Andy’s Anger Eruptions is a story and game about a boy with explosive anger. He flies off the handle quickly, then feels out of control when he must deal with the consequences of his anger. He is lonely and isolated. Not only that, but it is also impacting his self-esteem, as he feels like he just can’t win.
Domestic violence is discussed through a back-door approach. I like using the back door with kids because it seems to keep their defenses down. In this situation, the book is about a child’s experience with anger, but a small part of it is about a man who hurt his children. In the story, Andy spends the day with the principal because he got in trouble. She tells him he needs to control his anger because the consequences get more severe as he grows older. She tells him about a dad who was arrested for hurting his children during a fit of anger.
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Despite recognizing the consequences of his anger outbursts, Andy continues to struggle. A friend helps him learn how to recognize the tell-tale signs in his body that show him he is getting triggered. He then learned coping skills to calm down and regain control of his body. He learned how to control his body so that his anger no longer had control over him.
The book and game cover important topics when addressing anger in children. First, they need to be aware of their triggers. They also need to know how their thoughts trigger feelings, which will result in behavior. CBT interventions are offered to gain control of thoughts. Next, body awareness helps kids recognize signs and symptoms in their bodies to alert them that their fight, flight, or freeze response has been triggered. To turn off this response, they need to learn coping skills. These include CBT interventions, exercise, calming activities, and ways to process their emotions.
This is a great resource for kids who struggle with anger. They are so often labeled as “bad” kids, or they are scorned for their blowups. This can really impact their self-concept. They just need a hand in understanding their bodies and thoughts. A little bit of success can go a long way in building confidence to overcome these challenges. If kids can learn to manage anger while they are young, perhaps we can help bring down the domestic violence problems.
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