4 Internal Factors of Anger that Affect Kids

 Anger can come from internal or external factors. 

People have different dispositions.  This means that some people are easy-going and carefree, while others feel stressed out by little things.  Besides having different dispositions, people also have different ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving.  Some of these ways have been learned since they were a baby.  They are learned both individually and culturally.  These internal factors affect how a person deals with anger.

Some internal factors contribute to anger

1.  Poor Thinking.  Having bad thoughts and high expectations are examples of poor thinking.  Another example is talking bad about yourself.  Self-talk is when we talk to ourselves.  Everyone does this and it is very normal.  However, it is not normal or healthy to use negative self-talk.  This happens when we say, “I am so stupid.”  “If I did it this way, that would not have happened.”  “What a jerk I am.”  “Who could ever like me?”  “No one cares about me.”  Sometimes we say these things so much that we start to believe them, even though at the beginning when we started to say them we knew they were not true.

2.      Personal Appraisal.  When something is very important to us it has a high value or appraisal.  Another way to appraise things highly is by taking too personally what happens to us.  We may feel bad or get angry about a referral we received at school, but losing sleep because of a poor decision is caused by high appraisal or wanting to be perfect.

3.      Tension.  Tension is accumulated stress.  When a lot of stress builds up in our life, we need to find a way to release the stress.  Stress that is not released causes anger.

4.      Ill humor.  Being moody, cross, or crabby gets us in the mood for anger.

What are some external causes of anger?

Name some internal factors of anger:

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Need more help with anger for your students.   Check out Anger and Me, a workbook for kids on anger control and management.  It is reproducible, so make as many copies as you need!

 Anger and Me

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Don't Quit - Using Poetry or Journaling to Stay Motivated

Poetry

            Writing or reading poetry is a favorite activity for many students.  Writing down our thoughts and feelings help us cope with the daily pressures and conflicts in life.  Sometimes writing poetry or keeping a journal helps us to think through our thoughts.  Here is a favorite poem. 

Don’t Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low, and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is strange with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about,

When he might have won had he stuck it out.

Don’t give up though the pace seems slow,

You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out,

The sliver lining of the cloud of doubt,

And you can never tell how close you are,

It may seem near when it seems so far.

So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit,

It’s when things seem worse that you must not quit.

-Author Unknown

Encourage your students to keep a journal throughout the school year.  It helps them with their thoughts, clarity, and sorting things out before they say them out loud.  Some students will allow you to read their journal.  For others, it will be strictly private.  All students should be encouraged to have someone to talk to during the school year. They should know they can always come to you for an ear or support!

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Get your small group on!  Discover new ways to use play therapy techniques to teach students about stress management, anger control, study skills and more!

Purchase DVDs that show demonstrations of play therapy techniques using everyday games and toys such as Barrel of Monkeys, Don't Break the Ice, Topple and Pick Up Sticks!