Louise Bartel
March 2013







Anger – what is it?
Teenagers and anger.
Possible reasons why some Anger
Management programmes fail.
Setting up an effective service.
Ways of working
‘Simply’ Anger Management?!
Pupil reflections
Copyright Louise Bartel

‘Anger is healthy. Anger is passion, resilience,
being alive, engaging…it fuels creativity. It gets
things done.’ (Luxmoore, 2006)

‘Everyone is crossing the road to avoid the
‘hoodie generation’ (Batmanghelidjh, 2009)
Copyright Louise Bartel

Three instinctual responses when faced with
an angry or aggressive individual.
Copyright Louise Bartel
Message that ‘Anger is wrong’
 People need help to ‘get rid of’ anger
HOWEVER
 Anger is a fundamental human emotion
 Healthy expression is vital
 Adolescents often need help to learn how to
vent their frustrations in a socially acceptable
way.

Copyright Louise Bartel



The Frontal lobes are still
developing throughout the
teenage years (Giedd at al.
1999).
Frontal lobes enable
reasoning and reflection,
planning ahead, impulse
control, organisational
skills and stress regulation.
With a limited ability to do
these things, adolescents
are often caught in the
‘fight, flight, freeze’
response.
Copyright Louise Bartel

‘Imagine that your brain is a car.
Normally your frontal lobes are
in control. Now imagine that
you’re driving down the road
when you see something that
triggers your anger. The old
mammalian and reptilian parts
of the brain reach over and grab
the steering wheel and the next
thing you know you’re swerving
out of control’ (Crist, 2008)
Copyright Louise Bartel



Deborah Yurgelun-Todd (2002)
MRI scans showed a difference in brain
activity between adults and teenagers when
identifying emotion.
Adults – activity in the prefontal cortex,
teenagers – more lower brain activity.
Adult brain
scan
Teenager brain
scan
Copyright Louise Bartel
The relationship an adolescent has with his or her
parental figures is a key factor in the ability to remain
resilient in the face of adversity.
 A secure attachment provides an individual with the
capacity for emotional regulation. It promotes the
development of top-down pathways in the brain and
consequently facilitates the ability to reason, reflect
and empathise.
 Vital parental functions – protection, attunement,
validation, soothing and containment. Over time the
child will start to internalise these and consequently is
able to self-soothe when the parent is absent.

Copyright Louise Bartel







Rapid regressions in behaviour and shifts in
emotional states
Aggressive behaviours towards self and
others
Poor physiological and emotional regulation
Self-hatred, self-harm and self-blame
Risk-taking behaviours
Feelings of helplessness
Troubled relationships
Copyright Louise Bartel



Traditional, short-term courses which aim to
‘stop’ anger often have limited success.
Strangers– adolescents are often very wary of
‘some strange counsellor who thinks he
knows me’.
Anger – reliable defence mechanism. Used to
keep people at a safe distance. This is often
very effective. Teenagers often don’t want to
‘get rid of ‘ this anger.
Copyright Louise Bartel
CASE STUDY
 BESD School for boys aged 11-17.
 Long histories of anger and violence,
resulting in numerous school exclusions.
 Displays of violence towards staff and other
pupils.
 ‘Anger Management’ – term repeatedly
mentioned.
 Referral to outside agencies – often a long,
drawn out process.
Copyright Louise Bartel




Need for immediate support.
Decision that an ‘in house’ Anger
Management programme was needed.
In 2007 one member of staff began meeting
with 3 pupils.
In 2013 a team of 3 full time members of staff
meet with 41 pupils – 80% of the School
population.
Copyright Louise Bartel
Long term Anger Management programmes
where relationship is key.
 Weekly 1:1 meetings, with the same Anger
Management coach – providing consistency.
 Communication with staff enabling integration
of strategies and understanding by all teams in
school (teaching, care, learning support,
medical).
 Individualised programmes – delivered at pace
suiting each pupil.

Copyright Louise Bartel






Referral process
Staff – skilled team, familiar faces.
Individualised ‘programme’. We work with the
needs of the individual, rather than delivering
a blanket course e.g. flexible meeting times
or set meeting times.
Pupil recommendations.
Open and honest communication.
They want to come!
Copyright Louise Bartel






Match affect – intensity of expression
(Hughes).
Show the adolescent that you ‘get it’.
If a child is in a state of rage staying
completely calm can increase the anger (you
don’t understand).
However, if you respond with anger this will
also increase their level of anger.
Need to match the energy – not the feeling.
Reflective listening.
Copyright Louise Bartel






We meet with pupils when they are calm.
Considering the neurobiology of rage, there is no
point meeting with pupils when they are angry.
We revisit episodes of anger – consider what they
could try to do differently next time.
‘Developing a Solution’ – ask pupils to reflect on
their behaviour. They are often over critical, it is
important to also focus on the positives.
‘Rewind’ scenarios.
Repetition of information.
Copyright Louise Bartel
1.
2.
3.
Take away the external reasons for violence –
make them safe.
Provide safe ways to release the tension in the
limbic system through intensive physical
activity.
Therapeutic work using the Arts. This is
containing and allows the process of emptying and
comprehending the trauma.
4. Teaching calm. This is through the presence of a
compassionate other, which will in time become
internalised (attachment relationship).
(Batmanganhelidjh)
Copyright Louise Bartel














Anger ‘triggers’
The firework model ( Faupel, Herrick and Sharp)
Fuse ‘shorteners’
The anger rules
The role of anger (past and present)
The effects of anger on health
Warning signs
Anger styles – aggression, repression, suppression or displacing
anger.
Thoughts and feelings – Emotional literacy
Safe expression of anger, ‘clean anger is healthy’
Masking emotions – especially prevalent with adolescent boys
(what is underneath your anger?)
Recognising archaic anger – the difference between present and
past anger.
Neurobiology – what is happening in the teenage brain.
The incredible 5 point Scale (Kari Dunn Buron)
Copyright Louise Bartel
Worksheets – developed
to engage pupils.
 Board games – lots of
board games to encourage
discussion around anger
issues.
 Role play
 Flexibility – working
environment (dog
walking!)

Copyright Louise Bartel
The Incredible 5
Point Scale
www.5pointscale.com
Kari Dunn Buron
Copyright Louise Bartel









Education not punishment.
Consequences – raise awareness.
Avoid ‘shaming’ or ‘put downs’
Separate ‘behaviour’ from ‘individual’.
A long term intervention, based on relationship.
Educate about thoughts, feelings, behaviours.
Challenge past behaviour patterns, consider
alternatives.
Raise awareness – ways of relating, making
contact.
Pathway planning – future hopes? How can they
achieve these?
Copyright Louise Bartel





‘Evolution’ not ‘Revolution’
Involvement of staff members working in the
wider school environment, throughout the
introduction of the service.
INSET – training to raise awareness and allow
the opportunity to ask questions or voice
concerns.
A skilled and empathic staff team
Accepted and integrated as an important
aspect of support available at School (by staff
and pupils)
Copyright Louise Bartel








We now have a department working within School
providing Additional Therapeutic Services
Anger Management
Therapeutic Counselling
Consultant Psychologist
Drug, Solvent and Alcohol guidance
Group Work
Social Skills and Emotional Literacy
Whole School – Team Teach & Reality Therapy
Practised
Copyright Louise Bartel
These sessions allow
adolescents the therapeutic
space to reflect and feel.
 Core issues integral to adolescence are explored.
 Integrative model using the Arts.
 Provides containment.
 Aims to acknowledge, recognise and name
repressed feelings.
 Contributes to a pupil’s individualised programme,
integrating the service with existing systems.

Copyright Louise Bartel
Assistant Head
Teacher
Consultant
Psychologist
UKCP reg
Supervisor
Additional Services
Manager
(Anger Management Coach and
Therapeutic Counsellor)
Anger Management
Coach (full-time)
Copyright Louise Bartel
Anger Management
Coach (full-time)

We continue to look to improve the provision

Development of department building

We are hoping to create a studio, to enable
drama therapy/body/movement work

Family work
Copyright Louise Bartel
It has helped me in a lot of
situations in and out of School
when I or someone else is
angry
It has helped me, I don’t get so
frustrated by other people
It helps when I have someone
to talk to about my anger
It’s helped me when people try
to wind me up by calling me
names
I think that it has helped me
lots to keep my placement –
to calm me down. I’ve used
Lou and Kaz to tell people
how I feel when I can’t’
‘I can now walk away
We
Asked…
What do
you
think??
Copyright Louise Bartel
It’s nice to talk to someone
about things that other people
don’t understand
I can talk to people, rather
than ‘shutdown’
It’s helping me to stop
punching people and to stop
swearing
Any further comments or queries, please
contact me
louise.bartel@melchetcourt.com
Copyright Louise Bartel