Events That Trigger Children to Feel Anger

When children  get angry, it is because an event has provoked them to feel anger. For example, a child may get angry when the bus is late, when they are told they cannot have a toy at the store, , or when a friend makes an unfair move in a game. Everyday events such as these can provoke your anger.

We all have certain things that can really make us angry.  These vary from person to person.  These sensitive areas or “red flags” usually refer to long-standing issues that can easily lead to anger. For example, some children do not like the sound of chalk scratching on the blackboard, whereas it may not even bother the next person.  We are all very unique individuals and knowing what can "set you off" is very valuable information indeed.

In addition to events experienced in the here-and-now, children may also recall an event from their past that has made them angry. Maybe there was a certain toy that they were not allowed to purchase.  A week later a child may be playing with a friend and notice that the friend owns that toy.  This would trigger the child's memory of the previous situation which caused anger about not getting the toy.  This would cause the child's anger level to rise.

In therapy, I try to relate to my clients how we all feel anger.  I will bring up things that make me angry, to show them that I too, get angry.  Creating a list of anger triggers can be invaluable to your client and should be kept in their notebook.

This leads us to the next section: "Anger Cues"

Click here to see how child anger management can be achieved through using music