ABOUT THE CURRICULUM

Our Anger Management Curriculum teaches you how to maintain a safe and calm environment when the normal emotion of anger surfaces between you and others. Anger management is the ability to recognize anger and apply skills and abilities to respond in a healthy and socially appropriate manner.  It is a process in which a person is open, honest, and direct. The results are an increased energy level, strengthened relationships, improved physical and mental health, and enhanced self-esteem.

How is the Anger Management Curriculum different from Domestic Abuse Curriculum?

Anger Management teaches practical and cognitive skills for transforming the emotion of anger into healthy behavior.

Domestic abuse (intimate partner violence) intervention teaches the power/control philosophy—accepting the consequences, taking responsibility, and changing behavior.
The primary issue is that batterers rarely take responsibility for their actions and for change—putting their partners in danger. Therefore, they need to participate in a program which will hold them accountable.

How are people with anger or domestic abuse issues alike and different?

Anger Issues:
Individuals with anger management issues tend to deal with explosive or out-of-control anger due to distorted thinking and skill deficits. They generally will take responsibility for their behavior once confronted or once they have to deal with the consequences.

Domestic Issues:
Abusers manifest batterer characteristics. Studies have demonstrated that the batterer begins and continues his behavior because violence is an effective method for gaining and keeping control over the victim, while allowing the batterer to avoid adverse effects of their behavior. Some characteristics fit a general profile of a batterer:

• A batterer objectifies women. He does not see women as people. He does not respect women as a group. Overall, he sees women as property or sexual objects.
• A batterer has low self-esteem and feels powerless and ineffective in the world. He may appear successful, but inside he feels inadequate.
• A batterer externalizes the causes of his behavior. He blames his violence on circumstances such as stress, his partner’s behavior, a "bad day," alcohol, or other factors.
• A batterer may be pleasant and charming between periods of violence, and is often seen as a "nice guy" to outsiders.

Some behavioral warning signs of a potential batterer include extreme jealousy, possessiveness, a bad temper, unpredictability, cruelty to animals, and verbal abusiveness.

All active National Anger Management Association members are listed in the NAMA Online Directory.

Anger Management Instructor: Christa Graves