Anger Assessment Among High School Children

Background: Adolescent anger, aggression and violence in school and college campuses are on rise
across globe. Anger typically associated with hostile thoughts, physiological arousal and maladaptive
behaviours inspires powerful often aggressive feelings and behaviours that affects all aspects of life.
Negative outcomes of anger, its long term consequences, its negative impact on academic success and
emotional well-being makes it a social menace.
Materials & Methods: 1220 high school children (652 girls and 568 boys) in the age group of 12 to
16 years participated in a survey using self-reporting anger scale STAXI-2 CA. Data was analysed
to study the prevalence of state and trait nature of anger and anger expression styles.
Results: Multivariate General Linear Model and Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients
were used to analyse the data. 45% of the children experienced elevated and high state anger and
23% experienced elevated & high trait anger. Higher scores of state and trait anger were observed in
girls than boys. Significant positive correlation was observed between anger expression out with both
state and trait anger. Higher levels of anger experience and lower levels of anger control are observed
in girls than boys.
Conclusions: High school children exhibited higher levels of anger experience and expression and
moderate levels of anger control. The study has implications for thorough assessment of anger with
more physiological parameters and developing culture specific, yoga based anger management
programs and assessment tools.