Aggressive Behavior in Children Research Proposal

Adolescent Aggressive Behavior

Quantitative Research Proposal: CBT and Psychopharmacological Treatments

For Children with Disordered Aggressive Behaviors

Quantitative Research Proposal: CBT and Psychopharmacological Treatments

For Children with Disordered Aggressive Behaviors

Aggressive behavior and adolescents poses a significant threat to public safety and the peaceful functioning of families within a community. Treatment of this problem is an important issue for the adolescents, their families, and the communities in which they live. There are many reasons for aggressive behaviors in adolescents. This problem has received significant research attention in the past and as a result, many different treatment modalities have been developed. This qualitative research study explores various treatment modalities in their effectiveness in treating adolescent aggressive behavior.

Quantitative Research Proposal: CBT and Psychopharmacological Treatments

For Children with Disordered Aggressive Behaviors

Table of Contents

Section 1: Problem Statement, Theoretical Framework, and Research Questions

Problem statement

Theoretical framework

Hypothesis

Research questions

Operational definitions

Section 2: Literature Review Outline

Current Theories on Adolescent Aggressive Behavior

Conclusion

Section 3: Selected Methodology

Rationale

Sampling criteria

12

Sampling procedure

13

Sample size

13

Protecting human subjects

13

Study variables

14

Data collection

15

Budget

15

Section 4: Analysis and Justification of Methodology Choice

17

References

18

Quantitative Research Proposal: CBT and Psychopharmacological Treatments

For Children with Disordered Aggressive Behaviors

Section 1: Problem Statement, Theoretical Framework, and Research Questions

Research has demonstrated that childhood aggression is a significant predictor of adult anti-social behavior, making it a serious public health issue (Campbell, Cohen, & Small, 1982). For this reason, it is important to explore the most effective methods of treating childhood aggression. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) remains one of the most popular therapeutic methods and has been so for the past twenty years. CBT has been used effectively with children and adolescents to treat a variety of disorders, including high levels of aggression and oppositional-defiant disorder. Psychopharmacology has made revolutionary advances on the treatment of younger patients, especially those with hyperactivity and depression. The proposed study compares the effectiveness of these two primaries therapies. It will compare the effectiveness of CBT and psychopharmacology in the treatment of disordered aggressive behavior in children.

Problem Statement

This research will explore the problem of which of the two therapies mentioned are the most effective in treating children who display extremely aggressive behavior. Working with young children within a therapeutic context is always difficult because they lack the developed emotional and cognitive skills needed to gain and apply insight. This makes treating children with aggressive behaviors different from treating adults with the same problem. Treating adolescents as a problem unto itself in clinical psychology.

Webster-Stratton (1993) estimates that children with behavioral disorders constitute one-third to one-half of all child and adolescent clinic referrals. Behavioral disorders have a relatively poor long-term prognosis and these problems are transmitted across generations (Kazdin, 1988). Aggressive behavior is passed on to future generations through modeling of behaviors from untreated adult parents. The problem is how to stop the cycle of aggression by treating the present generation so they cannot pass it on to their children.

Aggressive behavior can be extremely disruptive to family and school life, a fact that has significant negative repercussions for the children themselves. Finding a therapeutic modality that will work effectively with adolescence is vital for the children, family, schools, community and nation. Ignoring this vulnerable population and aggressive behaviors will produce detrimental results to our nation and to future generations. This problem has a significant impact on the children, their families, and their communities, making this an important research topic.. This research investigates the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy and pharmacological treatments on children with highly aggressive behaviors.

Theoretical Framework

The theoretical framework for this study is based on research that will be reviewed further in the literature review. The significance of the problem has been recognized for many years and there is already significant groundwork in this area of clinical psychology. Pharmacological treatments of aggression and adolescents have had limited success when used alone. Cognitive-behavioral therapy has had mixed success, and in some cases the success of this treatment increased with the addition of pharmacological treatments. However, not all aggressive adolescents are in need of pharmacological treatments. This study will be based on the theoretical concept that adolescent aggression cannot be treated through the use of pharmacological methods alone. However, in some cases pharmacological support of cognitive behavioral therapy will offer the best prognosis for the adolescent.

This study will explore both the observation approach and a correlational approach to treating aggressive children using CBT interventions. It will support the necessity of parental involvement in the treatment process. The theoretical framework for the study stems from a plethora of research that explores the effectiveness of various CBT interventions for treating aggressive behavior in teens.

Hypothesis

This research study will explore for different central hypotheses, all of which are related to the problem of finding the best treatment for adolescents with aggressive behavior. The hypotheses for this research study will state as follows.

H1: The observation approach to CBT will demonstrate effectiveness in treating adolescents that display aggressive behavior.

H1O: The observation approach to CBT will not demonstrate effectiveness in treating adolescents that display aggressive behavior.

H2: The correlational approach to CBT will demonstrate effectiveness in treating adolescents that display aggressive behavior.

H2O: The correlational approach to CBT will not demonstrate effectiveness in treating adolescents that display aggressive behavior.

H3: Parental involvement will play a significant role in protecting the success of CBT in treating aggressive behavior in adolescents.

H3O: Parental involvement will not play a significant role in protecting the success of CBT in treating aggressive behavior in adolescents.

H4: Pharmacological approaches to the treatment of aggressive adolescents will result in the successful treatment of the aggression in adolescents for those who do not respond to CBT alone.

H4O: Pharmacological approaches to the treatment of aggressive adolescents will not result in the successful treatment of the aggression in adolescents for those who do not respond to CBT alone.

Research Questions

The purpose of this research is to explore whether one particular form of CBT is superior in treating adolescents to display extremely aggressive behavior. It will also explore the effectiveness of various types of CBT with pharmacological treatments. It will examine the importance of parental involvement in the treatment process. In order to these issues more fully, the following research questions will be explored in addition to the research hypotheses.

1. What are the most CBT treatments currently available for the treatment of aggressive behavior in adolescents?

2. How prevalent are psychopharmacological treatments, as compared to CBT for the treatment of aggression and adolescents?

3. Is there one therapy are combination of therapies that is effective more times than others in the treatment of aggressive behaviors and adolescents?

4. Are there any measures that there appears can take to improve the outcomes of aggressive behaviors in their adolescent patients?

5. How important is parental involvement in the treatment process?

Operational Definitions

The operational definitions we will use in this study are based on Ladd and Profilet's development of the Child Behavior Survey, and on Granic et al.'s observations of parent-child interactions. Specifically, the constructs of concern are: aggression, sensitivity, discipline, and emotional flexibility.

Aggression will be defined in terms of the frequency and severity of disturbing or affectively negative outbursts or coercive refusals, reported by the parent.

Sensitivity will be defined in terms of the number of times during the interviews that the parent demonstrates empathy or anticipates the child's physical and emotional needs.

Discipline will be defined in terms of parental boundary-setting, and the frequency and consistency with which this occurs in the interviews.

Emotional flexibility will be defined in terms of how the parent-child dyad deals with the "unresolved problem" discussion, and the number of times each member of the dyad displays the ability to take the other party's perspective on the problem.

Section 2: Literature Review Outline

Aggressive behaviors in adolescence has been recognized as a significant problem in the research community for quite some time. As result, numerous studies exist that examine the underlying causes of adolescent aggression and various treatment modalities. In this literature review we will focus on plans and therapies that of been demonstrated to have a significant effect, or treatment outcome, for youth and children displaying aggressive or violent behavior (Dummett, 2010). This literature review will rely on peer reviewed articles in recognized journals within the academic community. The following will highlight some of the most significant findings thus far in this area of research.

Current Theories on Adolescent Aggressive Behavior

Aggression in children has frequently been attributed to inexpert parenting style. A correlational study by Alink et al. (2009) shows that three theoretical elements -- aggression, discipline, and maternal sensitivity -- stand in a particular causal relation to each other. They examined 117 mother-child pairs where the child exhibited high levels of externalizing behavior. Their important constructs were discipline (setting boundaries and making requests), sensitivity (anticipating the child's needs and being responsive), and externalizing behavior…