The Effect of an Internet-Based Anger Management Program for School-Aged Children to Prevent School Violence

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of an internet-based anger management program for school-aged children. METHODS: Forty-eight elementary school students took part in an anger management training program; subsequently, participants, their parents, and their teachers answered questionnaires assessing the participants' anger, aggressiveness, and other emotional/behavioral problems, pre- and post-training. RESULTS: At the post-training self-assessment, the participants showed significant reductions in their "anger-out" tendencies and physical aggressiveness. In addition, the effects of the program on "anger-out" tendencies, aggressiveness, anger and peer relational problem were found to be more significant in participants who reported depressive symptoms. Teachers rated the participants' peer-relational problems as having decreased after the training. CONCLUSION: The proposed internet-based anger management program had a significant effect on the school-aged children's abilities to control their anger.