An Initial Evaluation of a Culturally Adapted Social Problem-Solving and Relational Aggression Prevention Program for Urban African-American Relationally Aggressive Girls

Abstract

Recent research demonstrating that relational aggression is associated with peer relationship difficulties, internalizing and externalizing behaviors, social processing deficits, and possibly later mental health disorders among girls has emphasized the need to address the unique expression of aggression amongst females. Despite these findings, almost all aggression interventions have been directed towards physically aggressive boys. In the current manuscript, authors describe the acceptability and initial effectiveness of a culturally-adapted social problem solving/social skills intervention for inner-city third to fifth grade urban, African American, relationally aggressive girls called the Friend to Friend Program. The authors partnered with youth, teachers, parents, and playground supervisors to design the program, and the current study presents preliminary data suggesting that the intervention is viewed as highly acceptable by participating girls and teachers. Further, the intervention appears to have promise for decreasing at-risk girls' levels of relationally and physically aggressive behaviors, hostile attributions, and loneliness.

Do Hostile Attribution Biases in Children and Parents Predict Relationally Aggressive Behavior?

“…Despite increased attention to the deleterious effects of relational aggression, few tested prevention or intervention programs exist, to date. Moreover, previous attempts to modify children's relationally aggressive behavior have been school-based (Leff et al, 2009;Ostrov et al, 2009). If future researchers confirm that parents model hostile interpretations of peers during conversations with children, family-based programs can be designed to modify parents' attributions and increase parents' provision of effective strategies for handling peer conflict.…”

Relational Aggression and Hostile Attribution Biases: Testing Multiple Statistical Methods and Models

“…Further, interventionists and school-based professionals could benefit from considering enacting change both through cognitive and behavioral pathways. For example, Leff et al (2009) demonstrated that an intervention for relational aggression could be effective through targeting both hostile attribution biases and aggressive behavior. In addition, it may be critical to consider the importance of hostile-intent cognitions in a variety of situations for relational, physical, and comorbid aggressors in order for interventions and prevention efforts to be effective.…”

Ethnic Differences in Parents' Attitudes toward Girls' Use of Aggression

“…Recent research suggests moderate effectiveness for school-based intervention programs targeting relationally and physically aggressive African American girls (Leff et al, 2009).…”