Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions Aimed at Anger of Parents at Risk of Child Abuse

An experiment was conducted in two social agencies with 55 families in which child abuse had been committed or the parents were at risk for such behavior. Cognitive-behavioral interventions aimed to alleviate parental anger in the face of perceived provocation by children. The experimental groups involved cognitive restructuring, a relaxation training program, a program emphasizing problem solving, and a composite of the three techniques. Results indicated a reduction in anger measures among subjects exposed to the experimental interventions, and the composite treatment resulted in the strongest degree of anger alleviation.