Histories of Developmental Task Attainment in Aggressive Children ...

Histories of Developmental Task Attainment in Aggressive Children and Their Relationship to Behavior in Middle Childhood Based on the work of Natasha K. Bowen UNC-Chapel Hill Presentation developed by Zach Addison, MSW student

UNC SSW, Research to Teaching Copyright 2005, Natasha Bowen

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Overview This presentation is drawn from a study of the heterogeneity of developmental task attainment histories of children with aggression in middle childhood UNC SSW, Research to Teaching Copyright 2005, Natasha Bowen

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Developmental Theory

Development theorists conceive of developmental changes as Systematic Successive Adaptive (Ollendick & Vasey, 1999)

Some argue changes are age-graded Different views of pathways

Some believe children with negative outcomes share a common developmental task progression Sroufe (1997) presents variety of pathways to same outcome UNC SSW, Research to Teaching Copyright 2005, Natasha Bowen

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Clinical Samples

Large clinical samples are necessary to observe diversity of developmental experiences of children with emotional and behavioral disorders

Contrast with community and at-risk samples


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Developmental Models

Models of normal development include Erickson’s psychosocial model Developmental psychopathology Attachment theory (for early tasks)


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Developmental Tasks

Two year-olds

Develop autonomy and explore environment in context of secure caregiver relationship

Two-six years

Increased awareness of ability to act on environment Self-regulation developed through Encounters with external regulators Natural consequences Internalization of rules and limits (Forehand & Wierson, 1993)

Middle-childhood (six-puberty) achieve industry when they can succeed socially and academically outside the home (e.g. Erickson, 1959) UNC SSW, Research to Teaching Copyright 2005, Natasha Bowen

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Developmental Tasks and Psychopathology

Stage theories associate negative consequences with difficulty negotiating tasks (Erickson, 1959; Forehand & Wierson, 1993; Main, 1996)

Failure to develop secure attachment in first two years associated with later conduct problems (Greenberg, Speltz, & DeKlyen, 1993; van Ijzendoorn et al., 1999) Non-compliance Coercive interaction style Inadequate behavioral regulation (Forehand & Wierson, 1993)


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Current Study

554 children in middle childhood (6-12 years of age) with serious emotional disturbance (SED) and aggression Explore:

Heterogeneity of developmental task attainment The relationship of specific task difficulties and patterns of task difficulties across stages to problem behavior in middle childhood

Assaultive/threatening behavior chosen as outcome variable because aggressive behavior was an eligibility criterion for the program from which the sample was drawn UNC SSW, Research to Teaching Copyright 2005, Natasha Bowen

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Research Questions

How much variation exists in task accomplishment for children with SED and aggression? Examined

Is task attainment in infancy, early, and middle childhood associated with assaultive threatening behavior for children with SED and aggression? Explored if problem behavior in middle childhood could be predicted by

Six specific tasks Eight patterns of task attainment Three developmental stages

Individual tasks Sets of tasks from same stage Patterns of task attainment

Do subsequent task difficulties mediate the effects of earlier task difficulties? UNC SSW, Research to Teaching Copyright 2005, Natasha Bowen

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Hypotheses

Diverse developmental histories will be found among children with eligibility criteria of the sample Longer histories of developmental difficulties would be associated with worse middle childhood behavior Exploratory examination of mediation effect


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Sample

High risk, clinical population of children in NC Under 18 State-certified as severely or chronically aggressive Had neurological or psychiatric disorder Placed in public custody or excluded from access to needed treatment or educational services (Vance, Bowen, Fernandez, & Thompson, 2002) Eligibility determined by state panel of licensed mental health professionals Certified between April 1995 and December 2000 Enrolled in Willie M. Program

Statewide program provided through NC Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services UNC SSW, Research to Teaching Copyright 2005, Natasha Bowen

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Missing Data

554/728 in the population included

72 missing certification date info 102 missing data on analyzed variables

Excluded population did not differ from sample on race, sex, age, or mean score of dependent variable Case managers who did not complete assessment tool within 90 days after certification may have been more likely to provide incomplete data


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Services

All received case management Most received combination of other services

Tailored to profiles of

Risk Protection Experience

Services include

Psychotherapy Paraprofessional services (e.g. mentoring) Educational services Out-of-home placements Psychopharmacological treatments UNC SSW, Research to Teaching Copyright 2005, Natasha Bowen

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Measures

Willie M. Program used Assessment and Outcomes Instrument (AOI) to Measure progress and outcomes of individual children Evaluate effectiveness of local and statewide programs Guide treatment planning with systematic information (Willie M. Services Program Evaluation Branch, 1998)

Baseline assessment and subsequent annual assessments


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Assessment and Outcomes Instrument (AOI)

Developmental Risk Assessment (DRA)

82 categorical items of risk and protective factors during infancy, early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence

Revised child version of Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (Overall & Pfefferbaum, 1982) Child interview form (CI) Functional Domain Assessment (FDA)

59 categorical and ordinal questions on child’s behavior and functioning, social skills, and social relationships from perspectives of

Parent Teacher Treatment team


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Items Used

Three DRA independent variables used as indicators of difficulty with three infancy and preschool stage tasks Three ordinal FDA items used as indicators of difficulty with three middle childhood developmental tasks Two FDA questions used to assess assaultive/threatening behavior in middle childhood UNC SSW, Research to Teaching Copyright 2005, Natasha Bowen

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Control Variables

Age at first AOI assessment “Time to assessment”

Time between certification of eligibility to date on AOI assessment

Gender Cultural group


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Data Analysis Methods

A person oriented approach to Identify patterns of developmental task experiences Group children according to these patterns

Configural Frequency Analysis (CFA) Variables approaches included Frequencies Hierarchical regression analyses ANCOVA with least significant difference (LSD) pairwise comparisons


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Sample Characteristics

Average age 10.54 85% boys 59.2% white 40.8% African American or other

88% of this subgroup African American

Average time to assessment 64.24 days Average frequency of assaultive behavior between “about once a month” and “about once a week.” UNC SSW, Research to Teaching Copyright 2005, Natasha Bowen

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Research Question #1

Substantial variation in developmental task attainment observed % with difficulty in task attainment increased with each developmental stage Pathways to middle childhood SED and aggression

Task difficulties in early and middle childhood most common (43.1%) Task difficulties in middle childhood only 2nd most common (24.4%) Task difficulties in all three stages 3rd most common (20.2%) Remaining 12.3% of sample followed four different pathways UNC SSW, Research to Teaching Copyright 2005, Natasha Bowen

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Difficulty with Six Developmental Tasks Had Difficulty Developmental Task Developmental Stage Establish bond w/caregiver

Infancy

% 27.3

Develop independence

Early childhood

31.9

177

Behavioral self-regulation Early childhood

54.2

300

Academic performance

Middle childhood

71.7

397

Relationships w/ peers

Middle childhood

59.2

328

Relationships w/ teachers Middle childhood

73.8

409


n 151

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Eight Patterns of Task Difficulty % 2.2 0.0 3.1 24.4 1.4

n 12 0 17 135 8

5.6

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Early and middle childhood

43.1

239

All three stages

20.2

112

Pattern of difficulty No task difficulties Difficulty in infancy only Early childhood only Middle childhood only Infancy and early childhood Infancy and middle childhood


Hierarchical regression analyses used to examine attainment of specific tasks on frequency of assaultive/threatening behaviors in three months prior to AOI assessment 3.9% of variance explained by control variables Poor caregiver bonding in infancy associated with higher frequency of assaultive/threatening behavior in middle childhood

Association remains with inclusion of control variables UNC SSW, Research to Teaching Copyright 2005, Natasha Bowen

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Research Question #2 cont.

Poor behavioral regulation in early childhood associated with middle childhood outcome Difficulty demonstrating independence not associated with middle childhood outcome No specific tasks of middle childhood significantly associated with outcome Most favorable mean on assaultive/threatening behavior (about once a month) found in children with no difficulties Least favorable mean (about once a week) found in children with difficulties at all three stages UNC SSW, Research to Teaching Copyright 2005, Natasha Bowen

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Mediation seen when a coefficient is significant in an earlier step, but not a later one (Gogineni, Alsup, & Gillespie, 1995) Task attainment in early and middle childhood does not substantially mediate effect of poor bonding in infancy on middle childhood behavior Task attainment in middle childhood did not mediate effects of poor behavior regulation in early childhood on middle childhood behavior Task attainment in middle childhood did not mediate effects of earlier task attainment on middle childhood behavior UNC SSW, Research to Teaching Copyright 2005, Natasha Bowen

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Diversity of Developmental Experience

7/8 potential pathways represented No single pathway followed by majority of sample Many children in need of services for SED and aggression may have had no difficulty negotiating tasks until middle childhood 2/3 most common pathways to SED and aggression in middle childhood began with task difficulties in earlier stages Two low-frequency pathways involved discontinuity

Difficulty in early childhood but not middle Difficulty in infancy and middle childhood but not early

Pathway with task difficulties beginning in infancy (pattern 8) most consistent with life course persistent model (Moffitt, 1993) UNC SSW, Research to Teaching Copyright 2005, Natasha Bowen

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Association of Tasks and Behavior

Difficulties with the three tasks of middle childhood did not significantly

Explain assaultive/threatening behavior Add to amount of variance explained

Two developmental tasks associated with frequency of assaultive/threatening behaviors in middle childhood beyond effect of control variables

Poor bonding in infancy Poor behavioral regulation in early childhood UNC SSW, Research to Teaching Copyright 2005, Natasha Bowen

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Mediation

No support for mediation of effect of earlier task difficulties on functioning by later task difficulties Findings imply that early task difficulties have direct effect on later functioning in middle childhood

Specific intervention may be required years after initial occurrence of task difficulties UNC SSW, Research to Teaching Copyright 2005, Natasha Bowen

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Limitations of Study

Clinical samples not necessarily generalizable to other populations Limited selection of developmental tasks Modest % of variance


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Implications

Different types of intervention may be required for aggressive children who Experience poor bonding with caregiver in infancy Do not demonstrate independence or behavioral regulation in early childhood Experience difficulties with academic demands or peer or teacher relationships in middle childhood


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Implications cont.

Children experiencing poor parent bonding in infancy may require interventions targeting internal working models of social relationships (Toth, Maughan, Manly, Spagnola, & Cicchetti, 2002) Children with problem behavior in middle childhood who do not have histories of earlier task difficulties may need interventions targeting their current social environmental factors Importance of early intervention and prevention supported by study UNC SSW, Research to Teaching Copyright 2005, Natasha Bowen

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Future Research

Future studies should examine Effects of social and behavioral developmental tasks on other outcomes Effects of different sets of developmental tasks on outcome in a variety of domains Relationship of developmental histories to responsiveness to interventions

Longitudinal experimental studies of specific interventions will yield most pertinent practice implications UNC SSW, Research to Teaching Copyright 2005, Natasha Bowen

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References

Bergman, L. R., & El-Khouri, B. M. (2002). SLEIPNER (Version 2.1) [computer software]. Stockholm, Sweden: Authors. Bergman, L. R., Magnusson, D., & El-Khouri, B. M. (2003). Studying individual development in an interindividual context: A personoriented approach (Vol. 4). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Bowen, N.K. (2005). Histories of developmental task attainment in aggressive children and their relationship to behavior in middle childhood. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 13(2), 113124. Bowen, N. K. (1999). Protective factors and functioning in high risk adolescents. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Bowen, N. K., & Flora, D. B. (2003). When is it appropriate to focus on protection in interventions for adolescents? The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 72, 526–538. UNC SSW, Research to Teaching Copyright 2005, Natasha Bowen

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References cont.

Campbell, S. B. (2002). Behavior problems in preschool children (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press. Costello, E. J., & Angold,A. (1996). Developmental psychopathology. In R. B. Cairns, G. H. Elder, Jr., & E. J. Costello (Eds.), Developmental science (pp. 168–189). Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press. Erikson, E. (1959). Childhood and society (2nd ed.). New York: Norton. Forehand, R., & Long, N. (1991). Prevention of aggression and other behavior problems in the early adolescent years. In D. J. Pepler & K. H. Rubin (Eds.), The development and treatment of childhood aggression (pp. 317–330). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. UNC SSW, Research to Teaching Copyright 2005, Natasha Bowen

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References cont.

Forehand, R., & Wierson, M. (1993). The role of developmental factors in planning behavioral interventions for children: Disruptive behavior as an example. Behavior Therapy, 24, 117–141. Gogineni,A.,Alsup, R., & Gillespie,D. F. (1995). Mediation and moderation in social work research. Social Work Research, 19, 57–63. Greenberg, M. T., Speltz, M. L., & DeKlyen, M. (1993). The role of attachment in the early development of disruptive behavior problems. Development and Psychopathology, 5, 191–213. Holmbeck, G. N., Greenley, R. N., & Franks, E. A. (2004). Developmental issues in evidence-based practice. In P. M. Barrett & T. H. Ollendick (Eds.), Handbook of interventions that work with children and adolescents: Prevention and treatment (pp. 27–48). Chichester, West Sussex, England: John Wiley. Loeber, R. (1990). Development and risk factors of juvenile antisocial behavior and delinquency. Clinical Psychology Review, 10, 1–41. UNC SSW, Research to Teaching Copyright 2005, Natasha Bowen

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References cont.

Loeber, R., & Farrington, D. P. (2000). Young children who commit crime: Epidemiology, developmental origins, risk factors, early interventions, and policy implications. Development and Psychopathology, 12, 737–762. Main,M. (1996). Introduction to the special section on attachment and psychopathology: 2. Overview of the field of attachment. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64, 237–243. Moffitt, T. E. (1993). Adolescence-limited and life-course-persistent antisocial behavior: A developmental taxonomy. Psychological Review, 100, 674–701. Ollendick, T. H., & Vasey, M. W. (1999). Developmental theory and the practice of clinical child psychology. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 28, 457–466. UNC SSW, Research to Teaching Copyright 2005, Natasha Bowen

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References cont.

Overall, J. E., & Pfefferbaum, B. (1982). The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale for Children. Psychopharmacology Bulletin, 18, 10–16. Patterson, G. R., & Capaldi, D. M., & Bank, L. (1991). An early start model for predicting delinquency. In D. J. Pepler & K. H. Rubin (Eds.), The development and treatment of childhood aggression (pp. 139– 168). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Shirk, S., Talmi, A., & Olds, D. (2000). A developmental psychopathology perspective on child and adolescent treatment policy. Development and Psychopathology, 12, 835–855. SPSS. (2002). SPSS for Windows (Version 11.5.0) [computer software]. Chicago: Author. Sroufe, L. A. (1997). Psychopathology as an outcome of development. Development and Psychopathology, 9, 251–268. UNC SSW, Research to Teaching Copyright 2005, Natasha Bowen

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References cont.

Sroufe, L. A., Egeland, B., & Kreutzer, T. (1990). The fate of early experience following developmental change:Longitudinal approaches to individual adaptation in childhood. Child Development, 61, 1363–1373. Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (1996). Using multivariate statistics (3rd ed.). New York: Harper Collins. Thompson, S., & Kaval, P. (1998). AOI inter-rater reliability study. Raleigh, NC: Willie M. Program Evaluation Branch, NC Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services. Toth, S. L., Maughan, A., Manly, J. T., Spagnola, M., & Cicchetti, D. (2002). The relative efficacy of two interventions in altering maltreated preschool children’s representational models: Implications for attachment theory. Development and Psychopathology, 14, 877-908. UNC SSW, Research to Teaching Copyright 2005, Natasha Bowen

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References cont.

Vance, J. E., Bowen, N. K., Fernandez, G., & Thompson, S. (2002). Risk and protective factors as predictors of behavioral outcomes in adolescents with disorders of aggression. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 41, 36–43. Vance, J. E., Fernandez, G., & Biber,M. (1998). Educational progress in a population of youth with aggression and emotional disturbance: The role of risk and protective factors. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 6, 214–221. Willie M. Program. (1996). Willie M. Assessment and Outcomes Instrument. Raleigh, NC:Willie M. Program Evaluation Branch. Willie M. Program Evaluation Branch. (1998). Willie M. Services Assessment and Outcomes Instrument: Interviewer's manual for case managers and clinicians. Raleigh, NC: Author.


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