Reducing Children's Aggressive and Oppositional Behaviors in the Schools: Preliminary Results on the Effectiveness of a Social-Cognitive Group Intervention Program

This study examined the effects of a social-cognitive group intervention program for children with oppositional and aggressive behaviors. Forty-two children aged between 9 and 12 years who clearly displayed behavior problems at school were treated with this program. A cross-over design was used in which one group of children first received treatment and then assigned to a waiting period, whereas the other group of children first waited and subsequently received treatment. Peter Muris, PhD, is affiliated with the Institute of Psychology, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Cor Meesters, PhD, Manon Vincken, MSc, and Anneke Eijkelenboom, MSc, are affiliated with the Department of Medical, Clinical, and Experimental Psychology, Maastricht University, The Netherlands. Address correspondence to: Professor Peter Muris, Institute of Psychology, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, Suite J5-31 P.O. Box 1738, 3000 DR, Rotterdam, The Netherlands (E-mail: [email protected]). The authors thank the children, parents, teachers, and staffs of primary schools “Augustinus,” “Beppino Sarto,” “Cantecleer,” “De Klimboom,” “De Talisman,” “Limbrichterveld,” “Onder de kastanje,” “St. Petrus” in Sittard and Eindhoven, The Netherlands, for their participation in this study. Child & Family Behavior Therapy, Vol. 27(1) 2005 http://www.haworthpress.com/web/CFBT  2005 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved. Digital Object Identifier:10.1300/J019v27n01_02 17 D ow nl oa de d by [ E ra sm us U ni ve rs ity ] at 0 1: 47 1 3 A ug us t 2 01 5 Treatment effects were assessed by means of standardized instruments completed by children, parents, and teachers. Results demonstrate that the social-cognitive intervention yielded a significant reduction of behavior problems and an increase of social-cognitive skills as compared to the waiting list control condition. Further, a follow-up assessment of the children who were initially treated indicate that the intervention effects were retained over a three-month period. Finally, some support was found for the theoretical underpinnings of the social-cognitive intervention program. More specifically, a greater increase in social-cognitive skills was to some extent associated with a larger reduction of behavior problems. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: Website: © 2005 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.]