DOES EVIDENCE SHOW TRAINING IN IMPULSE CONTROL Helps Prevent Violent Aggression?

The evidence is strongest for reducing aggression and improving self-regulation, rather than proving that impulse-control training prevents an individual murder or stabbing.

A few particularly relevant findings:

• A systematic review/meta-analysis of 49 randomized trials involving 23,098 children and adolescents found that self-regulation interventions improved self-regulation, and reported improvements in behavioral problems, conduct disorders, and school suspensions among the studies measuring those outcomes.  https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2677898?utm_source=chatgpt.com#google_vignette 
• A randomized trial of 790 elementary-school children tested Second Step, a violence-prevention curriculum that explicitly taught anger management, impulse control, and empathy. Classroom observations showed a significant reduction in physical aggression, with most effects persisting six months later.  https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/416386?utm_source=chatgpt.com 
• A 2026 systematic review/meta-analysis covering 137 articles, 171 studies, and 252,605 participants found that difficulties regulating emotions were associated with greater aggression and concluded that interventions providing skills for managing impulse control may help prevent aggressive behavior.  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41424362/
• A meta-analysis of 154 studies and 10,189 participants found that activities that reduce physiological arousal—such as breathing, mindfulness, and meditation—reduced both anger and aggression, with a relatively substantial overall effect.  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38518585/
• A meta-analysis of CBT-informed anger-management programs found a 28% reduction in violent recidivism among treated populations.  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359178915001263?utm_source=chatgpt.com

The connection to your examples

So there is an evidence-based chain that is very relevant to developing IMPULSE INTELLIGENCE.:

violent urge/impulse → ability to recognize it → self-regulation/impulse-control skill → greater ability to inhibit the response → reduced aggressive behavior

The research does support training the skills in the middle of that chain.

What it does not establish is: “If you teach children impulse control, they won’t commit future violent crimes.” That’s a much stronger claim than the evidence supports.

THE claim is:

Learning to recognize and manage impulses MAY reduce aggressive behavior.

There is substantial evidence for that.  

And that makes the distinction —EMOTION → IMPULSE → CHOICE—scientifically relevant rather than merely a catchy educational phrase.

Court case	Evidence / quote
People v. Busch, 56 Cal. 2d 868 (Cal. 1961)	Busch told a psychiatrist that “often he would  be possessed of an urge to kill another human  being.” He said he normally controlled the urges.
People v. Busch, 56 Cal. 2d 868 (Cal. 1961)	Regarding Margaret Briggs, Busch said he was  sorry to kill her, “but that he could not overcome  the urge which compelled him to take her life.”
People v. Busch, 56 Cal. 2d 868 (Cal. 1961)	Regarding Shirley Payne, the court records that “he  had an urge to kill her” and then strangled her.
People v. Vidal, 209 Cal. App. 2d 442 (1962)	Evidence concerned a statement that Vidal had “an  impulse to stab someone.” Vidal denied making that statement.
Graham Dwyer murder trial, Central Criminal Court, Ireland (2015)	A text attributed to Dwyer and introduced at trial stated:  “My urge to rape, stab or kill is huge. You have to help me  control or satisfy it.”
Graham Dwyer murder trial, Central Criminal Court, Ireland (2015)	Another text stated: “I want to stick my knife in flesh while I am  sexually aroused. Blood turns me on and I’d like to stab a girl to  death some time.”
Graham Dwyer murder trial, Central Criminal Court, Ireland (2015)	Regarding another stabbing case, evidence included the message:  “I would have loved to stab her… I can imagine the knife going in  and out…”
Graham Dwyer murder trial, Central Criminal Court, Ireland (2015)	Another message introduced at trial said: “You should help me inflict  pain on you and help me with my fantasy. Blood turns me on.”
United States v. Schick / Schick v. Reed	Schick admitted having a sudden “uncontrollable urge to kill  something quickly and quietly” and said he chose his victim  “just because she was there.” This was the military murder case  involving the killing of nine-year-old Susan Rothschild.