold Certified Anger Management Specialists Certifications (CAMSII) from Higher Impact Training and Counseling Services.

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