| Antisocial behavior is a major concern in society. When a child steals, bullies other children or does not accept authority, early intervention can prevent further development of this antisocial behavior. The current study examines the effect of a preventive intervention program for children who demonstrate antisocial behavior, as well as their parents. During two years, all the pupils from grades two through six of ten elementary schools are screened on a regular basis for antisocial behavior. Half of the children (and their parents) who are signaled as ?at risk for developing serious antisocial behavior? will receive the intervention. The other half of the signaled children will receive care as usual. Coincidence will decide whether a child is part of the experimental or control group. Pre- and posttest measurements will be carried out by means of the screeningsinstrument the ABSQ, a sociometric task, and well known Dutch tests TRF and SDQ for measuring social or deviant behavior. The results will demonstrate whether the antisocial behavior of the child has lessened and whether the child has become more socially competent towards peers as a result of the intervention. |
