ABSTRACT
In building an anger management program for fathers, the authors began with an extensive review of the existing literature to develop a suitable working definition of anger and to broaden our understanding of its associated behaviors and any related explanatory concepts. A commonly held belief among those in the biomedical field is that anger is a biochemical phenomenon caused by hormones or limbic system activity. Orthodox Freudian psychoanalysts have followed the catharsis hypothesis in helping their clients reduce their anger and aggression. Anger arousal begins with the subjective experience that any form of stress provokes. The cognitive-behavioral approach is based on the hypothesis that a person's thoughts, interpretations, and self-statements about external events have a strong influence on emotional and behavioral functioning. Stop, Take Responsibility, Reframe, Acknowledge, Communicate, Keep-Your-Eye on the Prize is a convenient and easy mnemonic acronym that summarizes multicomponent strategy for helping fathers who identify themselves as having an anger problem.
