Differential Responses of Children with Varying Degrees of Reactive and Proactive Aggression to Two Forms of Psychosocial Treatment

This study examined differential treatment effects for children with varying degrees of reactive and proactive aggression who received one of two types of psychosocial treatments that were specifically designed to address the unique characteristics associated with these two subtypes of aggression. Forty-seven affectively dysregulated children with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) participated in the study and were randomly but proportionately assigned to Collaborative Problem Solving (n = 28) or Parent Training (n = 19) treatment conditions. Results indicate a main effect for type of treatment, modest support for the moderating role of proactive aggression, and no support for reactive aggression as a moderator of treatment outcome. Implications for assessment and treatment of aggression are discussed.