Callous and unemotional (CU) traits have been linked to severe antisocial behavior in youth, but studies examining the etiology of CU traits are lacking. Based on prior research, it was hypothesized that childhood anxiety and parenting practices would interact to predict changes in CU traits over time. Hypotheses were tested using a sample of 120 moderate to highly aggressive fifth graders followed over a 1-year period. Although CU traits displayed moderate temporal stability and predicted increases in antisocial behavior, evidence suggested that these features were not immutable. Children exposed to lower levels of physical punishment showed decreases in CU traits over time, whereas higher levels of child-reported parental warmth and involvement predicted decreases in both CU traits and antisocial behavior over time. Lower levels of anxiety were uniquely related to increased CU traits for children who described their primary caregiver as exhibiting low warmth and involvement.

Black children generally receive poorer sociometric nominations compared with Whites. This effect is not fully understood because Black children rarely hold a classroom majority and teachers' race is rarely investigated. Research from a person-environment perspective suggests that the effects of children's race depend on the racial composition of the classroom and society's racial attitudes. Sociometric nominations were obtained from 1,268 5th graders, between 9 and 11 years old (53% Black), across 57 classrooms (3-95% Black students). Half of the teachers were Black. The results indicated that ratings of Black children were more influenced by the racial context of classrooms than were ratings of White children. The implications of this study are discussed in relation to group dynamics and racial discrimination.

This study examined an important but rarely investigated aspect of the dissemination process: the intensity of training provided to practitioners. Counselors in 57 schools were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: Coping Power-training plus feedback (CP-TF), Coping Power-basic training (CP-BT), or a comparison condition. CP-TF counselors produced reductions in children's externalizing behavior problems and improvements in children's social and academic skills in comparison to results for target children in both the comparison and the CP-BT conditions. Training intensity was critical for successful dissemination, although the implementation mechanism underlying this effect remains unclear, as condition effects were not significant for completion of session objectives but were significant for the quality of counselors' engagement with children.

Objective Some research suggest that group interventions with antisocial youth may on occasion have iatrogenic effects. This is the first study to test the effects of group versus individual delivery of evidence-based intervention for aggressive children. Method Three hundred sixty fourth-grade children were randomly assigned by school to Group Coping Power (GCP) or Individual Coping Power (ICP). Longitudinal assessments of teacher, and parent reports of behavior (BASC; PASA) were collected from baseline through a one-year follow-up. Results Growth curve analyses revealed children in both conditions reduced teacher and parent reported externalizing behavior problems and internalizing behavior problems by the end of the one year follow up. However, the degree of improvement in teacher-reported outcomes was significantly greater for children receiving an individual version of the program. In addition, children’s baseline level of inhibitory control moderated intervention effects, showing children with low initial levels of inhibitory control to respond poorly in teacher-rated outcomes to group interventions compared to those delivered individually. Conclusions This study suggests overall benefits to children for either group or individual delivery of the Coping Power program under high fidelity conditions, however, for children with low levels of initial self-regulation, individualized interventions will likely yield the most significant reduction in externalizing behavior in the school setting in preadolescence.