A Model Parent's Group for Enhancing Aggressive Children's Social Competence

ABSTRACT

Preadolescent children's aggressive behaviors are related to maladjustment in their later adult lives. A major factor influencing the continuity of aggressive behaviors is the family environment. This paper presents a family dynamic oriented group work that integrates concepts of co-parenting and bidirectionality. The goal of the group was to enhance aggressive children's social competence by promoting positive interactions within the family. The six-week group covered topics such as identifying parenting styles, supporting parental alliances, fostering mutuality among parents and their children, making demands on children, and responding to children's needs and negative emotions. Several themes emerged in the group process. These themes included parents (1) having insufficient time to be with their children or a busy lifestyle, (2) having little confidence in parenting, and (3) losing patience/getting angry. Pre-post single group tests showed that aggressive children's social competence was improved four weeks after the group ended.

KEYWORDS:

• Bidirectionality
• co-parenting
• family dynamics
• childhood aggression
• group work