Anger And Anger Management Skills In Young People

School shootings, physical violence among families, friends, associates, and loved ones are proof that poor anger management is on the rise, especially in young people. Whether you blame the increase in anger-related crimes such as assault, murder, and rape on a lack of parental supervision, violence on television or video games, or other causes, the manifestations of poor anger management are becoming more commonplace.
Fortunately the number of people seeking professional help to gain control of the destructive effects of poor anger management is also increasing.

No one is immune to the negative effects of anger and poor anger management skills. Every one of us has experienced anger at some time in our lives. It is important that the whole family becomes actively committed to learning positive ways to deal with the anger that everyone feels at one time or another.

It is a normal human reaction, and young people need to learn how to positively manage it. Young people who have not yet learned good anger management techniques, or live in homes where the adults have not learned productive anger management techniques, are at a disadvantage and may need extra instruction.

Anger is caused by both external and internal events.
Anger can be directed at a specific person (a friend, teacher, or parent) an event (academic challenges, loss of a loved one) or by frustration or worry over personal problems.
School is one place in which young people often feel angry. Some students feel frustrated and become angry when faced with difficult challenges they face in school, including feelings of not fitting in, being overwhelmed academically, dislike of the rules, or failing to reach a goal. Their anger is often directed at teachers, parents, or peers.

Sometimes anger occurs without knowing exactly why we are angry. There are times it feels like it cannot be controlled, and this is when we should seek help. The worst thing to do is deny angry feelings. Instead we need to learn to manage anger and not let it cause harm to ourselves or others.
Holding angry feelings inside can lead to an explosive outburst. The only way to prevent that is to learn and practice anger management skills.