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Anger management: 10 tips to tame your temper

Keeping your temper in check can be challenging. Use simple anger management tips — from taking a timeout to using "I" statements — to stay in control.

Do you fume when someone cuts you off in traffic? Does your blood pressure rocket when your child refuses to cooperate? Anger is a common and even healthy emotion. But it's important to deal with it in a positive way. Uncontrolled anger can take a toll on both your health and your relationships.

Ready to get your anger under control? Start by considering these 10 anger management tips.

1. Think before you speak

In the heat of the moment, it's easy to say something you'll later regret. Take a few moments to collect your thoughts before saying anything. Also allow others involved in the situation to do the same.

2. Once you're calm, express your concerns

As soon as you're thinking clearly, express your frustration in an assertive but nonconfrontational way. State your concerns and needs clearly and directly, without hurting others or trying to control them.

3. Get some exercise

Physical activity can help reduce stress that can cause you to become angry. If you feel your anger escalating, go for a brisk walk or run. Or spend some time doing other enjoyable physical activities.

4. Take a timeout

Timeouts aren't just for kids. Give yourself short breaks during times of the day that tend to be stressful. A few moments of quiet time might help you feel better prepared to handle what's ahead without getting irritated or angry.

5. Identify possible solutions

Instead of focusing on what made you mad, work on resolving the issue at hand. Does your child's messy room make you upset? Close the door. Is your partner late for dinner every night? Schedule meals later in the evening. Or agree to eat on your own a few times a week. Also, understand that some things are simply out of your control. Try to be realistic about what you can and cannot change. Remind yourself that anger won't fix anything and might only make it worse.

6. Stick with 'I' statements

Criticizing or placing blame might only increase tension. Instead, use "I" statements to describe the problem. Be respectful and specific. For example, say, "I'm upset that you left the table without offering to help with the dishes" instead of "You never do any housework."

7. Don't hold a grudge

Forgiveness is a powerful tool. If you allow anger and other negative feelings to crowd out positive feelings, you might find yourself swallowed up by your own bitterness or sense of injustice. Forgiving someone who angered you might help you both learn from the situation and strengthen your relationship.

8. Use humor to release tension

Lightening up can help diffuse tension. Use humor to help you face what's making you angry and, possibly, any unrealistic expectations you have for how things should go. Avoid sarcasm, though — it can hurt feelings and make things worse.

9. Practice relaxation skills

When your temper flares, put relaxation skills to work. Practice deep-breathing exercises, imagine a relaxing scene, or repeat a calming word or phrase, such as "Take it easy." You might also listen to music, write in a journal or do a few yoga poses — whatever it takes to encourage relaxation.

10. Know when to seek help

Learning to control anger can be a challenge at times. Seek help for anger issues if your anger seems out of control, causes you to do things you regret or hurts those around you.

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• Kassinove H, et al. Happiness. In: The Practitioner's Guide to Anger Management: Customizable Interventions, Treatments, and Tools for Clients With Problem Anger. Kindle edition. New Harbinger Publications; 2019. Accessed March 11, 2022.
• Understanding anger: How psychologists help with anger problems. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/topics/anger/understanding. Accessed March 11, 2022.
• Controlling anger before it controls you. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/topics/anger/control. Accessed March 11, 2022.
• Tips for survivors: Coping with anger after a disaster or other traumatic event. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. https://store.samhsa.gov/product/tips-survivors-coping-anger-after-disaster-or-other-traumatic-event/pep19-01-01-002. Accessed March 11, 2022.
• Caring for your mental health. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/caring-for-your-mental-health. Accessed March 11, 2022.
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What Is Anger Management Therapy?

Sanjana is a health writer and editor. Her work spans various health-related topics, including mental health, fitness, nutrition, and wellness.

Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Bymuratdeniz / Getty Images

Types of Anger Management Therapy

What anger management therapy can help with, benefits of anger management therapy, effectiveness, things to consider, how to get started, a word from verywell.

Anger is a normal human emotion that most people experience every now and then. However, if you find yourself feeling angry very often or very intensely, it may start to become a problem. 

“Rage, persistent anger, or angry outbursts can have detrimental consequences for physical health, quality of life, and relationships,” says Erin Engle, PsyD, a psychologist at Columbia University Medical Center.

“Anger management is an approach designed to help you manage the emotional and physiological arousal that accompanies anger. As it's often not possible to change the circumstances or people that elicit anger, anger management can help you recognize your triggers for anger and learn to cope with them more effectively,” explains Engle.

The aim of anger management therapy is to help minimize stressful or anger-evoking situations, improve self-control, and help you express your feelings in a healthy manner, according to Engle.

These are some of the different approaches to anger management therapy:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) : CBT is often the treatment of choice for anger management, according to Engle. She says it can help you understand your triggers for anger, develop and practice coping skills, and think, feel, and behave differently in response to anger, so you are calmer and more in control.
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) : According to Engle, DBT is a form of CBT that can help individuals with intense or frequent anger regain emotional control through developing emotional regulation and distress tolerance skills, mindfulness, and effective communication in relationships.
• Family Therapy : This form of therapy can be helpful in situations where anger is often directed at family members. It can help you work together to improve communication and resolve issues.
• Psychodynamic Therapy : Psychodynamic therapy can help you examine the psychological roots of your anger and your response to it, so that you can identify and correct unhealthy patterns.

Your mental healthcare provider will evaluate your circumstances and specific behaviors to determine the overall approach to treatment and whether you require medication in addition to therapy, says Engle. 

Anger management therapy techniques can involve understanding your triggers and responses to anger, learning strategies to manage or diffuse it, and changing thoughts and attitudes related to anger. Engle outlines some of these techniques below.

Identifying Triggers and Responses

Therapy can help you develop a better understanding of the factors that contribute to expressions of anger; current and past triggers for anger; your responses to it; and the consequences or aftereffects to yourself and your relationships. 

For instance, you may realize that yelling at your spouse is related to observing your parents yell, or the belief that you'll only get what you want if you yell.

Learning Strategies to Diffuse Anger

Anger management therapy can equip you with strategies to disrupt your anger or manage your response to it through avoidance or distraction. 

Your therapist can help you problem-solve how to respond when you’re angry. Role-plays offer opportunities to practice skills such as assertiveness and direct communication that can enhance control.

Therapy can also teach you coping strategies and relaxation techniques, such as slow deep breathing , leaving the room and returning when you're collected, or using a relaxing image to alleviate the intensity of anger.

Changing Attitude and Thought Patterns

Therapy can also involve restructuring thinking and changing attitudes related to anger, particularly if your therapist is taking a CBT approach .

Your therapist will help you examine your attitudes and ways of thinking and help identify patterns such as ruminating , catastrophizing, judging, fortune-telling, or magnifying that might exacerbate anger. 

Your therapist will also work with you to help you practice changing your response patterns. They can encourage forgiveness and compassion, offer ways to let go of hurt and disappointment, and help you repair and accept ruptured relationships.

While anger management is a form of treatment designed to help you manage anger, anger is not officially a condition that is diagnosed or defined, like depression or anxiety , for instance. However, intense, destructive, or uncontrollable anger may cause significant distress and impairment and impact safety, says Engle.

Anger management therapy can help anyone who experiences rage or has angry outbursts. Anger management therapy can help improve your:

• Mental health : Anger can consume your focus, cloud your judgment, and deplete your energy. It can also lead to other mental health conditions such as depression and substance abuse .
• Physical health : Anger manifests physically in the body with a surge of adrenaline, a rapid rise in heartbeat, higher blood pressure, and increased muscle tension in the form of a clenched jaw or fisted hands, says Engle. Over time, this can take a toll on your health and lead to physical health conditions.
• Career : Anger can make it hard for you to focus on school or work and affect your performance. It can also harm your relationships with your peers. While creative differences, constructive criticism, and healthy debates can be productive, lashing out or having angry outbursts can alienate your peers and lead to negative consequences.
• Relationships : Anger often harms loved ones the most and can take a toll on your relationships with them. It can make it difficult for them to be comfortable around you, erode their trust and respect, and be especially damaging to children .

Anger management therapy is sometimes court-ordered in case a person has committed criminal offenses, such as:

• Disturbing the peace
• Domestic abuse or violence

These are some of the benefits anger management therapy can offer:

• Identify triggers: Knowing what situations trigger your anger can help you avoid them or manage your reaction to them.
• Change your thinking: Anger management can help you identify and change unhealthy thought patterns that fuel your anger.
• Develop coping skills: Therapy can help you regulate your emotions, control your actions, and develop skills to help you cope with situations that trigger your anger.
• Learn relaxation techniques: Your therapist may teach you relaxation techniques that can help you calm yourself down and relax your body and mind .
• Solve problems: If certain situations trigger your anger repeatedly, your therapist may encourage you to look for solutions or alternatives. 
• Improve communication: Anger management therapy can help you express your feelings in a healthy, respectful, or assertive manner, without being aggressive.

According to Engle, CBT, which is often used to treat anger, is a very effective approach. CBT is an empirically-supported treatment that takes a skills-based approach to anger management, with emphasis placed on awareness of thoughts, behavioral patterns, and skill development with respect to physical and emotional reactions to anger, says Engle.

A 2017 study found that CBT was helpful to table tennis players with anger management issues. Even one year after completing treatment, participants were less likely to negatively express anger or react angrily.

A 2020 study found that anger management therapy was beneficial to patients with HIV.

“As with any form of treatment, it can be beneficial to seek out the support and experience of a trained mental health professional. Professional evaluation and consultation can help identify any co-occurring mental health issues like trauma or substance use,” says Engle.

If you have a co-occurring mental health issue, it may be beneficial for you and your mental healthcare provider to determine if those disorders play a predominant role or how they can best be addressed in combination with anger management, according to Engle. 

Depending on your co-occurring issues, your mental healthcare provider will determine an appropriate treatment plan and whether or not you require medication, explains Engle.

If you find yourself arguing often, becoming violent or breaking things, threatening others, or getting arrested because of incidents related to your anger, you may need to seek anger management therapy.

Look for a trained mental health professional who specializes in this form of treatment.

Depending on your preferences, you can choose to opt for individual treatment or group therapy . Individual therapy sessions offer more privacy and one-on-one interaction whereas group therapy sessions can help you feel like you’re not going through this alone.

Anger is a universal emotion that often arises in response to threat, loss of power, or injustice, says Engle. She explains that anger is not necessarily negative, though it can be detrimental at uncontrollable levels, given the behaviors likely to follow anger such as throwing things, walking out, attacking others, saying things you later regret, or acting passive-aggressively .

Anger can take a toll on your health, relationships, and career. Anger management therapy can help you regulate your emotions, maintain self-control, develop coping strategies, and communicate effectively.

Steffgen G. Anger management: evaluation of a cognitive-behavioral training program for table tennis players . J Hum Kinet . 2017;55:65-73. doi:10.1515/hukin-2017-0006

Lotfalizadeh M, Miri S, Foroughameri G, Farokhzadian J. The effect of anger management skills training on anger status of the people with HIV . Perspect Psychiatr Care . 2020;56(3):605-613. doi:10.1111/ppc.12475

American Psychological Association. Controlling anger before it controls you .

American Psychological Association. Understanding anger: how psychologists help with anger problems .

U.S. National Library of Medicine. Learn to manage your anger . MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia .

By Sanjana Gupta Sanjana is a health writer and editor. Her work spans various health-related topics, including mental health, fitness, nutrition, and wellness.

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Anger is the response we have to a problem we feel unable to solve, whether it’s a problem in our relationship, at work, or some other aspect of our lives. But anger is almost always an unconstructive response that escalates the problem, rather than solving it. Learning strategies for problem solving instead is not only constructive, but will also help you to manage and avoid using anger altogether.

Next time you start to feel yourself becoming angry at a particular situation, try some of these strategies for problem solving instead of giving in to your anger:

Change your thinking:  This is a great way to address problems from a different perspective. Sometimes the way we think can create barriers between the solution and us. Our brains are hard-wired to find and focus on threats as part of our in-built survival instinct. This lends itself to negative thinking, where we only focus on the problem and nothing else. By actively changing your thought process – focusing on goals and the steps you can take to achieve them, rather than always focusing on the problem – a more positive result is likely.

Work on communication   skills:  Communication is the key to good problem solving, especially if the problem is a relationship or social problem involving others. Anger disrupts the open flow of ideas, because the focus shifts from solving the problem to either criticising the other person, or defending yourself from criticism. Neither position is particularly conducive to clear communication. Think about what you’re saying – and how you’re saying it – is a good way to avoid conflict with another person. If you can communicate your feelings clearly, you’re less likely to become frustrated and angry – and the other person is less likely to react with anger as well.

Change your environment:  Sometimes your environment may not be a pleasant positive place to be, which can have a negative affect on your mood and cause you to become stressed, frustrated and ultimately angry. If your anger stems from a negative working environment, it might be time to look for a new job. Most of the time, however, the situation isn’t that dire. It might just be that you’re overworked, tired, and need a break. In which case, take some time off – have a holiday – and when you return, remember to  change your thinking , and  work on your communication skills .

These may seem like small, easy changes to make, but that’s why they work. Anger usually stems from a small issue that grows into a bigger problem over time. By addressing the issues head on when they appear, and with a willingness to problem-solve and communicate positively with those around you, you’ll have a better chance of solving the problem without anger.

If you would like to read more about ways to  manage anger , or for tips and advice on practical uses of positive thinking,  continue reading our blog  or  visit our website  for more information.

Marcus Andrews

Marcus Andrews is the founder and director of Life Supports, which was established in 2002. He has extensive professional experience working as a counsellor and family therapist across a broad range of issues. The core component of his role at Life Supports involves the supervision of other counsellors, including secondary consultations. Marcus has worked in many sectors, including private, government, non-profit, health, forensic and community practice.

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Anger Management Activity: Free Problem Solving Cards

I work with angry kids every day I go to work (and sometimes at home with my own 3 kiddos). We all feel anger. Anger is not bad in of itself; it’s what we do when we are angry that matters.

Anger is a secondary emotion that is displayed in an effort to protect the person from feeling other emotions that may be more uncomfortable or less socially acceptable. For instance, it may be easier to feel angry at someone who shared a secret rather than to feel embarrassed.

This poster is a great visual aid when explaining how anger works as a secondary feeling:

The chemical changes that occur in our brain when we are angry give us a boost in adrenalin and make us feel more powerful and confident.

Remember learning about “ fight or flight ” in grade school? That’s the term given for the reaction we experience when we encounter a stressful situation.

The chemical changes in our body  in the moment provides us with the ability to either confront the situation (fight) or get away as fast as possible (flight).  Identifying stressful situations is an excellent anger management strategy.

Samantha becomes angry when she doesn’t understand an assignment. More than likely, Samantha’s feelings of frustration (primary emotion) turns into feelings of anger.

Now that we know what the stressful situation is, or the “trigger”, we can begin to teach her anger management strategies.

The anger management freebie below helps students explore social situations that could lead to feelings of anger. Identifying these triggers is a vital step in developing anger management strategies. How can someone control their angry feelings when they are not even sure what is making them angry?

I highly recommend having the child create their own “what would you do deck” where they come up with their own situations that might make children mad.

Instructing my students to create cards that might help them (or other students) allows them to step outside of their own anger and view anger management from a different perspective.

While we review their deck, I have them rate how angry their situation would make them using the anger management gage . This allows me to understand the intensity of their feelings and provides me with the opportunity to point out when they are successful at managing their anger.

Example: Marcus makes a card about children getting mad when they do not get a turn on the tire swing, but he shares that this wouldn’t bother him because he would just do something different. <-Now that is a success to build upon (and explore further)!

We don’t always have to focus on angry outbursts or feelings of being out of control. Nobody enjoys losing control of themselves.

Focusing on times when they were able to control their anger is a great way to build self-esteem and empower them to take further responsibility for their behavior. Who doesn’t like the feeling of success?

If you would like more information about anger management strategies for children, check out   35 Simple Ways to Help an Angry Child .

10 responses to “Anger Management Activity: Free Problem Solving Cards”

I can’t get the cards to print. They look great and I did sign up for your newsletter. Thanks! Robin

Email me and I will send them to you [email protected]

Best Wishes, Heather

hell yeah what a awesome site …

LOL! Why thank you Chrissy…gotta love your enthusiasm!

Calm down . Teach children to use some calming strategies when they feel the physical symptoms of anger. They can try taking deep breaths, drinking a glass of water, distracting herself with a song or a story, or playing alone. Anger may be harmful in their future so the parents should understand child’s behaviour and try to follow your suggestion about anger management for children

Can you please forward that pdf to my email, i am uanble to print from the web.

i work with kids till 18 and i think this card set will give a great hand in teacing kids anger management.

my email id [email protected]

Hello Jeya,

Do to the large volume of requests, I am unable to email individual files at this time.

These are genius!!! I’ve been looking for ideas on helping my son in the long term, not just talking to him “after the fact”. I’m so thankful that I found your website this morning! You seem to have some of the most down-to-earth, practical suggestions out there.

Yay! Glad to hear you are able to use these activities with your son. I wish you and your family the best!!!

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Anger Management for Kids: 14 Best Activities & Worksheets

Even after the problem has gone away or an apology has been received, we may still have those same feelings (Peters, 2018a).

Learning to handle feelings, especially powerful ones such as anger, can be difficult, especially for young children. Learning to understand how they feel and improving emotional regulation techniques can help children respond to the emotions and environment around them with more control and skill (Snowden, 2018).

This article explores and shares tools, activities, and games to help children make sense of and manage their internal states and emotions.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Positive CBT Exercises for free . These science-based exercises will provide you with a detailed insight into positive Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and give you the tools to apply it in your therapy or coaching.

This Article Contains:

Anger management therapy for kids 101, 3 strategies to teach children, top 3 activities and games for kids, best worksheets and resources for children, a look at anger management toys, 3 helpful videos for your students, positive psychology resources for kids, a take-home message.

Anger is a difficult feeling for children. It can make them want to destroy things or hurl comments that hurt others. With the right tools and techniques, even young children can be taught to see anger differently and maintain or regain control over how they feel (Snowden, 2018).

Many of the most helpful techniques in anger management therapy are ones that children can take to adulthood. The approaches that follow encourage healthy habits for life, where the child chooses what works best for them (Peters, 2018b).

Mastery of such techniques is important in childhood and crucial as children reach adolescence, where unchecked anger can have a “variety of maladaptive adolescent outcomes” (Ho, Carter, & Stephenson, 2010, p. 246).

Early anger management therapy relied on applied behavioral interventions, such as manipulating environmental stimuli, punishment, and reinforcement, and typically required individuals with challenging behavior to receive ongoing support (Ho et al., 2010).

Cognitive-Behavioral approaches to anger management, on the other hand, empower the child. They involve the client and therapist working together to think through and practice new behavioral solutions, including (Ho et al., 2010):

• Problem solving
• Self-control and coping strategies
• Cognitive restructuring (teaching alternate ways of thinking)
• Stress inoculation (gradually increasing exposure to triggers)

When compared with the traditional behavioral approach, developing self-control and coping skills leads to better maintenance and generalization (Ho et al., 2010).

Despite the early onset of aggression in children, it needn’t develop into unstable personality traits in adulthood. Through effective interventions, at-risk children and adolescents can learn to deal with situations in nonaggressive ways and lead productive lives in adulthood (Nelson, Finch, & Ghee, 2012).

In anger management, kids are taught to recognize when anger is likely to show up, how it makes them feel, see behavioral patterns, and find healthy ways to remain or return to calm (Snowden, 2018).

Together they form valuable strategies to manage anger and better understand emotions and feelings (Snowden, 2018).

Each question can be explored and answered (in groups or one-to-one) to encourage children to understand their anger. The more open the adult is about their experiences, the more likely the child will feel safe and comfortable being vulnerable . They will recognize anger as an emotion common to everyone.

The three questions are (modified from Snowden, 2018):

Why do I feel angry?

What happens when i feel angry, what should i do with my anger.

Sometimes it is difficult to recognize why we are angry. It can appear out of the blue and unexpectedly. When we know what triggers our anger (e.g., people, places, situations), we can anticipate it and react quickly to stop it from getting out of control (Snowden, 2018).

“ Thinking about your anger will help you see patterns more clearly and find healthy ways to feel calm again” (Snowden, 2018, p. 1). Knowing why you feel angry and how you are impacting those around you will promote better choices when you are angry.

Exploring why a child feels anger – the triggers and situations – can provide early warning to help them remove themselves from the situation, stop their anger from escalating, and feel in control.

When anger appears, it can be fast, seemingly unavoidable, and yet unsurprising. Each of us is attempting to fulfill our own needs and live according to our goals. Inevitably, what we want or do may not always match the expectations or demands of those around us (Snowden, 2018).

When this happens, we can feel angry and upset.

Children must understand the causes of their anger, such as tiredness, anger, people breaking their ideas regarding fairness, or having to stop doing something they enjoy. It is also essential that children learn how anger is stopping them from getting what they need and want (Snowden, 2018).

Learning how to spot these triggers means we can avoid them and redirect our energies and attention elsewhere. It is an essential and logical step that forms part of a bigger strategy to regain control over anger.

We all get angry at times. Recognizing the emotion and learning to greet it with kindness can help you “host your difficult feelings, like you would welcome a visitor at home” (Snowden, 2018, p. 89).

Refocusing our attention on what is good in our lives is a powerful technique to create balance and gain control over our feelings. Being kind and patient with ourselves can create more healthy ways of being open with others about how we feel and what we need while remaining aware of others’ feelings.

Asserting control and knowing what to do when anger visits next time can restore the child’s self-belief and regain their trust in their own abilities to manage situations.

Tools and techniques to teach kids anger management strategies

The activities that follow encourage children to approach their anger habits with openness and kindness. Once identified, they can adopt coping mechanisms to cultivate more pleasant, positive states of mind (Snowden, 2018).

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These detailed, science-based exercises will help you or your clients understand and use emotions advantageously.

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Children often learn best when they are playing. Games and activities promote self-learning and, when focused on emotions, help children identify their anger and associated triggers and behavior (Peters, 2018b).

The following activities and games offer a fun and insightful way for children and their parents or teachers to understand the situations that lead to anger and how they can react differently (modified from Peters, 2018b; Snowden, 2018).

Children sometimes have to do things they do not enjoy: completing homework, turning off the TV, or going to bed at night. The gap between what they want to do and what they must do can be a source of anger (Peters, 2018b).

Self-discipline is an essential skill for children to learn and helps them manage their more reactive and emotional side.

Role-play can be a valuable way for children and adults to explore particular anger triggers such as being told to stop doing something or perform an activity that does not factor in their plan despite being good for them.

For example, you could role-play that the child is asked to clean their room, but their emotional side takes over and starts acting up.

Peters (2018b) refers to our reactive, emotional side as our “chimp.” Encourage the child to practice saying ‘stop’ to their emotional chimp and talk through how they will get things done. It can help to have them speak out loud to their chimp, telling it not to argue, stop misbehaving, and be sensible so that everyone can be happy (Peters, 2018b).

Such self-discipline can be a valuable approach to preventing the onset of angry behavior.

Scenarios and their outcomes

Understanding the different options available to them can help children choose thinking and behavior more appropriate to their own and others’ needs.

Work through several scenarios that typically lead to anger, and discuss three possible responses for each one (Peters, 2018b).

• I have been blamed for something I didn’t do. a) I am going to get angry and behave badly. b) I am never going to do anything again.

Or, more helpfully, c) I am going to explain that I am upset because I didn’t do it.

• I can’t do something new. a) I am going to cry and get angry. b) I am going to sulk and give up.

Or, more helpfully, c) I am going to talk to someone and learn how to do it.

• My friend has borrowed something and hasn’t given it back. a) I am going to get angry with them and demand they give it back. b) I will never talk to my friend again.

Or, more helpfully, c) I am going to explain that I am upset and would like to have it back. If that doesn’t work, then I will talk it through with an adult.

Encourage the child to explain why the two extremes (a and b) are not helpful or the best outcome for everyone involved. Then discuss why option c leads to a better result and less upset.

Who’s in the driver’s seat?

“Anger can change the way we see people and situations.”

Snowden, 2018, p. 80

Work with the child to help them understand and recognize the clues that indicate an angry or a calm mind.

A calm mind can enable us to:

• Consider the consequences of our actions How would the other person feel if I took away their toy?
• See different sides Perhaps it was an accident rather than something they did on purpose.
• Be understanding Perhaps they are just having a bad day.
• Hold back or walk away I need to calm myself before saying or doing something I will regret.
• See feelings more clearly I am sad, frustrated, or angry.

An angry mind is like this:

• Reactive I’ll do what I want.
• Does what it wants, when it wants I was hurt, so I should hurt them back.

Recognizing each of the above signs can help prevent angry outbursts and improve the child’s self-awareness and empathy.

We list several helpful worksheets below that can build healthy habits into children’s lives (modified from Peters, 2018b; Snowden, 2018):

Recognizing When We Have Been Angry

Children and adults sometimes do things they wish they hadn’t done. When they become grumpy or angry, they can say things they don’t mean or behave in destructive ways.

Try out the Recognizing When We Have Been Angry worksheet to capture when the child got angry and how they could have handled it differently.

Answering how the child could react differently can start the process of building better habits around positive emotions .

What I Want to Be

Before learning new coping skills and ways to behave, it can be helpful for children to describe the type of person they want to be (such as well behaved, happy, and without worries) versus who they don’t want to be (such as angry, worried, and naughty).

Ask the child to complete the What I Want to Be worksheet with behaviors and emotions they would like to avoid and ones they want to display.

Such exercises promote reflection and, therefore, metacognitive processing, which encourage greater self-awareness of emotions (Fleming, 2021).

Promoting Positive Behavior

Anger is mostly negative and unhelpful for children. But rather than focusing solely on what emotions and behavior to avoid, it can be valuable to consider a wish list of emotions and behaviors that are helpful (Peters, 2018b).

Use the Promoting Positive Behavior worksheet to create a list of positive behaviors with the child and how to enact them in their lives.

When positive behavior is promoted, it can become habitual and create a happier and more constructive atmosphere (Peters, 2018b).

Building Our Feelings Vocabulary

It can be hard for children to know and use the right words to describe their feelings to others. Building their feelings vocabulary can help them share what they are experiencing and seek the help they need (Snowden, 2018).

The Building Our Feelings Vocabulary worksheet provides a list of helpful feeling words and example situations.

With practice and a little help, children can become very good at sharing their emotions.

Requests Versus Demands

It can take time to learn that how we phrase something can change how a person experiences what we have to say. When children have big feelings about something they really want, they can become demanding (Snowden, 2018).

The Requests Versus Demands worksheet helps children understand how to turn demands into requests.

Conflict at School

School is a significant part of children’s lives. Fellow students are all different, with their own likes and dislikes. As a result, it can be challenging to get along with each person, even when we like them (Snowden, 2018).

The Conflict at School worksheet helps children reflect on the different relationships they have at school, what is difficult, and what they need from each one.

Fun activities can be ideal for exploring the triggers, emotions, and behaviors associated with anger.

The following is a small sample of some games to help.

Mad Dragon: An Anger Control Card Game

This fun emotionally-focused therapy game teaches its players about anger control.

The card game is aimed at children between 6 and 12 years old and helps them identify and avoid anger-provoking situations, and express and understand how they feel.

Available from Amazon .

Don’t Go Bananas – A CBT Game for Kids to Work on Controlling Strong Emotions

Based on CBT principles, this game teaches children how to identify emotional triggers, understand the beliefs underpinning them, their consequences, and how to change negative thought patterns .

The game is played by groups of two to four children and can include adults.

Mad Smartz: An Interpersonal Skills Card Game

This CBT-based card game helps children learn about empathy, social skills, anger management, confidence, and cooperation.

It is designed to support parents and therapists working through emotional issues with children and can be played in groups of two or more.

There are plenty of videos online to explain emotions, including anger, to young children in a friendly way.

Here are three of our favorites:

Anger Management for Kids

This short video explains how to manage anger in five easy steps.

Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns It’s OK to Back Away

Follow Howard in this engaging animation to see how he learns to back away from anger.

Anger Management for Kids!

This learning video teaches children about anger, what it does to them, and effective ways to manage their feelings.

There are plenty of resources, tools, and worksheets based on positive psychology designed to explore emotions and cope with anger.

The following are all appropriate to children; though, depending on their age, they may benefit from a degree of support:

• Decorating Cookies Sometimes it is important to step away from a situation and have some downtime. Drawing and art can be excellent ways to take a breath when tempers flare.
• Inside and Outside Worksheet This exercise helps children compare how they think, feel, and behave when struggling with an emotion.
• Self-Control Spotting Recognizing self-control versus lack of control in behavior can be the first step to acting more appropriately.
• Red Light: Anger! This drawing exercise is ideal for young children. They learn to picture anger when it’s small or growing too big.
• Meditation Grounding Scripts for Children Meditation can be helpful at any age. This script for children is ideal for grounding and introducing calm.
• Anger Management for Teens: Helpful Worksheets & Resources This article about anger management for teens is a must read for all parents and caregivers, helping them be prepared and knowing how to handle challenging teenager situations.
• Anger Management Books If your preference is to read up on a topic, then this selection of anger management books was complied specificially for therapists and for helping kids.
• 17 Positive Communication Exercises If you’re looking for more science-based ways to help others communicate better, this collection contains 17 validated positive communication tools for practitioners . Use them to help others improve their communication skills and form deeper and more positive relationships.

Anger is typically upsetting for everyone involved and can change how children see people and experience situations.

Whether we say hurtful things or act in inappropriate ways, we usually look back and wish we had done things differently (Snowden, 2018).

If given a safe place to learn and explore their emotions, children can find new habits to make them happier and calmer, allowing them to maintain or regain control and avoid angry outbursts (Snowden, 2018).

Working through games, tasks, and worksheets, especially in groups or with an adult, can help children explore ways to calm an angry mind or avoid the situation altogether.

Acting out real-life situations can allow children to experiment with what works and what doesn’t, then use the right skills when the problem next arises (Snowden, 2018).

Try some of the worksheets and activities with children. The learnings are not solely in the task itself but in discussing the thinking (metacognition) behind it and its application in the real world. The benefits will last a lifetime.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. For more information, don’t forget to download our three Positive CBT Exercises for free .

• Fleming, S. M. (2021). Know thyself: The science of self-awareness . Basic Books.
• Ho, B. P., Carter, M., & Stephenson, J. (2010). Anger management using a cognitive-behavioural approach for children with special education needs: A literature review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education , 57 (3), 245–265.
• Nelson, W. M., III, Finch, A. J., Jr., & Ghee, A. C. (2012). Anger management with children and adolescents. In P. C. Kendall (Ed.), Child and adolescent therapy: Cognitive-behavioral procedures (pp. 92–139). Guilford Press.
• Peters, S. (2018a). The silent guides: Understanding and developing the mind throughout life . Lagom.
• Peters, S. (2018b). My hidden chimp: Helping children to understand and manage their emotions, thinking and behaviour with ten helpful habits . Studio Press.
• Snowden, S. (2018). Anger management workbook for kids: 50 Fun activities to help children stay calm and make better choices when they feel mad . Althea Press.

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Article feedback

What our readers think.

Hi, I am not able to access the worksheets linked in the article. Is there a way that I can get them?

Hi Shaheen,

I checked the links, and they all seemed to work fine for me. Could you let me know which worksheet you are referring to? I am happy to help!

Kind regards, Julia | Community Manager

Anger is a serious issue. Where there is anger there is frustration and depression. Parents should use all the ways that they have in order to teach kids to express their anger safely. Games can be really helpful on this occasion. You have made some great examples here and I can add some tips and useful activities as well. Take a look here https://aliciaortego.com/anger-management-activities-for-kids/ if you’re interested.

Can you please post your references for Snowden,2018 and Peter,2018b?

Snowden, S. (2018). Anger management workbook for kids: 50 Fun activities to help children stay calm and make better choices when they feel mad. Althea Press.

Peters, S. (2018b). My hidden chimp: Helping children to understand and manage their emotions, thinking and behaviour with ten helpful habits. Studio Press.

P.S. If you scroll to the end of the article, you’ll find a button you can click to reveal the reference list. Hope this helps!

– Nicole | Community Manager

I liked some of the exercises, especially drawing. Anything more on blind rage for 6-10 year olds?

Glad you liked the exercises! Here are a few other free worksheets we have throughout our other posts on this topic:

– Bubbling Over – Follow the Shapes – What Makes Me Blow Up

– Hope this helps!

In this further covid lock-down, young people known to us are becoming isolationist and schooling is suffering. Outbursts becoming a norm. At Beyond Disability we have helped our “wheelie kids” – less-abled kids with laptops and broadband for over 20 years. We have just provided 25 laptops to a local primary school for disenfranchised children who cannot home school. A very timely article, well received Thank you

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Effectiveness of anger management program on anger level, problem solving skills, communication skills, and adjustment among school-going adolescents

Shamala anjanappa.

College of Nursing, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Radhakrishnan Govindan

1 Department of Nursing, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Manjula Munivenkatappa

2 Department of Clinical Psychology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Binukumar Bhaskarapillai

3 Department of Biostatistics, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India

BACKGROUND:

Anger is a natural feeling which is essential for survival, however, which can impair functioning if it is excessive. Adolescents need to be equipped with skills to cope with their anger for the promotion of their health and safety. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of anger management program on anger level, problem solving skills, communication skills, and adjustment among school-going adolescents.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

An experimental, pre-test–post-test control group design with a multistage random sampling was adopted to select 128 school-going adolescents aged between 13 and 16 years. Experimental group received six sessions of anger management program, while control group received one session on anger management skill after the completion of post-assessment for both the groups. Sessions included education on anger, ABC analysis of behavior and relaxation training, modifying anger inducing thoughts, problem solving, and communication skills training. Assessment done after the 2 months of anger management program. Data were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics.

Study reveals the improvement in the problem solving skills (81.66 ± 4.81), communication skills (82.40 ± 3.82), adjustment (28.35 ± 3.76), and decreased anger level (56.48 ± 4.97). Within the experimental and between the experimental and control group, post-test mean scores differed significantly ( P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION:

The results revealed that the anger management program was effective in decreasing anger level and increasing problem solving skills, communication skills, and adjustment among school-going adolescents.

Introduction

Anger is a natural feeling which is essential for survival, however, which can impair functioning if it is excessive. Various factors contribute to maladaptive anger in adolescents; among peer influence is an important factor.[ 1 ] Displaying aggressive behavior may be a way to gain popularity or high social status by demonstrating power or control. It may be a response to the perceived threat of isolation or loss of social standing among the peers.[ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ] The devastating impact of unhealthy anger makes it imperative to address anger issues in adolescents.

Some of the factors found to be associated with anger are lack of problem solving and communication skills and skills to adapt with changing situations. Adjusting to the changing environment is found to be one of the common problems in adolescents.[ 6 ] Lack of problem solving skills makes adolescents vulnerable to anger when they face unfairness or criticism. Developing proper communication skills serves as a base for children to be in congruence with their environment, establishes healthy social relationships, and regulates their reactions emotionally.[ 7 ] There is a positive relationship between problem solving approach and communication skills.[ 8 ] Anger acts as an emotional barrier to communication which hampers the information processing in the brain and leads to inadequate logical discussion hampering the productive contribution to solving problems.[ 9 ]

When children have the awareness and skills to manage the negative emotions such as anger and aggression, they can choose an appropriate course of action, thereby avoiding inappropriate and destructive behavior.[ 10 ] Adolescents need to be equipped with skills to cope with their anger in a productively for the promotion of their health and safety.[ 11 ]

Several behavioral intervention programs have been developed to help adolescents cope with anger. The main aim of the anger management intervention is to develop an awareness and meaning of anger, its physical and psychological effects, and its expression.[ 12 , 13 , 14 ]

A meta-analysis conducted on anger management interventions indicated that emotional awareness, relaxation techniques, problem solving cognitive-behavioral approaches, and coping skill training are effective in reducing negative emotional and behavioral outcomes including anger and aggressive behavior.[ 15 ] Commonly used therapeutic techniques for managing anger include affective education, relaxation training, cognitive restructuring, problem solving skills, social skills training, and conflict resolution. These techniques are individually tailored and are found to improve adolescents’ psychological and physical well-being, reduce anger, aggression and protect the mental health of the society.[ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]

A systematic review suggests that combinations of cognitive behavioral therapy and problem solving skills, communication skills, self-instruction, and role play were very effective in reducing anger or aggression. Group-based anger management interventions conducted in classroom or school settings are a more effective method for school-going adolescents rather than individual sessions.[ 21 ]

International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses recommends that mental health nurses can bring change in the school environment by providing effective anger management skills for adolescents to prevent violent and aggressive behaviors. A school health nurse can also play a role in anger management among adolescents by conducting psycho-education programs at home, school, and in the community. This will enhance the social and coping skills to manage anger effectively and prevent future problems.[ 22 , 23 , 24 ]

Increasing anger-related issues are seen in schools and colleges across the world. Anger serves as a precursor for aggression, violence, and behavioral and conduct disorders.[ 25 , 26 ] Uncontrolled anger may cause extreme violence in the future.[ 27 ] In this context, there was a need for anger management training to improve the effective coping, problem solving, and communication skills of adolescents in the classroom in relation to anger management. A plethora of studies has provided the empirical ground in the selection of interventions that were used in the present study. There is little published research concerning the relative efficacy of anger management on problem solving skill, communication skill, and adjustment among adolescents’ group interventions. The current study addresses this dearth of research by evaluating outcomes of anger management program. It includes essential skills which are appropriate for the adolescent group. This anger management program helps adolescents to manage their anger in a healthy way and promotes healthy peer relationships and school environment.

The purpose of the research is to find out the effectiveness of anger management program on anger level, problem solving skills, communication skills, and adjustment among school-going adolescents.

Materials and Methods

Study design and setting.

The study was conducted in randomly selected schools with an experimental, pre-test–post-test control group design.

Study participants and sampling

A total of 128 school-going adolescents aged between 13 and 16 years were selected by multistage random sampling technique. [ Figure 1 illustrates the multistage sampling process in the study].

Schematic representation of data collection

Data collection tool and technique

Sociodemographic profile.

The following characteristics were assessed: age, gender, education and type of school, parents’ education and occupation, and type of family.

Anger assessment checklist (AACL)

Anger assessment checklist (AACL) was developed by Karpe (1993). The items were divided into the following parameters of anger:

a) Intensity, b) Frequency, c) Mode of expression, d) Duration, and e) Effect upon interpersonal relations (IPRs). Each statement was to be rated on a five-point scale (scores 1–5) from “never” to “always” based on the extent to which the statement was applicable to them. The scores of the tool ranged between 35 and 175 classified into: 35 to 46.5 clinically not significant, 46.6 to 93.2 mild level of anger, 93.3 to 139.7 moderate level of anger, and 139.8 to 175 severe anger. Internal consistency of the AACL was 0.89.

Visual analog scale (VAS)

The visual analog scale (VAS) is a ten-centimeter-long line marked from 0 to 10, at an interval of one centimeter each. Zero indicated no anger, and 10 indicated the maximum amount of anger experienced. Adolescents were explained about the VAS and asked to rate their level of anger on VAS. This is divided into: 0 indicates no anger, 1–3 mild anger, 4–6 moderate anger, and 7–10 severe anger.

Solving problems checklist

It is developed by Barkman and Machtmes (2002).[ 28 ] It measures the communication skills of adolescents aged 12–18 years. This 24-item scale assesses youth's problem solving ability by examining the frequency of use of the following skills that are needed to engage in problem solving: 1. Identify/Define the Problem, 2. Analyze Possible Causes or Assumptions, 3. Identify Possible Solutions, 4. Select Best Solution, 5. Implement the Solution, and 6. Evaluate Progress and Revise as Needed. Higher scores indicate greater problem solving skills. Internal consistency was 0.86.

Communication scale

It is developed by Barkman and Machtmes (2002).[ 28 ] It measures the communication skills of adolescents aged 12–18 years. The scale has 23 items measuring the frequency of the use of certain skills which are needed for effective communication practices: ability to recognize ones’ own style of communication, ability to recognize and value other styles of communication, practicing empathy, altering ones’ communication style to combat with others styles of communication (communicative adaptability), conveying the essential and intended information, and interaction management. Higher scores indicate greater communication skills. Internal consistency was 0.79.

Pre-adolescent adjustment scale (PAAS)

It is developed by Rao, Ramalingaswamy, and Sharma (1976). It measures the adjustment of adolescents toward the areas of home, school, peers, and teachers and in general matters. The PAAS although the scale was developed for pre-adolescents, it can also be used with adolescents. PAAS consists of 40 items and are divided into five subareas, viz. Home-9, School-8, Teachers-8, Peers-8, and General-7. High positive scores indicate high adjustment in that area, while high negative scores indicate high maladjustment in that area. Test–retest reliability coefficient ranged from 0.22 to 0.60 for different areas, and the test was validated against teacher's rating.

Ethical consideration

Ethical clearance was obtained from institute ethical committee [No.NIMH/DO/IEC (BEH.Sc.DIV0/2016)]. The students were briefed about the study, and informed consent forms were sent to the parents through them. Consent was obtained from parents and assent from students for participation in the study.

All the students from the selected schools who gave assent and could get parental consent were assessed for anger level, problem solving skill, communication skill, and adjustment using anger assessment checklist (AACL), problem solving checklist, communication scale, and PAAS. AACL, problem solving check list, communication scale, and PAAS were translated to Kannada language and back-translated to English by an independent person and then matched with the original questionnaire to ensure validity of the translation.

Anger management program

Anger management program was developed by referring the systematic reviews and meta-analysis studies.[ 29 , 30 ] Anger management program and tools used to collect the data were validated by faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences Bangalore, Karnataka, India.

Data collection

Permission was obtained from Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI) and South Zone Block Education Officer (BEO). For the feasibility of the study and accessibility of the adolescents, schools were selected with in the 5 km radius of the institute. A list of 10 schools was received from BEO office. The school principals of all the 10 school were approached for permission. Two school principals declined to give permission. Thus, eight schools were included. School principals gave permission to conduct study in eighth and ninth grade. These schools included government schools (run by the government fund), private-aided schools (schools run by trust with the help of government), and private-unaided schools (managed by a person without government aid). Eight schools were randomly allocated to the experimental and control group by lottery method. A basic information sheet about the study was sent to parents, and assent for screening anger level was taken from adolescents. Anger assessment checklist was administered to the students with prior scheduling without disturbing the academic activity. Students who could read and answer the questionnaires in English or Kannada were included in the study, and those who have conduct disorder and/or ADHD as per the teachers report were excluded. The adolescents were assessed for anger level by using AACL and VAS. Total 1300 students were screened for anger level, from which 220 were incomplete questionnaires, 70 students did not bring consent from their parents, and 7 were absent. Mild level of anger was presented in 320 adolescents, moderate level of anger was present in 663 adolescents, and 20 adolescents had severe level of anger. Handouts of anger management program were given to the adolescents with mild and severe levels of anger. Adolescents with severe level of anger were referred for psychological help. Adolescents with moderate level of anger (663) were randomly selected for the study (64 students in each group) by using a random number table. The students were briefed about the study, and informed consent forms were sent to the parents through them. Consent was taken from parents and assent from students for participation in the study.

Pre-test assessment was conducted for both experimental and control group adolescents (with moderate level of anger) using solving problems, communication, and adjustment tools.

The adolescents of schools allocated to experimental group were made into groups of 6–8 adolescents, and pretest tools were administered. Six sessions of anger management program were conducted for each adolescent group by using demonstration, role play, and discussion methods. Each group had weekly two sessions for about 45 min of duration. Sessions were conducted in the free class hours and sometimes 3pm to 4pm. Eight adolescents dropped out (four from experimental and four from control group) during the study for various reasons (dengue fever, long time leave, etc). The components of the intervention are summarized in Table 1 .

Description of anger management program

Post-intervention assessment

After two months of intervention, post-test assessment was conducted to find out the efficacy of anger management program. One session of education on anger which included anger and its consequences, effects of anger, and demonstration of mindful breathing was conducted to the control group. The steps included in the data collection procedures are summarized in Figure 1 .

Data analysis

Analysis was performed in IBM SPSS Statistics 22, and a p-level of < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. The data was analyzed using frequency distributions, mean and median for the central tendency and range, and standard deviation. Chi-square was done to find the association between the categorical variables. Mann–Whitney U was used to test the homogeneity between experimental and control group. RMANOVA was used to assess the effectiveness of the intervention program. Using RMANOVA reduces type I error. Sphericity assumptions checked by using Mauchly's test, situations where sphericity assumptions violated, Greenhouse–Geisser are reported.

Sociodemographic details

Significant differences were found in religion, education, father's education, and father and mother's occupation of experimental and control groups [ Table 2 ].

Sociodemographic characteristics of the school-going adolescents ( n =120)

Anger level

No significant difference was found between the pre-test mean scores of the experimental and control groups on the anger level and domains of anger. However, a significant difference was found between their post-test mean scores. The scores of experimental group on the anger level and domains of anger were found to have significantly reduced after the anger management program. On the other hand, the scores of the control group did not significantly change after the anger management program [ Table 3 ].

Pre- and post-test results on anger level and domains of anger among experimental and control groups ( n =120)

Outcomes on problem solving skills, communication skills, and adjustment

No significant difference was found between the pre-test mean scores of the experimental and control groups on the problem solving skills [ Table 4 ]. However, a significant difference was found between their post-test mean scores. The scores of experimental group on the problem solving skills were found to significantly increase after the anger management program. On the other hand, the scores of the control group did not significantly change after the anger management program [ Table 4 ].

Comparing the pre-test and post-test results related to problem solving skills, communication skills of the adolescents, adjustment, and domains of adjustment ( n =120)

No significant difference was found between the pre-test mean scores of the experimental and control groups on the communication skills [ Table 4 ]. However, a significant difference was found between their post-test mean scores. The scores of experimental group on the problem solving skills were found to significantly increase after the anger management program. On the other hand, the scores of the control group did not significantly change after the anger management program [ Table 4 ].

Similarly, there was no significant difference on adjustment scale between the groups at pre-assessment. There was significant difference between their post-test mean scores. The of scores of experimental group on the adjustment and domains of adjustment were found to significantly reduce after the anger management program, and there was no significant change in the control group [ Table 4 ].

The present study reports that anger management program was effective in reducing anger level by improving problem solving skill, communication skills, and adjustment among school-going adolescents. In the current study, six sessions of anger management program were conducted for school-going adolescents. After two months of intervention, post-test assessment was conducted to find out the efficacy of the anger management program. The anger management program was effective in reducing the anger level in the adolescents [ Table 3 ]. Pre-test and post-test mean scores of domains of anger, like intensity, frequency, duration, mode of expression, and interpersonal relationship were significantly different within the experimental and between the experimental and control groups. The present study findings were in concordance with the results of a meta-analysis on effectiveness of school-based anger intervention and programs. It reports that anger management program, which included discussion, role play, practice, modeling, homework, reward for compliance, performance feedback, reward for performance, conducting parent or teacher group sessions, goal setting, visualization/imagery, contracting, and academic tutoring, was effective in reducing anger in school children.[ 31 ] The present study results are also supported by another meta-analysis conducted by Smeets et al .[ 32 ] (2015) on anger management for adolescents which revealed that anger management skills, social skills training, and assertive communication training had successfully reduced the aggression in adolescents. Furthermore in the current study, it was observed that adolescents enjoyed the experience of role play, demonstration, and re-demonstration. They were actively involved and engaged in all the activities. Students were asked to maintain anger diary and thought diary which made them introspect their thought process related to anger. A review study on mindfulness, relaxation, and anger problem suggests that mindfulness and relaxation can be used as a complementary therapy in intervening with anger disturbances. It reduces impulsive and maladaptive behavior. Mindfulness facilitates the cognitive change and helps in the development of self-regulatory ability.[ 33 ] In the present study, relaxation was practiced in each session. Adolescents reported that it calms their mind and increases their attention in studies. Adolescents were encouraged to practice relaxation in the home setting.

The mean scores of problem solving skills, communication skills, and adjustment were significantly improved. These findings were statistically significant within the experimental and between the experimental and control groups [ Table 4 ]. The results of the study showed that anger management program was effective in increasing the problem solving skills, communication skills, and adjustment, thereby reducing the anger level in the adolescents. This finding is consistent with results of a meta-analysis on anger management for adolescents which included anger management, social skills, problem solving skills, and family communication. These sessions were effective in reducing aggression in adolescents.[ 34 ] Another study conducted among adolescents reported that anger management training had a high and stable effect on reducing female teenagers’ aggression. Furthermore, group discussion program oriented toward communicative skills had reduced aggression in the experimental group significantly.[ 35 ]

The present study findings are also similar to the findings of study which evaluated the effectiveness of anger management intervention for school children which included changing thinking patterns, developing social problem solving skills or self-control, and managing anger, learning constructive behavior for interpersonal interactions, including communication skills, conflict management, and behavioral strategies.[ 36 ] In the present study, the experimental group showed significant decrease in anger level. The findings of the current study are in concordance with the finding of a study on anger management training for high school students. The results showed that aggression clearly decreased among students who participated in the anger management skills training group.[ 37 ] Similar findings were reflected in another study. They which included anger education program. They reported an increase in anger control and communication skill.[ 38 ]

The present study finding shows that the anger management program increases the adjustment of adolescents’ at their home, with peer, school, teacher, and their general adjustment ( Table. 4 ). Anger management training was found to help adolescents to improve their social adjustment.[ 39 ]

The purpose of the present study is to create awareness in the adolescents that they can identify the triggers for their anger and manage their anger in a healthy way. The intervention components have shown their effectiveness in the chosen variables of the study. The other component in this anger management program is modifying the anger-provoking thoughts, where the student experiences negative thoughts during the times they feel angry. These negative thoughts can occur from misunderstandings, or a lack of coping skills, or social skills. The present anger management program equips the adolescents in problem solving skills and communication skills, thereby enabling the adolescent to solve problems in better way and resolve the anger-related problems in their lives. Each of these sessions which dealt with anger in adolescents was successful and empowered them with adequate skills in managing their anger in a healthy way.

Implication

Anger management skill training is essential for adolescents. Therefore, the teachers, school administrators, school counselors, and who work with these adolescents should be trained. Periodically conducting anger management program increases the emotional regulations in the students, thereby healthy school environment can be maintained. Nurses can liaison with the teachers to design programs to intervene anger problems in children. Using the anger management program, nurses can incorporate several strategies in identifying and intervening children with anger problem and help them to manage their anger in healthy way. This can reduce the risk of child becoming violent and delinquent later in life.

Limitation and recommendation

Majority of the adolescents of this study belong to middle or low-income groups, urban and state board schools; hence, generalization to entire adolescent population may be limitation of this study. A major limitation is there was no screening for other mental health issues except for ADHA and CD. Childhood depression can cause anger outbursts, and likewise other disorders like DMRD, IED, psychosis, etc., Follow-up assessment was not conducted, and hence, it is difficult to say if the effects of the anger management programs were maintained for a longer duration.

This study examined the effectiveness of anger management program. Strategies used in the anger management program were very effective in reducing the anger level by improving problem solving skill, communication skill, and adjustment among school-going adolescents. The anger management program developed and implemented in the study can be used in the schools to teach the adolescents to manage their emotions constructively and prevent destructive behaviors.

Contributors

The first author (AS) conceptualized the study with the help of second and third authors. AS carried out the data collection and analysis. GR, BB, and MM helped in data analysis and interpretation. First draft of the paper was written by AS. GR, MM, and BB reviewed the drafts and approved the final draft.

Financial support and sponsorship

Conflicts of interest.

There are no conflicts of interest.

Acknowledgement

We acknowledge the support and cooperation of the schools that participated in the study. We thank all the participants for giving valuable information.

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Many people experience anger after a disaster. They may feel angry about the damage the disaster has caused, changes to their short- or long-term plans, the long recovery process, financial worries and problems, and their reactions to the disaster that are hard to deal with. Survivors of disasters may feel angry at individuals and organizations they consider to be partly (or entirely, in an incident of mass violence or terrorist attack) responsible for the disaster.

Anger is something people in all societies around the world experience. When people get angry, they may experience these changes:

• Their heart may beat faster.
• Their blood pressure may increase.
• Their muscles may tighten.
• They may release adrenaline, which gives them energy.
• They may breathe faster or not as deeply.
• They may experience digestive issues.
• They may have difficulty sleeping.

Anger has many benefits, including helping people identify and begin to address problems in their lives and giving them energy to react to threats. It also has its downfalls. It has been linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, trouble sleeping, problems with digestion, headaches, depression, and anxiety. Anger may lead people to engage in behavior that involves risk, such as use of alcohol and other substances.

Tips for Calming Yourself

Many people find they anger more easily than usual following a disaster or other trauma. The following sections describe ways for you to manage and talk with others about your anger.

Self-management. Pay attention to cues that you are getting very angry, and when you notice them, take a break. You may want to count to 10, take a quick walk, or try some of the relaxation techniques listed below.

Assertive Communication. If you are angry with a person, it may make sense to talk with him or her directly about it when your anger is at a manageable level to do this. When you're ready, try to use "I" statements and avoid the words "always," "never," and "should."

Problem-solving Approach. If you find you are often becoming angry in a specific situation, you may want to consider ways you can change the situation. If changes are not possible, it may help to focus on areas of life you can control.

Forgiveness. Use forgiveness as you can and as it makes sense. Forgiveness may take time, but if you can experience it, it may enhance your relationship with the person you forgive.

Tips for Boosting Resilience

Connection to community.

Finding ways to connect with the people around you may help you get through your anger. You can connect with your community in several ways, including:

• Talking to someone you trust about your anger.
• Seeking out a support group through community centers or disaster recovery programs.
• Continuing to participate in groups and connecting with your community in ways that don't have anything to do with the disaster.

Harnessing Anger for Disaster Recovery

The energy of anger and other feelings you experience after a disaster may help you get community activities back up and running, contribute to cleanup efforts, volunteer in other ways to help your community as it recovers, and eventually help develop memorials and plan and run anniversary events.

Relaxation Techniques

These techniques can lower your overall stress level, which in turn can help you manage your anger and use it in productive ways. Try the following techniques to help you relax:

• Deep breathing. Try to breathe from your abdominal area instead of from your chest.
• Visualization. Imagine that you are in a place that is peaceful and calming to you.
• Progressive muscle relaxation. Tighten and then relax each muscle group in your body.
• Gentle stretching, yoga, or tai chi.

Habits of Health

It may be hard to keep up with healthy habits after a disaster when your access to resources may be limited, and you may not be living at home. Do your best, and give yourself credit for all you do. Here are a few tips:

• Be physically active.
• Get enough sleep.
• Eat healthy.
• Avoid drugs and alcohol.

When To Seek Professional Support

People can experience anger at any time throughout their lives, no matter their stress level. In the first 2 to 4 weeks after a disaster, you may notice more anger in yourself.

Some signs that you may need professional support include the following:

• Your anger seems out of control.
• You do things because of your anger that you regret.
• You have hurt yourself or people around you physically or emotionally as a result of your anger.
• Your friends and family members have said that they think you have a problem with anger, or they have spent less time with you because of things that happened when you were angry.
• Your anger lasts longer than one month.
• You have arguments with coworkers.
• You are no longer welcome in certain businesses because of past behavior there.
• You have caused property damage when you were angry, or you have thought about causing property damage when you were angry.

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Last Updated: 04/27/2022

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8 Ways to Teach Teens Anger Management Skills

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Whether they throw their smartphone against the wall when they're frustrated that an app won't work, or they yell and swear when they don't get their way, teens who can't manage their anger are bound to have serious problems. While some lash out verbally, others may become physically aggressive. If they don't learn how to manage their anger, they'll have difficulty at school, in relationships, and in their careers.

Although anger is a normal, healthy emotion, it's important to know how to deal with it. Knowing how to cope with anger and how to express it in a socially appropriate manner are important skills for teens to learn. Here are eight concepts and strategies that can help teach teens anger management skills.

Anger Expectations

Every family has different expectations about how anger should be handled. Some families have very little tolerance for yelling while in other families, yelling is a normal means of communicating.

Create rules about what constitutes acceptable behavior and explain what behaviors will not be tolerated.   Don’t allow name-calling, physical violence, or threats in your home. Establish clear consequences for breaking the rules.

Anger vs. Aggression

Teach your teen the difference between angry feelings and aggressive behavior.   Angry feelings are completely acceptable. Aggressive behavior, however, is not OK. Make it clear that it's never OK to throw things, slam doors, or deliberately break objects.

Teens need to know that aggressive behavior—even if it is only verbal aggression—can have serious ramifications. Making threatening comments over social media, for example, could lead to legal consequences.   Discuss the potential academic, social, and legal consequences of aggressive and violent behavior.

Assertiveness Skills

Sometimes, aggressive behavior and anger issues stem from a lack of assertiveness. Teach teens how to stand up for themselves in an appropriate manner.

Talk about the importance of speaking up without violating anyone else's rights. Role-play specific issues with your teen, such as what to do if someone cuts in front of them in line or how to respond if they feel they are being taken advantage of by someone else.

Physical Signs of Anger

Teens often fail to recognize when their anger is on the rise. They allow themselves to grow so angry that they can't help but lash out. Ask your teen, "How does your body feel when you're getting angry?" Teach them to recognize physiological warning signs of anger, like a rapid heartbeat, clenched fists, or flushed face.

Encourage them to take action when they notice their anger is on the rise. That may mean taking a break, taking a few deep breaths, or counting to 10 in their mind.

Self-Directed Time-Outs

Similarly, teach teens to put themselves in time-out when they are struggling with anger. Give them a quick break to gather their thoughts in a private space, or encourage them to end a conversation with a friend if it is getting heated. 

Create time-out guidelines.   For example, agree that if anyone in the house is getting too angry to continue a discussion, you’ll take a 15-minute break before continuing the conversation.

If your teen chooses to take a time-out, don’t follow them or insist on continuing the conversation while they are still upset.   Instead, agree to revisit the conversation after a brief cool-down period.

Acceptable Coping Skills

Teens need to know socially appropriate ways to deal with angry feelings.   Teens who lack coping skills are more likely to become verbally or physically aggressive.

Help your teen identify coping skills to  deal with uncomfortable emotions , such as disappointment and frustration. While drawing may help one teen calm down, another teen may benefit from going for a walk. Work with your teen on identifying specific coping strategies that help diffuse anger.  

Problem-Solving Skills

Teens who lack problem-solving skills may resort to aggression to get their needs met. Teach your teen basic problem-solving skills.  

Whether they are struggling with a school project or trying to resolve an issue with a friend, encourage them to identify three potential solutions. Then, they can review the pros and cons of each before choosing the one they think will work best.

This can help your teen see that there are many ways to solve a problem without lashing out. Over time, they will grow more confident in their ability to successfully solve problems.

Role Modeling

You’ll teach your teen more about handling anger with your behavior than your words. If you yell, swear, and break things, don’t expect your teen to control their anger. Role model appropriate ways to deal with angry feelings.

Show your child how to talk about angry feelings and how to express those feelings appropriately. For example, say, “I’m really angry that you didn’t clean your room like I asked you to. I’m going to go take a break for a few minutes and then we’re going to talk about your consequence.” 

Robinson L, Segal J. Help for parents of troubled teens. HelpGuide. 2019.

Sukhodolsky DG, Smith SD, Mccauley SA, Ibrahim K, Piasecka JB. Behavioral interventions for anger, irritability, and aggression in children and adolescents . J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol . 2016;26(1):58-64. doi:10.1089/cap.2015.0120

Cyberbullying laws. FindLaw.

Tips for parents: setting rules with teens . Child Welfare Information Gateway. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Lök N, Bademli K, Canbaz M. The effects of anger management education on adolescents' manner of displaying anger and self-esteem: A randomized controlled trial .  Arch Psychiatr Nurs . 2018;32(1):75-81. doi:10.1016/j.apnu.2017.10.010

Nasir R, Ghani NA. Behavioral and emotional effects of anger expression and anger management among adolescents .  Procedia Soc Behav Sci . 2014;140:565-569. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.04.471

By Amy Morin, LCSW Amy Morin, LCSW, is the Editor-in-Chief of Verywell Mind. She's also a psychotherapist, an international bestselling author of books on mental strength and host of The Verywell Mind Podcast. She delivered one of the most popular TEDx talks of all time.

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A Blog About Parenting: Coping Skills, Behavior Management and Special Needs

Anger Management Worksheets for Kids & Teens

Useful anger management worksheets for kids & teens + other anger management resources.

Anger management worksheets are useful tools that can assist us when we need to work with kids and teens on developing coping skills and appropriate ways to deal with anger. Anger management worksheets for kids and teens may be a good support to address one or more of the following issues:

• analyzing anger issues
• identifying anger triggers
• teaching social problem-solving
• teaching / learning emotion identification
• planning our coping strategies
• tracking our anger management progress

The worksheets that I share below will be extremely useful to support your work on coping skills development at home and at school, and a very useful resource for your counseling / health practice.

These worksheets can be found in posts that deal with specific aspects of anger management. Those articles also share tips and advice on how to use these anger management resources.

This post is structured in two main section:

• Anger Management Worksheets
• Calm Down Tools & Resources

Anger Management Worksheets for Kids & Teens

In this section you will find a selection of free printable anger management worksheets for kids. I will also share our most comprehensive resource to help develop coping skills for anger (this one is a paid product).

The anger worksheets for kids & teens below include:

• Anger Workbook: A Cool Kid Journal

Anger Triggers Worksheets

• Anger Signs Worksheets 
• Emotions Charts (Expressing our anger appropriately)
• Problem Solving 

Anger Workbook for Kids 

This is our most comprehensive anger management resource.

It captures most tips, advice, and strategies you can read in the blog in a “kid-friendly package”.

A Cool Kid Journal is a workbook + journal + coping cards (70!), ALL IN ONE. ( 121 fun colorful pages that include educational content, journaling pages, worksheets, and cards)

It is a digital product to help kids develop coping skills for anger .

Anger triggers can be situations, moods, actions, anything that makes your child angry.

Anger trigger worksheets help you work with your kid on identifying anger triggers. The post below will take you through:

• most common anger triggers
• ideas to brainstorm your child’s anger triggers
• ideas on how to prepare an action plan to deal appropriately with those triggers

⇒Go to the post and grab your anger triggers worksheets

Anger Signs Worksheet

Recognizing and responding to others’ facial expressions or emotional states is difficult for some kids, especially children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or intellectual disabilities.

The post below will provide you with:

• A checklist of anger signs (the way our body tells us that we are getting angry)
• A beautiful anger signs worksheet for kids

⇒ Go to the post and grab your anger signs worksheet

Expressing Anger Worksheets

Some kids find it difficult to identify, label or express feelings. Emotions charts (or feelings thermometers) are a very useful tool to help kids express their anger appropriately.

The posts below will teach you how to use emotions charts effectively.

They will also provide you with two different examples of tools that can help kids express their angry feelings:

• ⇒ Free Anger Thermometers  
• ⇒ Emotions chart

Anger Iceberg for Kids

The anger iceberg is a metaphor that highlights that the expressions of anger that are so easy to notice may be hiding other complex emotions.

On the tip of the anger iceberg, we represent what we can see (our anger signs).

Beneath the surface, we explore underlying feelings and emotions ( vulnerable emotions that we disguise as anger and other complex emotions)

⇒ Go to the post and check out this fun anger iceberg activity for kids .

Problem-Solving Worksheet

Often, anger problems arise from the inability to solve a problem.

In those cases, developing good problem-solving abilities may be the best help.

You could work on developing your kid´s problem-solving abilities by helping your child:

• Identify and describe a problem
• Generate alternatives
• Predict consequences
• Choose the best alternative, and

This is a simple problem-solving worksheet that may be useful when you work with kids.

⇒  This worksheet can be downloaded at the end of this post!

Calm Down Worksheets & Tools

In this section you will find a selection of tools and resources to help your kids or students calm down:

54321 Grounding Technique

• Calming Box

Calm Down Bottles

Calm down strategy cards.

The 54321 exercise is a very simple but extremely effective grounding technique.  It distracts your attention from your unwanted emotions and thoughts, focusing on the here-and-now, by using your fives senses.

The post below will teach you how to practice the 54321 Grounding Exercise and you will also be able to download a free poster.

⇒ 54321 Grounding Worksheet (poster)

Calming Toolbox

A calming box is a collection of items that help us self-regulate that are conveniently stored in a box or other type of container.

Having a calm down kit allows you to easily access all the items that facilitate your kids’ calm down strategies.

⇒ Find ideas of useful ítem to include in your calming box

⇒Relevant reading: 100 Calming Strategies for Kids

Sensory Bottles or  Calm Down Bottles are containers (bottles or jars) filled with different materials that provide a sensory soothing and pleasant experience.

⇒ Learn how to prepare your own homemade calm down bottles (4 recipes)

Using visuals (calm down cards) when teaching kids to cope with big emotions (anger or anxiety) helps them make their choices and promotes self regulation.

The post below provides you with tips and advice on how to use calm down cards. It also comes with a free set of 30 calming strategy cards. 

⇒ Read post and downlaod your calm down strategy cards

Download: Free PDF Triggers & Problem Solving

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How Anger Management Therapy Works

How it works.

• Who Needs It

Things to Consider

• Find a Therapist

Frequently Asked Questions

Anger is a natural emotion, and when managed well, it can even be healthy and productive. But when anger escalates to the point that it causes harm to yourself and others, it's time to make some changes. Anger management refers to a set of skills used to handle and express anger in healthy ways.

Read on to learn more about anger management counseling and why it's important.

Verywell / Theresa Chiechi

What Is Anger Management?

People use a number of conscious and unconscious processes to handle their anger. Common approaches include:

• Suppressing

While anger may be a normal and healthy emotion, how we respond to it makes a big impact. Anger management involves responding to anger in healthy, constructive ways. People who struggle with anger responses may need professional help to learn how to manage their anger.

What Is Anger?

Anger is a natural emotion that is subjective and adaptive. It can vary in intensity, from subtle irritation to intense rage.

It has different components:

• Experiential : Emotional experiences accompanied by physiological responses
• Expressional : Behaviors used to deal with anger feelings

Anger management therapy helps a person gain insight into what triggers their anger as well as identify their anger responses. Using certain exercises, the person develops skills that help them manage their anger in healthy and productive ways .

Anger treatment programs typically aim to modify:

• Physiological arousal
• Cognitive processes
• Behavior/social interaction

Psychotherapists use three basic strategies in anger management treatment:

• Relaxation : Learning to calm the body
• Cognitive therapy : Learning healthy thinking patterns
• Skill development : Learning new behaviors

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a commonly-used, effective treatment for anger management.

CBT for anger targets thought patterns and behaviors associated with problematic anger management. Once these are identified, they can be replaced over time with realistic, productive responses to feeling angry.

These responses are achieved through exercises, such as reframing the way you think about a problem and how you respond to it. CBT can identify anger cues and triggers and implement practices and techniques to stop anger from escalating.

Variations on CBT may be used, such as:

• Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) : Combines cognitive therapy, meditation , and mindfulness
• Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) : An action-oriented approach that addresses irrational beliefs and develops skills to manage emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in more productive, healthier ways

Who Needs It?

Everyone can benefit from learning effective anger management strategies, but anger management treatment may be especially helpful for people in certain circumstances.

Working People

Any job can be stress -inducing, but some jobs can make anger management especially necessary.

For example, nursing has been shown to involve many factors that can trigger anger responses.

Expressing anger (such as using offensive hand gestures) has been shown to increase safety risks while driving. Incorporating anger management techniques into driver training classes could help make roads safer.

People Who Are or Are at Risk of Being Incarcerated

Studies have shown anger management can be effective in reducing the risk of reoffending, particularly violent reoffending.

A 2015 meta-analysis explored the effects of CBT-based anger management interventions among adult men who were incarcerated. After treatment completion, the overall risk of reoffending showed a 42% reduction, while violent reoffending showed a 56% reduction.

People With Substance Use Disorder and Other Mental Health Conditions

Anger and aggression are associated with substance abuse . Difficulty managing anger and aggression can be a significant barrier to treatment for substance use.

Problems with anger management are also known to be caused by and aggravate many other mental health conditions.

While it's a common belief that anger "fuels" athletes, there is evidence to show that anger might be dysfunctional, if not managed correctly, particularly in sports that require selective attention and fine-tuned motor skills.

Research suggests that CBT programs can help athletes understand and control this anger response.

Children and Adolescents

Children and adolescents who struggle with anger management can be at increased risk for difficulties in school and in social interactions. If it continues into later adolescence and adulthood, they are at risk for problems with employment and potential legal troubles.

Teaching anger management skills to children and adolescents reduces these risks and other negative outcomes associated with anger issues. Starting this training before they internalize unhealthy behaviors is especially beneficial.

CBT combined with mindfulness techniques, implemented by trained CBT practitioners, have been shown to be effective for anger management with children.

Abuse Is More Than an Anger Issue

Domestic violence and abuse involves a deliberate control over another person, not necessarily a loss of control or temper. Abuse requires specialized treatment, not standard anger management classes.

If you or a loved one are experiencing or have experienced domestic violence, contact the  National Domestic Violence Hotline  at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential assistance from trained advocates. For more mental health resources, see our  National Helpline Database .

Poor anger management is associated with a number of negative effects on physical, mental, and social health, including cardiovascular diseases, low self-esteem, and interpersonal problems.

Proper anger management habits are part of taking care of overall health for everyone.

There are ways to practice anger management skills outside of formal therapy. In fact, if you are in professional treatment for anger management, you will be encouraged to practice skills outside of class.

Relaxation techniques can be practiced as needed and regularly as part of your daily routine. Tools might include:

• Deep breathing
• Relaxing imagery
• Meditation and mindfulness exercises

Cognitive Restructuring

Cognitive restructuring involves changing the way you think about situations, taking the overly dramatic or exaggerated thinking that tends to come with anger and trying to be more logical and realistic, even when the anger is justified.

Exercise is great for physical and mental health. It's also been shown to have a positive effect on anger reduction and stress control.

Realistic Problem-Solving

Instead of reacting with frustration, you can tackle your issue by:

• Evaluating the problem
• Identifying your options for a response
• Considering the likely consequences of each potential solution

It's also important to recognize that problems will arise that do not have a perfect solution, or may be out of your control. In situations like these, focus on what you can control in the situation, and what behaviors will leave you feeling the best about yourself over time.

If your sincere attempts to solve the problem are not successful at first, be easy on yourself, try to be patient, practice your anger management techniques, and avoid all-or-nothing thinking.

Thought Stopping

If you feel your angry thoughts building, counter them with commands to stop the pattern of angry thoughts before the anger escalates.

Communication and Clarification

When angry feelings arise, stop, think, and ask yourself where the anger is coming from. Sometimes anger can be a smoke screen for other feelings, like fear or anxiety . Talking about your feelings, with others or even out loud to yourself, can help.

Stop, slow down, and think when heated discussions arise. Listen carefully to the other person, and carefully consider what you are going to say before you respond.

Try employing the Conflict Resolution Model:

• Identify the problem
• Identify the feelings associated with the conflict
• Identify the impact of the problem
• Decide whether to resolve the conflict
• Work towards resolution of the conflict, including if a compromise is needed

It can be difficult, but trying to see the humor in situations—even frustrating ones—can help take the fire out of an angry response.

"Time Out"

"Time outs" aren't just for children; they can be a way for you to take a minute to calm down and deescalate your anger.

A "time out" could include:

• Leave the situation
• Count to 10
• Repeat calming phrases
• Breathe deeply
• Shift to a more pleasant thought
• Bring yourself back into focus

It can also be helpful to schedule regular personal time for periods of the day you know will be stressful, such as claiming the first 15 minutes after you get home from work as uninterrupted "me time."

Avoiding Triggers

Identify the things that tend to trigger your anger and try to avoid them.

For example, if you tend to get frustrated with something at night, try doing it at a different time of day. If your child's messy room angers you, close their door. If driving to work sets you off, look into taking the bus or train.

What Is The Psychology Behind Anger Management?

When anger happens, anger-related scripts, schemas, and motor impulses automatically activate. If these responses are unhealthy, negative behavior, such as aggression, is likely to occur.

Thankfully, the way we respond to anger is largely learned behavior and not fixed. Learning effective anger management skills and practicing them changes the response to anger. With enough practice, these healthy responses can became the default.

Not only is it impossible to completely eliminate anger, it's not even the goal. Anger serves a purpose. The goal is learning to manage it. Learning to control anger takes practice and isn't easy. It's an ongoing process for everyone.

Some people can learn to manage their anger on their own or with minimal professional help. But anger can be very complex, have deeply embedded roots, and be a symptom of a bigger problem, such as a mental health condition. In these cases, treatment can take longer and require more intensive professional help.

Finding a Therapist

When looking for a therapist, look for one with experience in anger management. Approaches to anger management can be different than other forms of therapy.

The American Psychological Association has an online search tool to help you find a psychologist in your area.

Anger management skills are learned. People who have difficulty managing their anger can learn productive ways to handle their emotions.

Professional treatment, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, is effective at treating anger management issues. Practicing anger management skill-building exercises at home and putting them into practice helps solidify good anger management habits.

A Word From Verywell

Feeling out of control with anger can be overwhelming and scary, for yourself and those around you. It takes time and practice to learn and develop healthy anger management skills. Fortunately, resources are available to help you learn these skills. Consider an anger management counseling program or seeking out a mental health professional for treatment.

The length of the individual classes and the course of treatment depends on which program or intervention is being administered, and how the person responds to it. One example of a CBT anger management course involves 12, 90-minute weekly sessions.

CBT is the most common program used for anger management treatment, but it is often combined with other strategies, such as mindfulness. The key is trying different strategies and finding what works for you.

Researching anger management techniques, such as cognitive restructuring and other tools, can provide you with some strategies to start with. If you find you need more help, look for a mental health professional with experience in anger management.

The cost of counseling varies depending on the provider, length of treatment, and other considerations.

The terms are often used interchangeably, but there are differences. In general, counseling tends to focus on finding solutions to specific problems or issues. It is generally short-term. Psychotherapy tends to be longer and addresses mental health concerns more deeply.

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American Psychological Association. How a psychologist can help you manage anger .

Anjanappa S, Govindan R, Munivenkatappa M. Anger management in adolescents: a systematic review . Indian Journal of Psychiatric Nursing . 2020;17(1):51. doi:10.4103/IOPN.IOPN_37_19

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Anger management for substance use disorder and mental health clients .

Asvaroğlu SY, Bekiroğulları Z. Cognitive behavioural therapy treatment for child anger management . The European Journal of Social & Behavioural Sciences . 2020;2. doi:10.15405/ejsbs.2020.04.issue-2

Qu W, Dai M, Zhao W, Zhang K, Ge Y. Expressing anger is more dangerous than feeling angry when driving . PLoS ONE . 2016;11(6):e0156948. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0156948

Henwood KS, Chou S, Browne KD. A systematic review and meta-analysis on the effectiveness of CBT informed anger management .  Aggression and Violent Behavior . 2015;25:280-292. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2015.09.011

Zarshenas L, Baneshi M, Sharif F, Moghimi Sarani E. Anger management in substance abuse based on cognitive behavioral therapy: an interventional study . BMC Psychiatry . 2017;17(1):375. doi:10.1186/s12888-017-1511-z

Vuoksimaa E, Rose RJ, Pulkkinen L, et al. Higher aggression is related to poorer academic performance in compulsory education . Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry . 2021;62(3):327-338. doi:10.1111/jcpp.13273

Dewi IDADP, Kyranides MN. Physical, verbal, and relational aggression: the role of anger management strategies . Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma . 2021;0(0):1-18. doi:10.1080/10926771.2021.1994495

By Heather Jones Heather M. Jones is a freelance writer with a strong focus on health, parenting, disability, and feminism. 

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