Attributional style in aggressive adolescent boys

Current approaches to the assessment and management of anger and aggression in youth: a review

BACKGROUND

Anger and its expression represent a major public health problem for children and adolescents today. Prevalence reports show that anger-related problems such as oppositional behavior, verbal and physical aggression, and violence are some of the more common reasons children are referred for mental health services.

METHODS

An extensive review of the literature was conducted using the following online search engines: Cochrane, MEDLINE, PsychINFO, and PubMed. Published and unpublished articles that met the following criteria were included in the review: (a) experimental or quasi-experimental research designs; (b) nonpharmacologic, therapy-based interventions; and (c) study participants between 5 and 17 years of age.

RESULTS

Cognitive-behavioral and skills-based approaches are the most widely studied and empirically validated treatments for anger and aggression in youth. Commonly used therapeutic techniques include affective education, relaxation training, cognitive restructuring, problem-solving skills, social skills training, and conflict resolution. These techniques, tailored to the individual child's and/or family's needs, can foster the development of more adaptive and prosocial behavior.

Examining cognitive models of externalizing and internalizing problems in subgroups of juvenile delinquents

Examined cognitive content and processes, from models of externalizing and internalizing problems, in incarcerated delinquents (N = 177). Four groups were defined by multiple criteria (with 41 youth not able to be classified): aggressive-internalizing (AI, n = 22); aggressive-noninternalizing (AN, n = 14); nonaggressive-internalizing (NI, n = 27); and nonaggressive-noninternalizing (NN, n = 73). Groups did not differ on self-centered and minimizing types of self-serving processing distortions, although the comorbid group endorsed more self-serving distortions of assuming the worst and blaming others than the NN group. Aggressive, in comparison to nonaggressive, delinquents reported more self-serving distortions in reference to overt behavior content. In contrast, self-debasing cognitive content was related to internalizing problems, as both the AI and NI groups had more negative beliefs about self than both the AN and NN groups, and more negative beliefs about the world and the future than the NN group. The AI group also had more negative beliefs about the world than the AN group. Self-debasing processing distortions were not specifically related to internalizing problems, as no differences emerged between the AN and NI groups; however, the AI group differed from the NN group on 3 of 4 types of these distortions. Both of the internalizing groups had a more negative attributional style than the NN group. Theoretical and treatment implications are highlighted.