Preliminary investigation of a novel internet-based aggression prevention program for youth

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Date
2019
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Alabama Libraries
Abstract

Coping Power is one of the few empirically supported school-based cognitive-behavior interventions available for children at risk for aggression and associated problems. Although effective, the traditional CP program requires a substantial face-to-face participation commitment from children and parents, creating client engagement and maintenance obstacles to implementation. Furthermore, while school settings provide advantages for service delivery to high-risk youth, intervention demands on student and staff time limit their dissemination and implementation and thus public health impact. Therefore, there is a need to develop less resource-demanding yet effective school-based interventions for at-risk children. An internet-predominant version of CP (CP-PI) was recently piloted on a small sample of at-risk youth (N = 6). Although CP-PI appeared to reduce aggressive behaviors, the small sample precluded statistical analysis, and intervention adherence issues arose. The current study thus had four overarching aims: (1) to assess the preliminary efficacy of CP-PI by comparing it against a waitlist control condition using a larger sample (N = 40) and randomized controlled trial (RCT) design that attempts to minimize adherence issues and measure impact on functional subtypes of aggression (proactive/reactive), (2) to consider potential predictors of intervention process and outcome, (3) to measure CP-PI feasibility, and (4) to assess process variables and their relation to intervention outcomes. This study provides preliminary evidence that CP-PI can be implemented effectively in schools, reduces proactive but not reactive child aggression, and that certain variables may influence intervention process and outcome.

Description
Electronic Thesis or Dissertation
Keywords
Clinical psychology
Citation