Teaching Children Positive Anger Management

Even young children can develop aggressive violent behaviors

Children as young as preschoolers can show aggressive behavior

There is growing concern about the incidence of violent behavior among children and teens. Parents, teachers, and other adults need to understand the complexitiesrelated to violence among those under eighteen in order to help children deal with their anger in a positive and constructive manner. The one definite is that poor anger management escalates as children mature if they do not learn positive conflict resolution beginning in early childhood and continuing as they get older.

Both a lack of anger control or constructive conflict resolution skills have been linked to domestic violence, cruelty to animals, child abuse, rage killings, bullying, along with community crimes like vandalizing and destruction of personal and private property.

As cited in an article published on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Disability and Safety Services website, the anger or frustration of toddlers is usually reactive or impulsive in response to something that has happened to them, such as having a toy taken away. As children grow and develop more advanced language, social skills, and planning ability, proactive or planned aggressive…