Profile Updated:
Summary: This 16-session cognitive-behavioral group intervention is designed to reduce anger and aggression by targeting emotion regulation, impulse control, and social problem-solving for juvenile justice system-involved girls in residential facilities. The program is rated Effective for reducing anger and aggression, and for improving temperance (impulse control). The program is rated Ineffective for improving perspective, responsibility, and the use of emotion regulation strategies. (Review the full program description).
| Title | Rating | Details | Outcome Category | Study(ies) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perspective |
Ineffective | One Meta-Analysis |
There were no statistically significant differences between girls who participated in the program and girls in the control group on perspective (i.e., recognizing others’ viewpoints). |
Juvenile problem and protective behaviors; Social skills; Goal-setting/decision-making | Riggs Romaine, Christina L., Kathleen Kemp, Christy L. Giallella, Naomi E. S. Goldstein, Jennifer Serico, and Sharon Kelley. 2018. "Can We Hasten Development? Effects of Treatment on Psychosocial Maturity." International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology 62(9):2857–76. See evaluation methods. |
| Responsibility |
Ineffective | One Study |
There were no statistically significant differences between girls who participated in the program and girls in the control group on responsibility (i.e., being independent and relying on yourself). |
Juvenile problem and protective behaviors; Social skills | Riggs Romaine, Christina L., Kathleen Kemp, Christy L. Giallella, Naomi E. S. Goldstein, Jennifer Serico, and Sharon Kelley. 2018. "Can We Hasten Development? Effects of Treatment on Psychosocial Maturity." International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology 62(9):2857–76. See evaluation methods. |
| Temperance |
Effective | One Study |
Girls who participated in the program reported a greater increase of temperance (i.e., impulse control) compared with girls in the control group. This difference was statistically significant. |
Mental health/behavioral health ; Externalizing behavior; Low self-control | Riggs Romaine, Christina L., Kathleen Kemp, Christy L. Giallella, Naomi E. S. Goldstein, Jennifer Serico, and Sharon Kelley. 2018. "Can We Hasten Development? Effects of Treatment on Psychosocial Maturity." International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology 62(9):2857–76. See evaluation methods. |
| Emotion regulation |
Ineffective | One Study |
Overall, there were no statistically significant differences of emotion regulation strategies between girls who participated in the program and girls in the control group based on multiple measures from the study. |
Mental health/behavioral health; Social emotional competence of youth; Emotional regulation/self-regulation | Riggs Romaine, Christina L., Kathleen Kemp, Christy L. Giallella, Naomi E. S. Goldstein, Jennifer Serico, and Sharon Kelley. 2018. "Can We Hasten Development? Effects of Treatment on Psychosocial Maturity." International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology 62(9):2857–76. See evaluation methods. |
| Anger |
Effective | One Study |
Overall, girls who participated in the program reported a greater decrease in measures of anger compared with girls in the control group based on multiple measures from the study. This difference was statistically significant. |
Mental health/behavioral health; Anger | Goldstein, Naomi E. S., Christy L. Giallella, Emily Haney-Caron, Lindsey Peterson, Jennifer Serico, Kathleen Kemp, Christina Riggs Romaine, Stephen Leff, et al. 2018. "Juvenile Justice Anger Management (JJAM) Treatment for Girls: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial." Psychological Services 15 (4):386–97. See evaluation methods. |
| Aggression |
Effective | One Study |
Overall, girls who participated in the program demonstrated a greater reduction on measures of aggression-related outcomes compared with girls in the control group based on multiple measures from the study. This difference was statistically significant. |
Juvenile problem and protective behavior; Anti-social behaviors; Aggression/hostility | Goldstein, Naomi E. S., Christy L. Giallella, Emily Haney-Caron, Lindsey Peterson, Jennifer Serico, Kathleen Kemp, Christina Riggs Romaine, Stephen Leff, et al. 2018. "Juvenile Justice Anger Management (JJAM) Treatment for Girls: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial." Psychological Services 15 (4):386–97. See evaluation methods. |
Program Goals/Target Population
Juvenile Justice Anger Management (JJAM) Treatment for Girls is a cognitive–behavioral, anger management, and aggression reduction program for girls who have been placed in residential juvenile justice facilities. The goal is to reduce participants’ anger, physical aggression, and relational aggression in an interactive format that is developmentally appropriate for young females. For example, JJAM incorporates specific instruction on relational aggression, because girls frequently display their anger in this manner. JJAM was adapted from a school-based, anger management program for younger children.
Program Components
JJAM is a 16-session, manualized group intervention that uses a cognitive–behavioral framework and teaches participants emotion regulation, coping, communication skills, cognitive restructuring, and problem solving. The treatment sessions include psychoeducation, skill building, problem solving, and training on application of these skills to real world events. Sessions 1–3 are psychoeducational and teach participants about anger, physical aggression, and relational aggression, and help youths differentiate between anger and aggression. In Session 4, participants learn cognitive-restructuring techniques to view anger-provoking situations from different angles. In Sessions 5–6, participants learn to identify physiological cues and triggers for anger. In Sessions 7–10, participants learn skill building for managing arousal and preventing aggressive behavior. Sessions 11–14 teach participants problem-solving and communication skills, including practice of those skills. Finally, in Sessions 15–16, participants practice generalizing the skills they’ve learned for future use.
Group sessions (which are facilitated by two trained leaders) are 90 minutes long and are held twice weekly for 8 weeks. Each session begins with participants reviewing their goal sheets from the previous session. These goal sheets document the ways in which each girl practiced the skill she learned in the previous session. Previous sessions are then reviewed through techniques such as rhyming catch phrases and visual aids. Next, group leaders use activities to teach the current session’s content and skills, including role play, games, movie clips, and crafts. Participants are also encouraged to provide examples from their lives that elicited their anger or aggression.
At the end of each session, participants establish individual goals and discuss how to apply the skills they learned to real life. Participants can earn both individual and group points by attending and participating in sessions, completing homework, and working toward their goals. These points can be traded in for rewards or privileges (e.g., cosmetic items, stationery, extra phone time).
Program Theory
Aggressive children and adolescents have been found to have deficits in social information processing (SIP). Anger management programs rely on cognitive–behavioral methods of altering youths’ SIP of social goals, solution generation, decision making, outcome expectations, and enactment of behavioral solutions. When youth with anger management issues perceive a threat, they may react with physical or relational aggression, expecting that their behavior will lead to positive results. In addition, research has shown that girls demonstrate higher rates of relational aggression than boys, and anger and aggression are more strongly linked to justice system involvement in girls compared with boys (Goldstein et al. 2018). Anger management programs seek to improve emotion regulation and change reactions, and JJAM specifically caters to the needs of adolescent girls in juvenile justice placements (Goldstein et al. 2018).
Study Title: Can We Hasten Development? Effects of Treatment on Psychosocial Maturity. (which is associated with outcomes Perspective , Responsibility , Temperance, and Emotion regulation)
Research Design
Riggs Romaine and colleagues (2018) conducted a randomized controlled trial that examined whether the Juvenile Justice Anger Management (JJAM) Treatment for Girls program improved psychosocial maturity in 57 juvenile justice system-involved females. Participants were recruited from three residential juvenile justice facilities (two in New Jersey and one in Pennsylvania). Girls were considered eligible for the study if they were between the ages of 14 and 20, had at least 90 days remaining in placement, spoke English, and did not have severe developmental, intellectual, or psychotic conditions. After obtaining consent, participants were randomly assigned to either the JJAM treatment group (n = 29) or a treatment-as-usual control group (n = 28). The JJAM group participated in 16 structured cognitive-behavioral sessions focused on emotion regulation, impulse control, and problem-solving. The treatment-as-usual control group received standard facility programming such as education, counseling, and health care services but no specialized anger management training.
Sample
The final sample included 57 girls, with 63 percent identifying as Black/African American, 11 percent as white, 3 percent as Asian, 23 percent as multiracial, and 26 percent as Hispanic. There were no statistically significant differences between the treatment and control groups at baseline in terms of demographics or outcome variables. The sample exhibited high rates of trauma, mood disorders, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and substance use, along with below-average verbal abilities and high inattention.
Data Collection/Outcome Measures
Outcomes that were assessed included self-reported measures of responsibility, perspective, temperance, and emotion regulation. Assessments were conducted before and after treatment using self-report measures. Responsibility was measured using the Personal Responsibility subscale of the Psychosocial Maturity Inventory (PSMI), which assesses self-reliance, work orientation, and identity. Perspective was calculated by combining scores from the Consideration of Future Consequences Scale (CFC) and the Consideration of Others subscale of the Weinberger Adjustment Inventory (WAI). Temperance was assessed using the Impulse Control and Suppression of Aggression subscales from the WAI. Emotion regulation was measured using the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ), which evaluates both adaptive and maladaptive cognitive coping strategies for managing distress.
Statistical Analysis
Analyses included ANCOVA to compare posttest scores (two weeks after completing treatment) while controlling for pretest scores, and a mixed factorial MANOVA to assess changes over time across related outcomes. The study did not conduct subgroup analyses.
Citation:
Riggs Romaine, Christina L., Kathleen Kemp, Christy L. Giallella, Naomi E. S. Goldstein, Jennifer Serico, and Sharon Kelley. 2018. "Can We Hasten Development? Effects of Treatment on Psychosocial Maturity." International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology 62(9):2857–76.
This study is a high-quality randomized controlled trial.
Study Title: Juvenile Justice Anger Management (JJAM) Treatment for Girls: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial (which is associated with outcomes Anger and Aggression)
Research Design/Sample
Goldstein and colleagues (2018) conducted a randomized controlled trial to test the effects of the Juvenile Justice Anger Management (JJAM) Treatment for girls, using the same sample participants as was used in the evaluation by Goldstein and colleagues (2018). The girls came from two juvenile justice facilities in New Jersey and one facility in Pennsylvania. Pretest assessment occurred up to 2 weeks prior to the beginning of the treatment or control period, and posttest assessment occurred up to 2 weeks after the completion of the treatment or control period.
Outcome Measures/Data Collection
The outcomes assessed included different self-reported measures of anger and aggression. The Novaco Anger Scale and Provocation Inventory (NAS-PI) was used to assess the degree to which participants experienced anger. The NAS-PI measures arousal, anger regulation, behavioral features, and cognitive features of anger, which produces a Total Anger score. The Aggression Questionnaire (AQ) was used to assess individuals’ tendencies to behave aggressively and their abilities to inhibit aggressive behavior. Three of the AQ’s four subscales were used in this study: Anger, Physical Aggression, and Indirect Aggression (which was used to measure relational aggression for this study).
Statistical Analysis
The data was analyzed using a series of analyses of covariance with one posttest (two weeks after treatment completion) score of anger, physical aggression, or relational aggression as the dependent variable and condition (i.e., JJAM treatment condition or treatment-as-usual control condition) as the independent variable. The pretest score associated with the dependent variable was covaried in the analyses. The study authors did not conduct subgroup analyses.
Citation:
Goldstein, Naomi E. S., Christy L. Giallella, Emily Haney-Caron, Lindsey Peterson, Jennifer Serico, Kathleen Kemp, Christina Riggs Romaine, Stephen Leff, et al. 2018. "Juvenile Justice Anger Management (JJAM) Treatment for Girls: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial." Psychological Services 15 (4):386–97.
This study is a high-quality randomized controlled trial.
The JJAM Treatment for Girls: Therapist Training Manual is required for implementation of the Juvenile Justice Anger Management (JJAM) Treatment for Girls program. Leader training consists of manual review, targeted discussions, and skill development based on the specific needs of the population. Leaders role play a practice session and clinical skills prior to administering the program. The group sessions are held in a private room at the residential facilities, and no non-clinical facility staff are in the room during the sessions (Goldstein et al. 2018).
These sources were used in the development of the program profile:
Goldstein, Naomi E. S., Amanda Dovidio, Rachel Kalbeitzer, Jennifer Weil, and Martha Strachan. 2008. “Anger Management for Female Juvenile Offenders: Results of a Pilot Study.” Journal of Forensic Psychology Practice 7(2):1–28.
Goldstein, Naomi E.S., Kathleen Kemp, Stephen S. Leff, and John E. Lochman. 2012. “Guidelines for Adapting Manualized Interventions for New Target Populations: A Step-Wise Approach Using Anger Management as a Model.” Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice 19(4):385–401.
Goldstein, Naomi E. S., Jennifer M. Serico, Christina L. Riggs Romaine, Amanda D. Zelechoski, Rachel Kalbeitzer, Kathleen Kemp, and Christy Lane. 2013. “Development of the Juvenile Justice Anger Management Treatment for Girls.” Cognitive and Behavioral Practice 20:171–88.
Wolbransky, Melinda, Naomi E.S. Goldstein, Christy Giallella, and Kirk Heilbrun. 2013. “Collecting Informed Consent with Juvenile Justice Populations: Issues and Implications for Research.” Behavioral Sciences and Law 31:457–76.
Following are CrimeSolutions-rated programs that are related to this practice:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a problem-focused, therapeutic approach that attempts to help people identify and change dysfunctional beliefs, thoughts, and patterns that contribute to their problem behaviors. This variant of CBT focuses specifically on youth in residential settings. This practice is rated Ineffective for reducing recidivism, at the 24-month follow-up period.
Evidence Ratings for Outcomes
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Crime & Delinquency - Multiple crime/offense types |
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a problem-focused, therapeutic approach that attempts to help people identify and change dysfunctional beliefs, thoughts, and patterns that contribute to their problem behaviors. This variant of CBT focuses specifically on children and adolescents who have anger-related problems. The practice is rated Effective for reducing aggression and anger expression, and improving self-control, problem-solving, and social competencies.
Evidence Ratings for Outcomes
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Juvenile Problem & At-Risk Behaviors - Aggression |
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Juvenile Problem & At-Risk Behaviors - Anger Experience |
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Juvenile Problem & At-Risk Behaviors - Self-Control |
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Mental Health & Behavioral Health - Problem-Solving |
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Mental Health & Behavioral Health - Social Competencies |
Following are CrimeSolutions-rated programs that are related to this program:
This is a group-based, cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness training intervention targeted at male youth in high-security correctional facilities. The program is rated Promising. Results indicated a statistically significant reduction in the decline of attention skills for the treatment group, measured as accuracy and response variability on the Attention Network Test; however, there was no statistically significant effect on response time.
This is a multicomponent treatment program administered in juvenile correctional facilities for youth with conduct disorders. This program is rated Promising. Program youth showed statistically significant improvements in social skills and had statistically significant fewer instances of self-reported and staff-reported institutional misconduct, compared with control group youth. However, there were no significant differences between groups on measures of moral judgment.
This program was originally rated Promising. It has been re-reviewed based on the change in the program rating instrument. Under the new instrument, CrimeSolutions ow now rates individual program outcomes and no longer assigns an overall rating.
Rating Process
Program Status
This program is Active.