Anger
We have two programmes helping young people explore how they deal with anger.
Our anger awareness groups are all about helping young people acknowledge that they may have a problem in the way they express their anger. The aim of the programme is for them to recognise that the problem exists and the negative impact it has on their own life and on others around them.
This means the emphasis is on acknowledging the issue rather than on trying to change. It's a starting point on what is often a longer and more difficult process of learning better ways to cope with conflict.
In contrast, our managing conflict groups are all about learning new skills and developing healthy habits in dealing with anger and conflict. The aim is to help a young person feel confident and equipped to start behaving differently.
We often find that young people benefit from starting in an anger awareness group and then progressing on to a managing conflict group. It's important to remember that anger doesn't come out of nowhere. It's a powerful emotion almost always linked with other emotions and experiences. Sometimes it is unjustified, but at other times it is a healthy reaction expressed in the wrong places and to the wrong people. In our work, we don't want to invalidate young people's feelings, but we do want them to find appropriate ways to deal with their anger. Being able to deal with conflict without getting angry can make all the difference in how a young person navigates school life and their relationships and friendships. We're committed to providing a programme that makes a real difference these areas of their lives.
We run anger awareness and managing conflict programmes across all Luton secondary schools and, where required, in other venues.
