Predicting aggression in a high -risk day treatment population

This study examined the effectiveness of a day treatment program for 65 severely aggressive elementary school children who were referred to a day treatment program with severe disruptive behavior. Archival analysis of teacher and clinician ratings of functioning with respect to activity level, oppositional behavior, aggression, affective functioning, task completion, anxiety, social skills, parenting skills, abuse history, and parenting difficulties were carried out to determine what initial entry characteristics and what treatment response indicators best predicted reduction in aggression and membership in a persistently aggressive group. Reduction in aggressive behaviors during first through second grade was best predicted by reductions in oppositional behaviors and improvement in social skills and parenting skills. Membership into the “persistently aggressive” group was best predicted by a resistance to treatment as indicated by poor scores on the Identifying Behavior Checklist in the areas of activity level, social skills, task completion, parenting skills, oppositional behavior/attitude, as well as, high scores on the aggression subscale on the Child Behavior Checklist on admission into the program. Implications for treatment of aggression in this population were discussed