ABSTRACT
Chapter 8 examines the development of empowerment by confronting the cognitive distortions behind much teen anger. Using self-talk to manage visceral anger combines the thinking self with the emotional in an explicit anger management plan. The emotional dynamics of the bully and the bullied are scrutinized to yield clues to remediate the bullying behavior. Cyberbullying today is contrasted with the high school experience of most adults. Techniques, such as a formal Empowerment Plan and addressing all the teen’s emotions, are described to foster empowerment in the bullied. Educators are invited to work to develop assertiveness in the bullied and leadership in the bully. The anger of teens is often an invalid anger based on cognitive distortions in thinking. Such self-talk generates threats to self, to ego, and to fairness, thereby creating great anger. The chapter concludes with six activities. Self-Empowering Self-talk and Who Am I? are the activity sheets.
