Health and relationships in violence reduction participants: indirect effects of angry temperament

Abstract

Treatment compliance is a considerable challenge for participants in anger management and violence reduction programs. Participants often exhibit low readiness to change, deficient problem-solving skills, and poor problem awareness. The legal and social consequences of unregulated anger and violence have been well established; however, the personal impact of these behaviors on the functioning of perpetrators has not been as well investigated. We addressed this gap in the literature by examining the relationships between angry temperament, conflict management tactics, social problem-solving, and quality of life factors in participants court-ordered to violence reduction treatment. Bootstrapped mediation models indicated that angry temperament had a significant indirect effect on subjective health through negative problem orientation. These findings have important implications for enhancing readiness to change and the quality of life among violent offenders.