So far in the previous articles, Anger Management and Anger Control Planning, we’ve reviewed the anger meter, cues to anger, and the anger control plan. Now the framework for integrating these anger management concepts is presented. This framework is the aggression cycle.
From an anger management perspective, an episode of anger can be viewed as consisting of three phases:
- Escalation.
- Explosion.
- Post-Explosion.
Together, they make up the aggression cycle.
Escalation
In this process, the escalation phase involves cues that indicate anger is building. As stated in the introduction to anger management, these cues can be physical, behavioural, emotional, or cognitive (thoughts).
As you may recall, cues are warning signs, or responses, to anger-provoking events. These events are situations that can occur every day, and may lead to the escalation of anger if effective anger management strategies are not used early on.
Red-flag events are types of situations that are unique to you, and that you are especially sensitive to, perhaps because of past events. These events can involve internal processes (e.g., thinking about situations that were anger provoking in the past) or external processes (e.g., experiencing real-life, anger-provoking situations in the here and now).
Explosion
If the escalation phase is allowed to continue unchecked, the explosion phase will follow. The explosion phase is marked by an uncontrollable display of anger; verbal or physical aggression. This display of anger then often leads to negative consequences. This is synonymous with the number 10 on the “anger meter.”
The anger meter is below. It is a scale, or thermometer, ranging from 1 – 10, where 1 is calm and 10 is explosive anger.
The idea is to recognise when you are reaching anger levels of 4 or 5 – the “escalation” phase – and immediately put strategies in place that prevent your score getting any higher.
Post explosion
The final stage of the aggression cycle is the post-explosion phase. It consists of the negative consequences of the verbal or physical aggression displayed during the explosion phase.
These consequences may include going to jail, trying to make restitution, being terminated from a job, being discharged from a drug treatment or social service program, losing family and loved ones, or feelings of guilt, shame, and regret.
What it may look like
The intensity, frequency, and duration of anger in the aggression cycle varies among individuals. For example, one person’s anger may escalate rapidly after a provocative event and, within just a few minutes, reach the explosion phase. Another person’s anger may escalate slowly but steadily over several hours before reaching the explosion phase. Similarly, one person may experience more episodes of anger and progress through the aggression cycle more often than the other. However, both individuals, despite differences in how quickly their anger escalates and how frequently they experience anger, will undergo all three phases of the aggression cycle.
The intensity of these individuals’ anger also may differ. One person may engage in more violent behaviour in the explosion phase than others. For example, he or she may use weapons or assault someone. Another person may express his or her anger during the explosion phase by shouting at or threatening other people. Regardless of these individual differences, the explosion phase is synonymous with losing control and becoming verbally or physically aggressive.
Notice that the escalation and explosion phases of the aggression cycle correspond to the levels on the anger meter. The points below 10 on the anger meter represent the escalation phase – the ‘building up’ of anger.
The explosion phase, on the other hand, corresponds to 10 on the anger meter. 10 on the anger meter is the point at which one loses control and expresses anger through verbal or physical aggression that leads to negative consequences.
One of the primary objectives of anger management treatment is to keep from reaching the explosion phase. As briefly mentioned earlier, this is accomplished by using the anger meter to:
- Monitor changes in your anger.
- Attend to the cues or warning signs that indicate anger is building.
- Use appropriate strategies from your anger control plan to stop the escalation of anger.
If the explosion phase is prevented from occurring, the post-explosion phase will not occur, and the aggression cycle will be broken. If you use your anger control plan effectively, your anger should ideally reach between a 1 and a 9 on the anger meter. This is a reasonable goal to aim for. By preventing the explosion phase (10), you will not experience the negative consequences of the post-explosion phase, and you will break the cycle of aggression.
Still need help?
Access the Anglicare SQ Family Support Service (Brisbane) or the Living Without Violence program (Brisbane) if you think you would benefit from some counselling or support around this issue.
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