Review

Narrow focus, wide value

MANAGING AGGRESSION
Roy Braithwaite
Routledge, 2001, £14.99

This is a very comprehensive book, aimed at a specific field of work. Not every professional finds that they can work with (necessarily small) groups of people who are learning to control their aggression. It is an area of work that all too often consists of clients who have been referred by agencies as part of a ‘deal’, following an incident or incidents that have brought them to the attention of the judicial system.

They are therefore often reluctant to be present in the group, and not necessarily the best motivated or insightful of clients. Extra work is almost always needed to get the group to a cohesive starting point, so that it can work towards self-stated targets and providing internal support.

But this book is more than simply a ‘how to’ guide for professionals working in the area. It is also extremely well supported by a large index, references by chapter and suggestons for key reading, plus an extensive bibliography and a whole page of listed information. These allow the text to move from the realms of simple guide into that of valuable textbook.

It may well be that the management of aggression is not an area that you are required to work in, and — even if the opportunity arose — might understandably be wary of taking on. However, this book can be highly recommended for its style, content and the thought-provoking nature of the areas its author is brave enough to tackle.

That aggression (and its impact) is part of our daily professional life is certain. Pretending that it will go away or insisting that it is ‘not my area’ will not solve this unhappy aspect of modern life. I recommend reading this book — even if you are not overtly involved — and allowing yourself time to reflect on your own practice, just to see what changes or developments you might be able to initiate in your own spheres of practice.