Anger in children: A cognitive behavioral view of the assessment-therapy connection

Abstract

Difficulty controlling anger and aggression pose significant problems for many children. The focus of research has been primarily on aggression, although understanding the role of anger may be at the essence of developing more effective treatment interventions for aggression and/or conduct disorder. The present article describes the cognitive-behavioral view of anger, and provides a detailed description of the Children's Inventory of Anger (CIA), a self-report inventory designed to assess a child's experience of anger. A review of the psychometric properties of the CIA is presented, along with a discussion of its clinical utility. The need for a more precise definition of anger is apparent in order to improve assessment and treatment of anger in children.