When Child Anger Becomes a Red Flag

Anger is a natural emotion, felt by everyone, children included. While anger is “normal” it can quickly become unhealthy when it is experienced often or in excess. If you are concerned about your child’s anger it can be valuable to consult with a trained child therapist.

The Red Flags of Unhealthy Anger

While it is healthy for children to express their negative and confusing feelings in anger, it can become unhealthy. Persistent and intense anger is not a typical or common child behavior. Persistent anger is when anger happens consistently and does not appear to decrease. Intense anger is when the feelings are felt or expressed in excess and impact functioning. This type of anger can push away their peers and siblings, possibly leading them to feel isolated at school, play areas, and even at home. It can also affect you and your family.

When your child experiences unhealthy anger you may be left wondering what to do or where to turn. This is not something that can be ignored, however, some approaches could make their behaviors worse. This is where counseling can be extremely effective in providing you with the support you deserve and additional skills to help you know how to handle difficult situations.

When signs of persistent and intense anger are observed, it may be time to seek help from a counselor. The following may be cause for concern;

  • Your child’s tantrums and outbursts are occurring past the age at which they’re developmentally expected (up to about 7 or 8 years old)
  • Their behavior is dangerous to themself or others
  • Their behavior is causing them serious trouble at school, for example teachers reporting that they are “out of control”
  • Their behavior is interfering with their ability to get along with other children, so they may be excluded from activities, playdates and birthday parties
  • Tantrums and defiance are causing a lot of conflict at home and disrupting family life
  • They are upset because they feel they can’t contain their anger, which can result in them feeling bad about themselves

 

Child Counseling: The Help You Have Been Searching For

It often isn’t easy to be objective where your own child is concerned, but if you are concerned it’s worth addressing. Your child’s persistent and intense anger could just be the “tip of the iceberg.” There could be more to it than just anger. Parenting children with excessive anger can be challenging, you aren’t alone.

A child therapist can assess your child’s anger and identify potential causes as well as an effective treatment plan. Together you can provide your child with the support they deserve. Counseling can help your child to learn healthier coping skills and can give you support you need. You can also begin to learn new parenting tools to utilize with your child. Counseling can benefit you both. CCS is here to help, call our Southern Pines Office today to get started.

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