This article is from the WebMD Medical News Archive

June 20, 2005 -- Anger may flare and then fade as the years pass, say British researchers.

"Anger continues to blaze through human lives, sometimes bringing trouble," write Eirini Flouri, PhD, BSc, and colleagues. However, "anger seems to wane with age, and angry children do not necessarily become angry or unhappy adults," they say.

Their findings appear in "Seven Deadly Sins: A New Look at Society Through an Old Lens," published by the U.K.'s Economic & Social Research Council. It's based on British national surveys of about 6,000 households per year.

Anger in Childhood

Tantrums are common among children. But are some kids angrier than others?

Childhood tantrums and irritability were reported at age 7 and 11 years for those born in 1958, and age 5 and 10 for those born in 1970. Mothers rated their children's temperaments.

Most kids apparently were mainly mild-mannered. For the 1958 generation, 89% were "never" or "sometimes" irritable. More than three-quarters of the moms of those born in 1970 said their child rarely had tantrums.

Other findings were:

• Boys were more commonly described as "frequently irritable" than girls.
• Children from lower economic classes were more likely to be described as frequently irritable or quick-tempered.
• Anger often faded with age. Few children were angry at both ages.
• The small minority who had "very frequent tantrums" at both ages included twice as many boys as girls.

Anger in Young Adulthood

Anger often wears a different face in adulthood, but it doesn't go away. Grown-ups usually don't hurl themselves on the floor, kicking and screaming until they're red in the face as children might. Instead, they may fume and seethe quietly, or lash out with hurtful words or acts.

Anger was checked again in the 20s and 30s. Participants answered for themselves. Violent rages and garden-variety annoyance were included. New patterns emerged:

• Angry women slightly outnumbered angry men.
• People who were single at age 30 were more likely to be angry than those with partners.

Once again, age tempered anger. Fewer people were angry in their 30s than in their 20s.

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