Anger management training in prison inmates

Inflicting harm on others after a perceived wrong is called revenge and has been implicated in a wide range of criminal and antisocial behaviors. Revenge is defined as a retaliatory act and may be ruled out when antecedent to instrumental aggression if hurting someone is secondary to the primary goal of acquisition. Revenge is considered the impetus for reactive aggression, however, if the primary goal is to hurt someone. 26 male inmates were chosen for training in anger management using cognitive behavioral met hods. Selection of inmates was based on their history of reactive aggression. As predicted, inmates showed a significant reduction in posttest scores on the Vengeance scale.