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Phil
Strain Matt Timm |
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Introduction |
IntroductionAggressive and problem behavior in children can cause great distress on the part of parents, caregivers, teachers, and other adults who live and work with such children. Physical aggression, destruction of property, lying and defiance evoke frustration and anguish. Left untreated, symptoms of problem and aggressive behaviors appearing in early childhood are often associated with later juvenile delinquency, gang membership and adult incarceration. Children with severe problem behavior are not only the perpetrators but also the victims of their own behavior. Such children may be rejected by their peers, receive frequent punishment by the adults in their lives, suffer from unpleasant and dysfunctional family relationships, and experience failure in school. Moreover, if such behaviors continue into adolescence, these children are much more likely than others to drop out of school, to abuse drugs and alcohol, and to become involved in juvenile delinquency. When they reach adulthood, they are at higher risk of fatal accidents, alcoholism, drug addiction, unemployment, divorce, incarceration, psychiatric illness, and early death. Research shows that aggression in young children tends to persist strongly over time unless successful intervention takes place before the end of third grade. Early intervention, focused on changing parent-child interaction patterns, has been found to be an effective strategy for resolving these early behavioral problems. The Regional Intervention ProgramThe Regional Intervention Program (RIP) is a parent-implemented program for families with concerns about their young child's behavior. The program trains family members to work directly with their own children. Parents are taught to:
Strategies for Parents:
The RIP Adult Follow-up StudyResearchers are in the final stages of a long-term study to evaluate the effects of the strategies used in the RIP program. Findings to date indicate that these strategies are effective and enduring in altering the behavior of children with problem and aggressive behavior as well as in changing the nature of interactions between parents and children. As preschoolers, the children in this study had exhibited severe and prolonged tantrums, continual opposition to adults' requests and commands, and physical aggression toward their parents. Many of the parents were at a loss as to what to do; nothing in their ordinary repertoires of discipline seemed to work. After completing the intervention program through RIP, these children and their families have been transformed. Now adults in their mid-twenties and early thirties, these children have by and large gone on to lead full and productive lives. All but one completed high school and a large fraction went on to college and graduate school. All but one (the same one who dropped out of high school) are currently employed. During their adolescence, one experimented with illegal drugs (marijuana) and one (the high school dropout) was involved in the justice system for theft. None of them was identified for special education or as emotionally disturbed. There were no reports of any of these children ever engaging in aggression toward parents, peers or teachers after completing the program. After 25 years, most parents reported that the program had helped improve parent-child interactions; that they had learned to use the strategies at home and in public places; that they had been able to teach them to other meaningful adults in the child's life; and that their family's needs had effectively been addressed. The parents of most of these adult children describe them as caring, loving, and sensitive in their relationships. Many of them also report their children's increased self-confidence, lower family stress, and fewer feelings of guilt and hopelessness. They now express optimism and a positive outlook for the future. Earlier Findings on RIP ClientsWhen these same adults were only 3 to 9 years away from intervention, home observations indicated that as children they:
In-school observations, grades 2-8, showed that former RIP participants:
In general, the earlier children enrolled in RIP, the more positive was the impact on behavior, both in school and at home. Results did not seem to be influenced by the child's sex, race, birth order, number of siblings, family income, mother's education, or years away from RIP. Regional Intervention Program (RIP) Phone: 615-963-1177 E-mail: RIPExpn@aol.com |
