The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of the Anger Change Programme for Mothers. The Anger Change programme is a New Zealand-based child abuse prevention programme, developed in 1990 by Pye Bowden, as a specialised therapeutic intervention for mothers who were abusing their children or who were afraid that they might do so. The format is a therapeutic group process, using discussion, mind/body techniques and psychodynamic processes to create healing. Counselling services who took part in the study were: Jigsaw North, Whangarei who were the lead agency for the study; Family Works – Hawkes Bay; East Coast Family Works (Hastings); Family Support Service – Whanganui Trust (trading as Jigsaw Whanganui); and Presbyterian Support Services – South Canterbury (Family Works).
The research question is: How effective has the Anger Change for Mothers Programme been from the prospective of graduate mothers over the past four-plus years and from the prospective from other stakeholders associated with the programme’ and what is the current level of community need for the programme?