The effects of behavioural parent training groups on parenting stress and sense of competence were investigated. Subjects were 91 families of ADDH preschoolers who participated in one of two randomized control studies that demonstrated the efficacy of group parent training in the amelioration of child noncompliance. Compared to parents awaiting treatment, parents who completed training reported significant improvements on the Parenting Stress Index (PSI) Parent Domain, and both Skills and Valuing subscales of the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (PSCS) immediately after treatment and three months later. Intercorrelations among the self-report measures as well as their relationships with other variables were examined. Significant correlations were found between improvements on the PSCS Skills and Valuing subscales. Improvement on the PSCS Valuing subscale was also associated with decreases in the PSI Parent Domain. Improvements on the PSI Child Domain and PSCS Valuing subscale were significantly correlated with parents 1 perceptions of improvement in their children's behaviour. No significant correlations were found between self-report improvements and observed changes in parent or child behaviour or parental compliance to treatment. The results indicated that group parent training had a positive impact on parenting stress and sense of competence. These changes were independent of improvements in actual parent and child behaviour assessed in the clinic.

No abstract

Despite the early onset of attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADDH), there is a dearth of treatment studies with preschoolers with this disorder. Forty-six families with ADDH preschoolers were randomly assigned to either an immediate or a delayed group parent training program aimed at improving child compliance. Groups were balanced on demographic variables. Treatment outcome was evaluated by comparing the groups at pre- and posttreatment and 3-month follow-up on measures of parent-child interactions during free play, a compliance task, and parent-supervised activities, as well as on parent-completed Conners Hyperkinesis Index scores. Positive treatment effect was obtained on measures of compliance, parental style of interaction, and management skills. These improvements were maintained at 3-month follow-up. Evaluation of treatment effects on nontargeted child behaviors indicated no generalization.

In this study, we examined the unique contribution of pornography consumption to the longitudinal prediction of criminal recidivism in a sample of 341 child molesters. We specifically tested the hypothesis, based on predictions informed by the confluence model of sexual aggression that pornography will be a risk factor for recidivism only for those individuals classified as relatively high risk for re-offending. Pornography use (frequency and type) was assessed through self-report and recidivism was measured using data from a national database from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Indices of recidivism, which were assessed up to 15 years after release, included an overall criminal recidivism index, as well as subcategories focusing on violent (including sexual) recidivism and sexual recidivism alone. Results for both frequency and type of pornography use were generally consistent with our predictions. Most importantly, after controlling for general and specific risk factors for sexual aggression, pornography added significantly to the prediction of recidivism. Statistical interactions indicated that frequency of pornography use was primarily a risk factor for higher-risk offenders, when compared with lower-risk offenders, and that content of pornography (i.e., pornography containing deviant content) was a risk factor for all groups. The importance of conceptualizing particular risk factors (e.g., pornography), within the context of other individual characteristics is discussed.

Migraine headaches are frequent in adolescents. Although many adolescents are adequately treated palliatively with analgesics, an important subgroup requires prophylactic treatment. Medical treatments for adolescents with frequent severe headaches is often problematic. Prophylactic pharmacological treatments are often shunned by adolescents and their parents because of concern over drug usage. Moreover, propranolol, the most widely used prophylactic drug with adults, is frequently not effective. Psychological interventions are effective but are costly and often not available. A randomized controlled trial was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy and efficiency of a predominantly self-administered treatment that could be delivered in a very cost-efficient format. Eighty seven adolescents (63 females and 24 males) ranging in age from 11 to 18 years were randomly assigned to receive a self-administered treatment, the same treatment delivered by a therapist or a control treatment. Self-administered and clinic treatment were equally effective and superior to the control treatment. However, the self-administered treatment was substantially more efficient. Both active treatments were durable at 1-year follow-up.

The Implicit Association Test (IAT) is adapted to measure cognitions regarding self and children in 27 male child molesters and 29 male nonsexual offenders. As expected, child molesters view children as more sexually attractive than do nonsexual offenders. Among the child molesters, viewing children as more sexually attractive is associated with greater risk of sexual recidivism as measured by the Static-99. Viewing children as more powerful is associated with greater risk of sexual recidivism as measured by the Rapid Risk Assessment for Sexual Offense Recidivism. Although not all hypotheses are supported, this study demonstrates that the IAT has much promise as a tool with which to study cognitions associated with sexual abuse of children.

The efficacy of group parent training was assessed in improving compliance and time on task in preschoolers with attention-deficit disorder with hyperactivity. Positive effects were obtained on measures of child compliance, but not on measures of attention. Parental compliance-management skills and overall style of interaction were also positively affected. The use of parent training for early intervention with ADDH children is discussed.

The predictive validity of 2 risk assessment instruments for sex offenders, modified versions of the Static-99 and the Sex Offender Risk Appraisal Guide, was examined and compared in a sample of 258 adult male sex offenders. In addition, the independent contributions to the prediction of recidivism made by each instrument and by various phallometric indices were explored. Both instruments demonstrated moderate levels of predictive accuracy for sexual and violent (including sexual) recidivism. They were not significantly different in terms of their predictive accuracy for sexual or violent recidivism, nor did they contribute independently to the prediction of sexual or violent recidivism. Of the phallometric indices examined, only the pedophile index added significantly to the prediction of sexual recidivism, but not violent recidivism, above the Static-99 alone.