Anger-Management Training: 

Children whose behavior is disruptive often have difficulty expressing anger in acceptable ways. When they were young, many of these children learned that they could control their world through anger. When people give in to these children's aggressive behavior, this behavior is being rewarded, strengthening the connection between anger and control. Many children who exhibit aggressive behavior have never learned acceptable ways of showing dissatisfaction, frustration or anger. They need coping skills for resolving conflicts without coercion, physical force and aggression.

These children need to recognize the triggers that ignite their anger and aggression, develop strategies for managing their anger, and avoid unnecessary conflict with others. Anger-control strategies include:

• Self-instruction: "Self-talk" and "self-prompting" are ways of talking through problems using special strategies. Students learn to engage in self-talk to manage their anger. In other words, instead of telling themselves negative things, such as "The only way out of this situation is to be more violent than the other kid," they learn to replace these negative thoughts with positive ones.
• Relaxation skills: Breathing and physical exercises allow students to reduce both stress and the physical symptoms of anger.
• Social problem solving: This strategy helps students view situations as problems to be solved and not as battles to be won.

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