Group Storytelling Intervention Based on Social Information Processing (SIP) Model to Reduce Reactive and Proactive Aggression in Young Schoolchildren

Description

The proposed study will be a pioneering effort to reduce reactive and proactive aggression inyoung children through a storytelling programme based on the Social Information Processing (SIP)model. Two subtypes of aggressive behaviour are found to be developed at a very early stage.Reactive aggression and proactive aggression have been observed in children as young as 4.4 and6.8, respectively (Dodge, Lochman, Harnish, Bates, & Pettit, 1997), yet these young children havenever previously been targeted in studies with a treatment or intervention design. If youngaggressors miss the opportunity to receive treatment at an early developmental stage, their reactiveand/or proactive aggression may escalate into severe, persistent and violent antisocial behaviourlater in life (Dodge et al., 1997). Unlike PI’s previous projects (e.g. Fung 2012a; Fung, Gerstein,Chan & Hutchison, 2013), which have been conducted with elder schoolchildren (Primary (P.) 4to Form 3), the proposed research will target children in lower forms at primary school (P. 1 to P.4). It will document and investigate an early intervention designed to combat bullying anddelinquency at school and ultimately to reduce violence and crime in society.According to the SIP model, the encoding and interpretation of social cues (steps 1 and 2 ofsocial information processing) are distorted in reactive aggressors, whereas proactive aggressorsexperience difficulties in identifying and evaluating responses to social information (steps 3 and4) (Dodge & Crick, 1990). Reactive aggressors tend to exhibit a hostile attributional bias, anxiety,attention problems, impulsivity, rapid anger arousal and social-skill deficits (Dodge & Coie, 1987;Vitaro, Brendgen, & Tremblay, 2002). Proactive aggressors are characterised by a goal orientation,callous-unemotional traits, narcissism, delinquency, conduct disorder and anti-social personalitytraits (Dodge & Coie, 1987; Vitaro et al., 2002).By centring on corresponding steps in SIP model, programme sessions are expected topromote behavioural changes when cognitive distortions are corrected. Stories being used willmainly cover (1) understanding the relationship between context, facial expression and feelings;(2) the impact of hostile attributional bias; (3) emotional regulation and anger management; (4)aggressing for social dominance; (5) negative consequences brought to self and others byaggression; (6) acceptance, empathic capability and forgiveness; and (7) proper social skills.Follow-up activities involving role playing and behavioural assignment will be delivered tointegrate take-home message with the participants’ daily practice. Detailed session plans will bewritten to enhance the standardization of programme.Storytelling readily engages young children. It helps children to expand their vocabulary forand understanding of their own and others’ feelings and thoughts. Children are encouraged toidentify with and imitate the prosocial behaviour displayed by the main characters in stories (Cook,Taylor, & Silverman, 2004; Symons, Peterson, Slaughter, Roche, & Doyle, 2005). Throughstorytelling and follow-up activities such as role playing, the proposed programme is expected toenhance the responsiveness to cues, empathy, competence and prosocial skills of childrenexhibiting reactive and proactive aggression. The specific aims are as follows:1. To access the proposed programme’s effectiveness in reducing reactive and proactiveaggression.2. To access the proposed programme’s effectiveness in enhancing empathy and socialcompetence and reducing impulsivity.Hypotheses will be tested in a placebo-controlled, single-blind randomized trial involving 6to 10 year-old children in Hong Kong. 300 schoolchildren will be randomly assigned into (1)storytelling group, (2) placebo group, (3) no-contact controls. Behavioral and psychosocialmeasures will be assessed at baseline, end of intervention, and 6 months post-treatment.