Reducing Boys' Aggression: Learning to Fulfill Basic Needs Constructively

Abstract

In the past decade, youth violence has increased dramatically in the United States (Blumstein, 1995). This has led to a proliferation of interventions aimed at reducing aggression (Eron, Gentry, & Schlegel, 1994). Both basic research and interventions have focused on boys, who are more physically aggressive. The aim of the present study was to design, implement, and evaluate an intervention that focused on aggressive boys' basic needs, their interpersonal goals, and their ability to fulfill these in a constructive, nonaggressive manner.