Empathy and assertiveness skills are foundations that must be in place in order for a child to care enough about another to want to control anger and resolve conflicts to the mutual benefit of both parties. Consider this example. As a gifted, yet rather shy student, Matt was easily frustrated when other students did not accept and agree with his opinions. This was reflected in his angry outbursts and refusal to work with others. Matt's teacher helped him improve his ability to work in cooperative groups by first providing opportunities to appreciate situations from another's perspective. Behavioral social skills training helped Matt improve at taking turns, giving and receiving compliments, expressing opinions, and helping a peer. He was then able to more effectively work on his anger management skills.
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