The development, implementation, and evaluation of anger management programs have proliferated over the past decade. The programs aim to moderate the intensity, frequency, and severity of anger expression, and facilitate alternative nonaggressive responses to conflict and frustration. Cognitive-behavioral theory highlights cognitive processes such as attributions, expectations, interpersonal beliefs, and problem solving as most influential in determining an individual's response to provocation and identifies anger arousal as a mediator of aggressive behavior. Based on this premise that youth exhibit aggressive behavior due to poor arousal management, social, and problem-solving skills, Feindler and colleagues have developed psychoeducational anger management programs to target these deficits and to teach prosocial, conflict resolution skills. This article will review the development of anger difficulties, suggest tools for screening and outcome assessment, describe the anger management intervention approach, and present an overview of the research supporting implementation in school and community settings. Finally, specific recommendations for implementation are provided. C 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.During adolescence, youths' physical aggression, relational aggression, and difficulty interacting with authority may lead to antisocial behavior patterns (Kazdin, 1992;Nock, Kazdin, Hiripi, & Kessler, 2006). This article will focus on physical aggression, or gross motor behavior (e.g., hitting, kicking, throwing things at others) and verbal aggression (e.g., cursing, threatening), and the emotional and cognitive precursors. Cognitive-behavioral theory states that an aversive stimulus triggers physiological arousal and distorted cognitive responses, which results in the affective experience of anger, and can precipitate aggressive behaviors in response to triggers (Feindler & Starr, 2005).Although anger is a common and natural emotion, or internal event, problems associated with the inappropriate expression of anger remain among the most serious concerns of parents, educators, and the mental health community. If left untreated, youth aggression seems stable over time, predicts social adjustment difficulties, and may lead to additional antisocial behaviors. Cognitive-behavioral theory highlights cognitive processes such as attributions, expectations, interpersonal beliefs, and problem solving as most influential in determining an individual's response to provocation and identifies anger arousal as a mediator of aggressive behavior. Intense and unmodulated anger can fuel cognitive distortions and result in impulsive and aggressive responses toward perceived provocations. These responses are often reinforced by short-term reductions in anger, immediate impact in the stimulus situation, and social consequences from peers. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, then, assists clients in regulating intense affective states and modifying cognitive distortions to promote more prosocial behaviors.The antecedents to the development of ...

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