Treatment of Children With Peer Related Aggressive Behavior

Treatment of Children With Peer Related Aggressive Behavior With the Treatment Programme THAV - a Randomized Controlled Trial

The efficacy of the Treatment Program for Children with Aggressive Behaviour (Therapieprogramm für Kinder mit aggressivem Verhalten, THAV) which is a social competence training delivered in an individual format will be evaluated in a randomized controlled trial with children aged 6 to 12 years with peer-related aggressive behaviour.

The German Treatment Program for Children with Aggressive Behaviour (Therapieprogramm für Kinder mit aggressivem Verhalten, THAV) aims at the therapy of children aged 6 to 12 years with peer-related aggressive behaviour, which results in a persistent impairment of the relationships to other children. Contrary to other treatment approaches, this intervention aims at the individual treatment of problem maintaining and moderating factors of aggressive behaviour. Depending on the individual problem maintaining factors the treatment aims to modify social cognitive information processing, impulse control, social problem solving, social skills and social interactions. Methods: The efficacy will be tested in a partial randomized control group design with n=100 children. N=60 children will be treated for about half a year with the modules of THAV in weekly sessions. The control group of n=40 children will receive alternative interventions with group play and techniques to activate resources of the child. These interventions give the children the opportunity to train pro-social interactions. Outcome parameters are aggressive behaviour und comorbid symptoms as well as problem maintaining factors, psychosocial functioning, family burden and treatment satisfaction. Moreover, variables of the treatment process are assessed. Questionnaires, tests and individual problem checklist were used to assess these outcome and process parameters

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age: 6 - 12 years
• IQ>= 80
• Diagnoses (ICD-10): F91, F92, F90.1
• high symptom score in the parent rated Symptom Checklist for Oppositional Defiant and Conduct Disorder (FBB-SSV) (Stanine ≥ 7) at assessment 1 and assessment 2
• Often conflicts with other children (clinical rating)
• Impaired social relationships / activities
• Parents agree in randomization
• in medicated children no planned change of the medication

Exclusion Criteria:

• other disorder is dominating
• other active psychotherapy
• severe mental disorder of the parents