Anger is defined as an emotional or behavioural reaction of displeasure to an unmet expectation, demand or belief (Fetsch and Jacobsen, 2002). This research expose will address the new techniques, tactics and procedures dealing with anger management and offer some information on the topic itself.

As a peace officer knowing how to effectively deal with anger is imperative to the job as well as your own health. Dr. Jack Singer wrote in The Police Chief, 1994 that “While anger is a normal emotion, for example expressing it as aggression makes both the officer and his department vulnerable. With the proper training, officers can understand their own anger thresholds and learn to control them not only on the job, but also in their personal lives...” Proper assertiveness training is quintessential for managing anger on a personal degree. Being assertive allows the individual to project his or her views in a polite but clear manner. By vaguely answering a person, you are left open to question of meaning and interpretation by others and as such unwanted anger could be caused by mis-communication. It is important to remember that when communicating to another individual, clearly outline what you wish to communicate without implying any aggressive comments or actions to counteract your already assertive position. If there are aggressive tactics unconsciously utilized by the individual, these actions could cause anger in the receiving party and thus lead to a whole new conflictive situation. An example of anger management is of a two-lane highway, what is said by one party affects the other as two cars travelling down a highway.

Scholars in the psychological field say that the key to controlling anger is recognizing the symptoms before they start. Generally speaking, the first signs of anger in a person is an increase in pulse rate, heavy breathing, rise in body temperature and a tightening of the body muscles. (“When Anger Hurts-Quieting The Storm Within, 1989) It is here that the fight or flight impulse is triggered whereas the individual experiencing the emotion decides whether to pursue the disagreement and build anger or escape the conflict by walking away from the situation. Generally the “flight” approach is not practical to a policing situation, therefore, an officer must be equipped well enough to deal with the situation effectively and efficiently. According to Dr. Eva Fiendler, who is an expert in the area of anger control training (1986, 1991), recommends when a person becomes involved in an argument, each party should consider both sides of the point and weigh what they say to the other person accordingly. Whenever an officer becomes involved in a confrontational situation such as this, he or she must remember that they represent the entire RCMP and should position their actions appropriately. Lohr, Hamberger & Bonge write in their research that: “Harsh interrogation towards an angry individual can be seen as provocation by the angered person, which will anger them all the more.” They recommend that the interrogator must carefully evaluate the subject’s mood and demeanor before proceeding with any hard questioning. Indicators to look for to tell if a person is angered is their tone of voice, facial expression, and their use of gestures. Behavioural based videos in the Resource Centre’s collection under Human Relations (HU) are a good source of information and provide valuable real-life use of anger management on the job by various police departments. For further reading on behavioural based tactics, refer to RCMP-Module IV Appendix 4.2.

Wayne Froggatt, a private anger management consultant has formed the topic anger into three different categories for identification purposes:

1) Managing Anger

2) Techniques for Dealing with Other People's Anger

3) Mediation