The relation between social rejection and growth in antisocial behavior was investigated. In Study 1,259 boys and girls (34% African American) were followed from Grades 1 to 3 (ages 6-8 years) to Grades 5 to 7 (ages 10-12 years). Early peer rejection predicted growth in aggression. In Study 2,585 boys and girls (16% African American) were followed from kindergarten to Grade 3 (ages 5-8 years), and findings were replicated. Furthermore, early aggression moderated the effect of rejection, such that rejection exacerbated antisocial development only among children initially disposed toward aggression. In Study 3, social information-processing patterns measured in Study 1 were found to mediate partially the effect of early rejection on later aggression. In Study 4, processing patterns measured in Study 2 replicated the mediation effect. Findings are integrated into a recursive model of antisocial development.

Adolescent boys (N = 128) from a maximum security prison for juvenile offenders were administered a task to assess hostile attributional biases. As hypothesized, these biases were positively correlated with undersocialized aggressive conduct disorder (as indicated by high scores on standardized scales and by psychiatric diagnoses), with reactive-aggressive behavior, and with the number of interpersonally violent crimes committed. Hostile attributional biases were found not to relate to nonviolent crimes or to socialized aggressive behavior disorder. These findings held even when race and estimates of intelligence and socioeconomic status were controlled. These findings suggest that within a population of juvenile offenders, attributional biases are implicated specifically in interpersonal reactive aggression that involves anger and not in socialized delinquency.

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Although there has been an accumulation of evidence to suggest a link between peer-directed aggression and social rejection, little attention has been given to the relations between specific subtypes of aggressive behavior and social rejection. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the relations between two subtypes of aggressive behavior (reactive and proactive aggression) and children's classroom peer status. The reciprocity of each of these subtypes of aggressive behavior and the social contexts in which these behaviors occur were also examined. Assessments of each of these forms of aggression among 70 boys (ages 5 and 6) were conducted using direct observations and teacher ratings. In general, directing reactive aggressive behavior toward peers was associated with social rejection, while utilization of instrumental aggression was positively related to peer status. The findings also indicated that directing proactive forms of aggression toward peers was related to being the target of proactive aggression. Finally, among older boys, both subtypes of aggression were more likely to occur during rough play than during any other type of play activity.

Placement disruptions undermine efforts of child welfare agencies to promote safety, permanency, and child well-being. Child behavior problems significantly contribute to placement changes. The aims of this investigation were to examine the impact of a foster parent training and support intervention (KEEP) on placement changes and to determine whether the intervention mitigates placement disruption risks associated with children's placement histories. The sample consisted of 700 families with children between ages 5 and 12 years, from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. Families were randomly assigned to the intervention or control condition. The number of prior placements was predictive of negative exits from current foster placements. The intervention increased chances of positive exit (e.g., parent/child reunification) and mitigated the negative riskenhancing effect of a history of multiple placements. Incorporating intervention approaches based on a parent management training model into child welfare services may improve placement outcomes for child in foster care. Keywords parent management training; foster parents; placement disruptionsThe child welfare system provides services designed to promote the well-being of children by ensuring safety, achieving permanency, and strengthening families to care successfully for their children (National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being Research Group, 2005). For a number of families serviced by the child welfare system this may require removing the child from the home and placing him/her in the care of either a relative or a foster family. Once in foster care, the goals of promoting safety, permanency, and child well-being can be undermined by disruptions in placement. Recent research suggests that one of the major contributors to placement disruptions is the externalizing behavior problems exhibited by many foster children (Chamberlain et al., 2006;Newton, Litrownik, & Landsverk, 2000). The primary goals of the current study were twofold: to examine the impact of a foster parent training and support intervention on placement changes and disruptions, and to determine whether the intervention mitigated placement disruption risks associated with children's placement histories.Correspondence should be directed to Joseph M. Price, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 6363 Alvarado, Ct., Suite 103, San Diego, CA 92120; (619) 594-5241; fax, (619) 594-6780; email, jprice@sunstroke.sdsu.edu. NIH Public Access Importance of Stability in Family SettingsStability in safe, nurturing family settings affords children opportunities to develop positive and supportive relationships, especially with caregivers and other significant adults (e.g., teachers) that, in turn, facilitates normative development (Cicchetti & Valentino, 2006;Sroufe, Duggal, Weinfield, & Carlson, 2000; Thompson, Flood, & Goodwin, 2006). Stability in family settings also provides continuity in school settings, peer networks, health care providers, and access to community resources an...

This article tested the hypotheses that (1) children's behavioral competence is a function of patterns of social information processing; (2) processing correlates of behavior occur at each of 5 steps of processing within each of 3 social situations; (3) measures at each step uniquely increment each other in predicting behavior; (4) the relation between processing and behavior is stronger within than across domains; and (5) processing patterns are more sophisticated among older than younger children and the processing-behavior relation is stronger among older than younger children. Videorecorded stimuli were used to assess processing patterns (encoding, interpretational errors and bias, response generation, response evaluation, and enactment skill) in 3 domains (peer group entry, response to provocation, and response to authority directive) in 259 first-, second-, and third-grade boys and girls (ages 6-9 years). Ratings of behavioral competence in each domain were made by peers and teachers. Findings generally supported hypotheses, with the magnitude of relations being modest.

The social transactions of popular, rejected, neglected, and average first- and third-grade boys were examined during their initial encounters with peers. 23 groups of 5 or 6 boys each were observed for 45-min free-play sessions conducted on 5 consecutive days, with sociometric interviews following each session. Social preference in the play groups correlated significantly with classroom social preference after the third and subsequent play sessions for the third graders, and after the fourth and subsequent sessions for the first graders. The observational coding system distinguished 4 types of aggressive behavior that were hypothesized to relate to peer status in different ways. The first, rough play, was not related to peer status. However, rejected boys at both ages displayed significantly higher rates of angry reactive aggression and instrumental aggression than average boys. The relation between bullying and peer status varied with the age of the child. Popular first graders engaged in more bullying than average first graders, but popular third graders did not differ from average in bullying. Other questions concerned the temporal relation between play group behaviors and social preference scores within the group. Socially interactive behaviors anteceded high preference by peers, and low preference in turn led to social isolation in subsequent sessions.