Jessica Mills

Citation

Thesis Title
The efficacy of Aggression Replacement Training on interpersonal deficits and aggressive subtypes in New Zealand high school students

Read article at Massey Research Online:

Aggression and antisocial behaviour in adolescence is a major problem facing schools and communities. Evidence-based interventions that schools can use to combat such behaviours are of high priority. Interpersonal deficits including cognitive distortions, low empathy, poor social skills, and delayed moral maturity are commonly found in young people with behavioural problems. Ms Mills investigated the efficacy of the components of Aggression Replacement Training (ART) for reducing these deficits. Ms Mills also investigated the efficacy of this intervention for reducing reactive and proactive tendencies. Overall positive change was seen across a range of interpersonal domains, in particular those associated with reactive aggression, though this was not seen for proactive aggression and related deficits such as empathy. Ms Mills'' research provides support for the theoretical basis of ART and concluded that could be a useful intervention for NZ schools, especially for individuals high in reactive aggression, which warrants further investigation.

Supervisors
Associate Professor Ross Flett
Dr Duncan Babbage