Citation

Terzian MA, Fraser MW. Aggress. Violent Behav. 2005; 10(4): 407-435.

Affiliation

School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.avb.2004.06.001

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

For many youths, aggressive behavior and drug use have roots in conduct problems that begin in early childhood. Many preventive interventionsâ??universal, selective, and indicatedâ??are based on this finding. These programs are designed to interrupt developmental trajectories that lead to delinquency, drug abuse, and other serious social problems. A number of prevention programs have been developed and tested in public schools. Surprisingly, although family risk factors loom large in the etiology of conduct problems, few school-based programs have involved families. This study reviews six family-oriented, school-based programs that have produced promising findings in rigorous evaluations. The purpose of this paper is to describe these programs and distill from them core family-oriented prevention strategies for use in public school settings. Based on our review, these include: (a) strengthening the skills of both children and parents; (b) creating opportunities for parents and teachers to communicate more readily; (c) promoting bonds of attachment between children and parents and between parents and teachers; and (d) involving teachers in training on managing classroom disruptions, understanding peer dynamics, and promoting positive learning environments in their classrooms.