Violence is one of the most serious problems in criminal behaviour, and it creates major challenges for prisons. If violence is not addressed properly, offenders may continue to harm others even after release. Because of this, different treatment approaches have been developed to reduce violent behaviour. Three commonly discussed approaches are anger management programmes, violent offender programmes, and Aggression Replacement Training (ART). This essay mainly focuses on anger management as a treatment approach.

A. ANGER MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES

Anger management is one of the most widely used treatments in prisons and other correctional settings. The main goal of anger management is to help offenders understand their anger and learn how to control it, so that anger does not turn into violent behaviour.

 

Strategies Used in Anger Management (Howells, 1998)

  • Understanding aggression: Teaching offenders why they become aggressive and violent.
  • Identifying triggers: Helping them recognise what situations make them angry.
  • Dealing with stress: Learning better ways to cope with stressful environments.
  • Improving coping skills: Expanding their options for handling difficult situations without violence.
  • Stopping escalation: Preventing angry thoughts from turning into violent actions.
  • Commitment to change: Motivating offenders to genuinely want to control their anger.

The Cognitive Basis of Anger

Research shows that anger is closely linked to how a person appraises or interprets an event (Howells, Watt, Hall & Baldwin, 1997). For example, if a person hits their finger with a hammer, they feel pain but usually not anger. However, if someone distracts them at that moment, they may blame that person and feel angry.

This example shows that anger arises when a person believes that someone else is responsible or blameworthy for their suffering, even when this belief may be inaccurate. Therefore, anger is not just about what happens, but about how the event is understood.

Problems and Limitations of Anger Management

Although anger management can be helpful, it is not suitable for all violent offenders. Not all violence is caused by anger. For example, psychopaths may use violence in a planned and deliberate way to achieve goals, such as stealing money, rather than because they feel angry. In such cases, anger management is unlikely to be effective.

Other offenders may have low self-esteem and are highly sensitive to insults or criticism. They may react violently when they feel humiliated or taunted. For these individuals, general anger management programmes may fail to address the real cause of their violence.

Research also suggests that anger management does not always produce strong clinical effects (Howells, 1998). In some cases, poorly matched programmes may even be harmful if they ignore the true reasons behind violent behaviour.

 

B. VIOLENT OFFENDER PROGRAMMES

Violent offender programmes aim to understand violence beyond simple anger. These programmes are based on important findings about how violent behaviour develops and continues.

Violence as Learned Behaviour

Research shows that violence is often a learned behaviour. Many violent criminals learn to use violence as a way of coping with life problems. Violence gives them a sense of power and control, and over time it becomes their main way of handling difficulties.

Violence and Other Crimes

Violence is rarely isolated from other criminal behaviour. Offenders usually do not commit only one type of crime. For example, a person who commits theft may later use violence during crimes. This shows that violence is often mixed with other forms of criminal behaviour rather than existing on its own.

Distorted Ways of Thinking

Violent offenders often show distorted or antisocial thinking patterns. Their logic makes violence seem normal or justified. For example, an offender may believe they are a victim of society and therefore feel entitled to do whatever they want. Prison sentences are sometimes viewed as “unfair,” which can strengthen the belief that further crime is justified. If violent acts go unpunished, this sense of entitlement becomes even stronger.

 

C. THE AGGRESSION REPLACEMENT TRAINING (ART) PROGRAMME

In the UK, the Aggression Replacement Training (ART) programme is used by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service to reduce violent behaviour among offenders. The programme was developed by Goldstein, mainly for younger offenders. The key idea behind ART is that aggression is caused by both internal (personal) and external factors.

ART focuses on three important internal factors and provides strategies to reduce violence.

1. Deficit of Personal and Social Skills

Many offenders lack important personal, interpersonal, and social-cognitive skills. ART addresses this problem through skills training. In this part of the programme, offenders learn new pro-social skills, observe the group leader modelling these skills, practise them through role-play, receive feedback, and take part in group discussions. They are also encouraged to apply these skills in real-life situations beyond the training sessions. This helps offenders develop healthier ways of dealing with people and everyday problems.

2. Low Anger Control and Impulsivity

Another major problem among violent offenders is poor anger control and impulsivity. ART includes anger control training, based on the work of Novaco (1975). Offenders identify their personal triggers for anger and aggression, learn about the consequences of acting on anger, and develop self-awareness to recognise when anger is increasing. They also practise alternative coping strategies, such as avoiding situations that trigger anger and using negotiation and problem-solving instead of violence. This helps replace impulsive aggression with more controlled responses.

3. Deficits in Moral Reasoning

Violent offenders often show egocentric and concrete thinking, where they focus only on themselves and ignore the effects of their actions on others. ART uses moral reasoning training to address this issue. The aim is to help offenders think in more pro-social ways, consider the consequences of their behaviour for others, and develop stronger moral decision-making skills.

 

Evidence for the Effectiveness of ART

The effectiveness of ART was studied by Hatcher and others using a quasi-experimental design. The treated group included offenders who received ART and were selected by probation staff. The comparison group consisted of other violent offenders who received a community sentence but did not take part in ART. Both groups were matched using the Offender Group Reoffending Scale Version 2 (OGRS2).

 

The OGRS2 Risk Score

The OGRS2 risk score, developed by the National Offender Management Service (2010), is based on data from the Offenders Index, a national database of convictions in England and Wales. It includes factors such as gender, custody and breaches of custody, number of previous convictions, offence type, and age. Normally, OGRS2 predicts the likelihood of reconviction within two years, but in this study, it was used to ensure that both groups had the same level of risk at the beginning.