Childhood Anger:

Anger is a normal human emotion. It is problematic when people act on their anger rather than learn how to understand it and control it appropriately. People of all ages experience anger, from infants to the elderly, so learning how we each recognize early signs of anger is essential. My experience has shown that children become angry when they have learned maladaptive ways of expressing their needs, when they do not understand what may be happening in their environment, when sudden changes occur in their lives, when they may have a developmental, neurological or psychiatric disorder, or when they may be abusing substances. There are as many specific reasons for childhood anger as there are children. Each case is unique and needs to be considered as such. If your child has severe temper outbursts, is physically assaultive to you or others, has no tolerance for change or has become involved with law enforcement, professional assistance should be sought for you as well as for your child.