How to Be Angry: An Assertive Anger Expression Group Guide for Kids and Teens

Children often struggle to cope with anger, and angry feelings can boil over into aggression and destructive behaviour. This resource takes a different approach to anger, teaching children how to be angry effectively, rather than telling them not to be angry at all.

This group program provides step-by-step guidelines for building anger management and assertive emotional expression skills through tailored lessons, group activities and thought-provoking discussions. Participants will learn specific skills such as:

• Using I-Statements
• Standing Up to Bullies
• Disagreeing without Arguing
• Making and Refusing Requests
• Responding to Anger
• Finding Win-Win Solutions

Suitable for use with children and teenagers aged 5—18, this engaging resource will help children to overcome self-destructive patterns of passive, aggressive, and passive aggressive behaviour. It will be of great use to educators, counsellors, social workers, youth care professionals, psychologists and parents.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Nicholas J. Long.

Introduction.

About this book.

• Who is How to Be Angry for?
• Facilitator qualifications.
• Creating a positive group environment.
• Using the curriculum.
• Feedback.

Part 1: Exploring Anger Behaviors.

• Session 1 That Makes Me So Mad!: Identifying Common Anger Triggers.
• Session 2 Decisions, Decisions! Four Choices in Anger Expression.
• Session 3 Sugarcoated Hostility: The Five Levels of Passive Aggressive Behavior.
• Session 4 Behind the Mask: Exploring Public Faces and Private Realities.
• Session 5 More than Words Can Express: How Body Language and Tone of Voice Can Say It All.

Part 2: Developing Assertive Anger Expression Skills.

• Session 6 I Feel Angry: Using I-Messages to Express Anger Assertively.
• Session 7 Yes, No, or Maybe So: Assertive Skills for Disagreeing Without Arguing.
• Session 8 Keeping Bullies at Bay, Part 1: The Five Ws of Bullying.
• Session 9 Keeping Bullies at Bay, Part 2: Four Rules for Using Assertive Communication to Stand Up to Bullies.
• Session 10 "May I Please" and "No Can Do:" Guidelines for Assertively Making and Refusing Requests.
• Session 11 "That's So Nice of You to Say:" Assertive Strategies for Giving and Receiving Compliments.
• Session 12 On the Receiving End: Three Steps for Responding Assertively to Anger.
• Session 13 Four Square Problem-Solving: Finding Win-Win Solutions.

Part 3: Committing to Assertive Anger Expression.

• Session 14 What's the Plan?: Replacing Self-Defeating Patterns and Committing to Assertive Behaviors.
• Session 15 Putting It All Together: Choosing to Use Assertive Behaviors to Express Anger.

References