Aggressive driving is a phenomenon that has taken on tremendous significance in society. While the issue has been studied from perspectives of several disciplines, relatively few comprehensive empirical investigations have been conducted. This may be due, at least in part, to a scarcity of comprehensive theoretical works in the field, from which methodical research hypotheses could be derived. This paper reviews major extant theories of general aggression to offer a rationale for choosing a particular framework to apply to the topic of aggressive driving. The social-cognitive model of aggressive driving is recommended, as it takes into account wide-ranging cognitive, situational, and dispositional factors. Implications for future research are also considered.

In the present study, an anger management treatment program was compared to a pseudo-social skills training program (self-help group) and waiting list control group to determine its effectiveness in reducing irritable/angry behavior in head injured subjects. Subjects consisted of 28 adults with previous head injury trauma who had difficulty with excessive irritability and anger. Subjects averaged 35.4 years of age and had an average of 8.9 years post head injury. Treatment consisted of 10 group sessions over a five week period. Anger management training was designed to teach subjects self management skills aimed at reducing the frequency of angry acting out behavior. Training methods included role playing, relaxation training, assertiveness training and cognitive restructuring. The pseudo-social skills training group was a self-help group designed to encourage discussion of irritability problems without teaching specific coping techniques. To assure some degree of homogeneity in cognitive abilities among subjects, minimum eligibility scores were required on five subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - Revised and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. Dependent measures were pre and posttreatment scores obtained from five categories of the Katz Adjustment Scale - Relative form: belligerence, negativity, general psychopathology, social obstreperousness, and social role functioning. In addition, pre and posttreatment recordings of observed angry/irritable behavior in the subjects were obtained from a significant other. Results failed to reveal statistically significant differences on the dependent measures between the three study groups. In addition, analysis failed to reveal any significant variables that predicted outcome. It is evident that much more organized research is needed to further investigate the possibilities of treatment for various problems encountered by those with head injuries.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Social Work))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

As a result of the restructuring of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in 1996 and various other factors, Police Social Work Services decided to broaden the scope of its services by developing and introducing proactive personnel capacity-building programmes. By 1999, 15 such programmes had been developed. The need subsequently arose for a comprehensive impact assessment and cost-benefit analysis of these programmes and the Evaluation of Personnel Capacity-Building Programmes (EPCaP) study was launched in 2001. The evaluation of the Anger Management, Assertiveness and Conflict Management Programmes, as well as a cost-benefit analysis of the Life Skills programmes as a whole, formed part of this research. Objectives: This study had two primary aims. The first was to determine the effect of the Assertiveness, Conflict Management and Anger Management programmes on the knowledge, attitude and behaviour of SAPS personnel. The second was to carry out a cost-benefit analysis of the Life Skills programmes as a whole. Method: In the case of the effect measurement, a comparison group pre-test and post-test design and triangulation were used. Eighteen measurement scales and a presenter's evaluation questionnaire were developed and completed by 627 experimental group respondents, 150 comparison group members and 32 presenters. In the cost-benefit analysis, a comprehensive, computerised ROI analysis programme that was developed by Meyer et al. (2003) was primarily used. It measured the interventions' return on investment (ROI), net present value (NPV), payback period, internal rate of return (IRR) and learning cost per attendee. Results: By means of the triangulation of measurements it was ascertained that the three personnel capacity-building programmes had a practical significant effect on the respondents' knowledge, attitude and behaviour. They could, therefore, be considered as effective tools in the hands of Police Social Work Services which not only empowered SAPS personnel to lead more productive professional lives, but also enhanced their personal well-being. The cost-benefit analysis indicated that the Life Skills Programmes represented a worthwhile investment of the organisation's time, money and effort. In its first year of implementation alone, it produced a return on investment (ROI) coefficient of more than 1700%. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Social Work))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

As a result of the restructuring of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in 1996 and various other factors, Police Social Work Services decided to broaden the scope of its services by developing and introducing proactive personnel capacity-building programmes. By 1999, 15 such programmes had been developed. The need subsequently arose for a comprehensive impact assessment and cost-benefit analysis of these programmes and the Evaluation of Personnel Capacity-Building Programmes (EPCaP) study was launched in 2001. The evaluation of the Anger Management, Assertiveness and Conflict Management Programmes, as well as a cost-benefit analysis of the Life Skills programmes as a whole, formed part of this research. Objectives: This study had two primary aims. The first was to determine the effect of the Assertiveness, Conflict Management and Anger Management programmes on the knowledge, attitude and behaviour of SAPS personnel. The second was to carry out a cost-benefit analysis of the Life Skills programmes as a whole. Method: In the case of the effect measurement, a comparison group pre-test and post-test design and triangulation were used. Eighteen measurement scales and a presenter's evaluation questionnaire were developed and completed by 627 experimental group respondents, 150 comparison group members and 32 presenters. In the cost-benefit analysis, a comprehensive, computerised ROI analysis programme that was developed by Meyer et al. (2003) was primarily used. It measured the interventions' return on investment (ROI), net present value (NPV), payback period, internal rate of return (IRR) and learning cost per attendee. Results: By means of the triangulation of measurements it was ascertained that the three personnel capacity-building programmes had a practical significant effect on the respondents' knowledge, attitude and behaviour. They could, therefore, be considered as effective tools in the hands of Police Social Work Services which not only empowered SAPS personnel to lead more productive professional lives, but also enhanced their personal well-being. The cost-benefit analysis indicated that the Life Skills Programmes represented a worthwhile investment of the organisation's time, money and effort. In its first year of implementation alone, it produced a return on investment (ROI) coefficient of more than 1700%. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Social Work))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

The present investigation evaluated the efficacy of a Cognitive-Behavioural Therapeutic Approach for the anger management of three adolescent males. The study is noteworthy because it utilised essential features of Beck's Cognitive Therapy in the cognitive restructuring phase of treatment. Previous studies have commonly employed Rational Emotive Therapy's disputation of irrational beliefs for this phase. For this reason it is considered to be an original contribution to the literature. A multiple (three) single-case study research design was employed. The three adolescents, aged 13 to 17 years, attended seven to nine one-hour counselling sessions over a two to three month period. Pre-, post-treatment and long-term followup psychometric measures of aggression and anecdotal reports of anger-control were obtained from parents and teachers. Self-reports in the affective and cognitive domain, progress in therapy, psychometric measures (aggressive behaviour subscale of the Child Behaviour Checklist, Adapted Novaco Anger Inventory and Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale) and continuous (including pre-, post-treatment and long-term follow-up) assessments of the frequency of angry outbursts were obtained. Counsellor assessments of cognitive homework and behaviour in therapy were also made. Results reveal marked reductions in the average daily frequencies of angry outbursts in all cases by post-treatment and treatment effects were maintained throughout the three-month follow-up period. It was concluded that the cognitive-behavioural therapeutic approach warrants further investigation as it is proposed that it is a comprehensive and efficacious treatment for male adolescent anger problems.

Adolescence is a turbulent time and a critical transformational phase during which major physical, emotional, cognitive and social shifts occur. The objective of this study is to explore ways in which female adolescents can acquire anger management skills. The study proposes that emotional competency is cultivated as a result of the neurological plasticity of the brain and by applying learning material based on the work of scholars in the fields of neuroscience and Applied Drama. Adolescence is an opportune time for girls to learn emotional competency skills as the incomplete development of the prefrontal area of the brain makes them more inclined to risk taking and less aware of logical thinking processes. The study indicates that anger floods the body with secretions like cortisol and adrenaline, blocking logical thinking. Angry incidences can have destructive consequences for relationships. The empirical study includes discussions of training levels for anger management, such as the identification of anger-related emotions and anger styles, understanding anger, and curbing angry expressions through assertive communication. As anger management is a practical aptitude, the empirical study applied selected Process Drama conventions (as modes of Applied Drama), specifically role play, tableaux, Mantle of the Expert and dramatized poetry. The benefit of these conventions lies in the facility with which they can alternate between dual modes of engagement and learning content. Process Drama launches the workshops’ participants into a make-believe world in which they can identify with a situation from the inside out while simultaneously observing the situation from the outside in, a phenomenon called metaxis. The female adolescent, while protective of her social relationships, can safely enter a fictitious world and face the problems raised by anger without jeopardizing her privacy or dealing with real-life emotions. The convention of dramatized poetry enabled creative expression as the participants wrote their own poems to personalize their insight into their need for anger management. While the methodology was being practised, it was also assessed. As the outcomes of the learning objectives were the participants’ responsibility, I could assess during the activities if they accommodated learning objectives in their biography. In this study the participants were, for example, not able to fully utilize the skill of assertive communication. The integrity of the methodology of Process Drama for girls was affirmed when it was successfully combined with the principles of brain-based learning. The literature review and the outcomes of the empirical study confirmed that Process Drama adheres to the principles of brain-based learning which is, inter alia, physiological, social and emotional, and occurs in tandem with the developmental phase of the participant. The research study is the culmination of various disciplines and an endeavour to present a multimodal anger management programme that incorporates the adolescent female on a cognitive, emotional and physical level, and in a sound collaborative environment. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / lk2014 / Drama / DPhil / Unrestricted

Thesis (M.A. (Social Work)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / Anger Management is now a major issue affecting children and youth across societies. It often leads children and youth to criminal offences. Despite attending the anger management programme, children and youth still fail to control their emotions. There are various factors that lead them unable to control their anger-triggering situations and ultimately re-offend. Some do so because they did not benefit from the programme. There are few studies, particularly within the anger management programmes tailored for children and youth in South Africa. This study aimed at exploring the anger management programme. The study argues that the anger management programme has an influence on the re-offending behaviour of children and youth who have gone through the programme. The study focused in Limpopo Province using Mankweng area as a case. Behaviour Modification, Social Learning and Strain were used as theories to evaluate the effectiveness of the anger management programme amongst children in conflict with the law. The study applied the qualitative approach, with the exploratory case study design. Purposive and convenient sampling techniques were used to select thirteen (13) respondents, wherein ten (10) were youth who have gone through the anger management programme while they were still children, and three (3) social workers who facilitate the programme at NICRO in Mankweng. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, guided by an interview schedule with open-ended questions. The Nvivo software was used to organise and manage the data, and Creswell’s steps of data analysis were used to thematically analyse the data. The findings of this study indicate that lack of anger management skills amongst children increases the likelihood of juvenile delinquency. These children act aggressively and violently when faced with anger-triggering situations. The study further revealed that peer-relationship, poor parenting skills, family background, lack of support, abusive parents and strenuous predicaments are factors that affect children and youth to manage their anger, leading to re-offending. Despite attending the anger management programme, these factors still pushed children and youth into committing criminal offences again. This study unearthed that the competency of the anger management programme facilitators equally plays an important role in recidivism. It helps children to benefit from ways of dealing with anger and avoid being aggressive and violent. The study further viii revealed that most youth participants in the study understood what the programme seeks to address and achieve. Participants benefitted from the programme, and it was easy for them to learn about anger management, and never reoffended. The study concluded that children who lack anger management skills are likely to commit criminal offences again. Factors such peer-relationship, poor parenting skills and strenuous predicaments affect the ability of children and youth to manage anger emotions. It was further concluded that abusive parents, family background and lack of support also cause the reoffending behaviour amongst children and youth. Facilitators’ competency and children’s challenges in understanding the programme affect the impact of the programme to prevent criminal behaviour. The study recommended proper assessments of children’s circumstances, involvement of peers and parents, training of social workers who offer the anger management programme and supplementary programmes to support the programme.

The purpose of this study was to understand the attitudes, perceptions and experiences of college women in modern India with regard to intimate partner violence, specifically dating violence. Surveys were collected from 489 undergraduate female participants. Only 99 participants (20%) were or had been in a dating relationship. The participants in this study self reported both perpetrating and receiving violence in these relationships. A significant positive relationship was found between dating violence perpetration and victimization and four risk factors: witnessing and experiencing abuse in one's family of origin, attitudes justifying wife beating, and problem behaviors associated with alcohol use. A significant negative relationship was found between anger management skills and the perpetration and victimization of violence in dating relationships. Finally, even though the rate of dating and alcohol use is low in India, the problem behaviors associated with these phenomena are very similar to those identified in the United States. Although much is known about domestic violence and wife assault in the Indian context, there is almost no information or effort in the direction of prevention and education in the realm of dating violence. While India is advancing technologically, creating new opportunities for its youth, there is no simultaneous effort being made to protect its youth from risks of urbanization and cultural shifts. The young adults of India today are joining the global economy. However, there is no system put in place to educate and nurture their social and cultural evolution. Findings from this study suggest that as the youth open themselves up to the culture of dating and premarital courtship, there needs to be a parallel effort made to educate and train them about healthy relationships. / Master of Science

This study compares three groups of undergraduate college males in heterosexual dating relationships: those who are physically and psychologically abusive (n=39), those who are solely psychologically abusive (n=44), and those who are non-abusive (n=34). These three groups are compared along the following variables: self-reported history of experiencing family of origin violence; self-reported history of witnessing family of origin violence; level of self-reported impulsivity; level of self-reported satisfaction with life; level of self-reported alcohol use; level of self-reported relationship satisfaction; and amount of self-reported anger management skill. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant main effects among the three groups of males along several of the variables examined (Wilks' Lambda F = 4.80, df = 10, 220, p <.001). Post hoc tests revealed significant differences among the three groups of males. This study revealed that these three groups differ significantly along their levels of alcohol use (F = 10.16, p <.001), their reported levels of relationship satisfaction (F = 4.23, p <.05), and their levels of anger management skills (F = 14.56, p<.001). This information can be helpful to clinicians and educators who are working with college populations. It would seem that psychoeducation might be useful for some of these men so that they might develop alternatives to violence, and may hopefully decrease the risk factors associated with the perpetration of relationship violence. Intervening early and effectively with these dating relationships can be a substantive step towards preventing the escalation and maintenance of violence in relationships. / Master of Science