Anger Management Lessons in Schools

Most of us will know a young person who struggles to deal with their anger and unfortunately this group of people seem to be becoming more frequently observed. As a way of tackling this problem, the government has introduced anger management classes within schools to allow children easier access to this service.

Why do Children Need Anger Management?

We have all heard people saying’ the kids of today and unruly’ or another similar type of comment and even though this may be a generalisation, it does seem to be true that kids today are less tolerant of each other and their surroundings. Experts have decided that the best way of counteracting this and decreasing the amount of violence seen in children is to deal with the source of the anger that causes them to act in an unruly way.

What do The Classes Include?

Like most anger management classes the schedule allows an allocated time slot during which children are encouraged to share their views and opinions on the subject of anger. They can openly discuss how they feel, what causes their anger and how they normally respond. Following this the trained service provider assists the pupil in finding more useful and safer ways of managing their anger. They are also encouraged to find higher tolerance towards what annoys them to the point of causing anger.

How do They Vary From ‘Normal’ Anger Management Classes?

The classes are different to traditional anger management classes as they are tailored to suit younger people. The skills needed to manage anger effectively are learned in a different way by children than by adults and the course has been specially designed to stimulate and interest children.

It is also thought that children and teenagers are more likely to open up to trained personnel that are not connected to other areas of their life, about personal issues that are troubling them and causing them anger.

The other way in which they vary is how they are accessed. Traditional anger management classes may have to be paid for privately which is an issue that may dissuade parents and children form accessing the course as they can tend to be expensive if an on-going course is required. By having them included within the school building and in the school day it is thought that pupils may be more likely to attend and gain from the knowledge and methods learned.

Not Everyone Agrees

As the classes have not yet become mainstream in all schools the results of whether they have been productive and cost-effective have yet to be fully seen. There are some people who believe that these classes are not cost effective and that other forms of discipline and structure are needed to encourage kids to keep control of their emotions and tolerate situations in a better way.

Anger management classes in schools is still not a regular appearance but if results from the schools that do run the classes prove to be beneficial it may be reasonable to assume that they will be a more common occurrence in the future.