Recreation for the Conduct Disorder Child

Abstract

This article describes the various successes and failures encountered in a year long sociorecreation program for conduct disorder children. The experience indicated that the conduct disorder child can be helped to achieve greater satisfaction in a recreation setting if the setting is structurally conducive to the control of his deviant behavior. The traditional models of free play and socially centered programing were tried first but failed. They could only be effectively utilized once the requisite social, physical, and behavioral skills had been acquired in a structured setting. A description is provided of the program's staff, structure, and content as well as certain leadership principles which emerged throughout the year.