An Activity Group Intervention for School Children With Behavioral Problems

Abstract

Latency-aged children with behavior problems participated in a lunch activity group at school. Members were given responsibility for designing the format of the sessions and performing the duties entailed in preparing and serving lunch, and cleaning up. The group chose a format which suggested their willingness to engage co-operatively in age-appropriate tasks. Themes that emerged during the sessions suggest that these children were aware of, and disapproved of their inappropriate behaviors. They made considerable progress in defining more appropriate behaviors and strategies for managing conflicts with peers. Teachers' ratings of their behavior show generalized gains in the development of more appropriate behaviors observed in the classroom. Comparison with a control group shows similar gains made by classmates included in the control group.

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