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Tailored Anger Management Program for Reducing Citizen Complaints Against Traffic Agents

NCJ Number
203351
Journal
Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology Volume: 18 Issue: 2 Dated: Fall 2003 Pages: 1-11
Author(s)
Elizabeth Brondolo; Bezalel F. Eichler; Joseph Taravella
Date Published
2003
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the results of a cognitive-behavioral anger management program used by New York City traffic enforcement agents.
Abstract
Cognitive-behavioral anger management programs have been successfully used by college students, community members, prisoners, abusive spouses, cardiac patients, and emotionally disturbed and disabled youths, yet few studies have addressed the effectiveness of such programs in the workplace. Following a discussion of the ways in which New York City traffic enforcement agents face high levels of anger-evoking conflict in their jobs, the article describes the behavioral skills training such as anger arousal reduction that comprise most cognitive-behavioral anger management programs. In order to test the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral anger management programs in New York City traffic enforcement agents, a multi-component group intervention was given to 114 agents and used 184 additional agents as the untreated comparison group. The analysis found that rates of citizen complaints against the agents who participated in a cognitive-behavioral anger management program decreased significantly, whereas the rates of complaints against the untreated comparison group did not change. The authors suggest that cognitive-behavioral anger management programs can be successfully employed in the workplace, producing important, positive changes in individuals’ behaviors. References

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