Melissa Heffler
SLU Festival of Science 2001 Poster Presentation

Multi-Modal Treatment of Threatening And Aggressive Youth

         Twenty 10-12 year old students (18 male and 2 female), from the Urban Learning Center in Buffalo, NY, participated in multi-modal, group, anger management therapy.  Participants were selected by teachers because of poor classroom and social behaviors.  On January 26, 2001 and February 2, 2001, two experimenters administered a series of three self report measures of each participant’s behavior, empathic concern, cognitive functioning, anger management, feelings of powerlessness, and social skills.  The Achenbach Youth Self Report (YSR), the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory, and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) required approximately one hour to complete.  Half of the participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group, which began treatment on February 7, 2001, or the wait list control group.  Each group contained nine males and one female.  Treatment consisted of allowing the participants to identify the source of their anger, and teaching them healthier ways of dealing with that anger.  Active participation in the form of modeling, role play and discussion was encouraged.  Treatment took place twice per week (Wednesday and Friday) in a classroom reserved at the Urban Learning Center.  After six sessions, follow-up data were collected on March 23, 2001.  The three tests administered at the onset of the study were again given to each participant in the treatment and control groups.  Data analysis will take place over the next two weeks.  Pre-post comparisons within and between treatment and control groups will determine if a treatment effect occurred.