An examination of empirically informed practice within case reports of play therapy with aggressive and oppositional children.

Abstract

Play therapists often work with children described as oppositional and aggressive. Numerous models of play therapy have been put forth for working with children in this population; however, the current state of empirical literature examining play therapy does not allow for conclusions about which approach is most appropriate in which circumstances. Therefore, play therapy practices should be informed by empirical research in other fields that contribute to an understanding of factors that have been linked to the development and maintenance of behavior problems in children. The authors of the present study examined case examples of play therapy with aggressive or oppositional children given in play therapy literature in order to describe the therapeutic approaches utilized and the extent to which these approaches are consistent with empirical research. Descriptions of play therapy approaches within the case examples were found to be widely varied, both in the case conceptualizations and interventions as well as the extent to which clinical work appeared to be informed by relevant empirical research.

Child‐Centered Play Therapy: Aggression, Empathy, and Self‐Regulation

“…Aggression is understood as a typical and natural human response to various emotional states experienced throughout the life span and beginning in early infancy (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], ; Connor, ; Dodge, Coie, & Lynam, ; Foulkrod & Davenport, ). Research has shown that infants as early as 3 months old can recognize facial responses of anger or aggression in their caregivers (Connor, ; Dodge et al, ).…”

“…The elementary school years tend to bring relief to parents and caregivers as acts of physical and verbal aggression in children decrease significantly between the ages of 6 and 10 (Dodge et al, ; Foulkrod & Davenport, ; Hay, Payne, & Chadwick, ). Children's increasing abilities to self‐regulate their feelings and emotions appear to precede the notable decline in their aggressive behaviors (Dodge et al, ; Keenan & Shaw, ).…”

“…Longitudinal studies indicate that children demonstrating early‐onset and persistent aggression are at an increased risk for negative outcomes, including behavioral problems, academic underachievement, poor interpersonal functioning, trouble forming and maintaining relationships, and negative mental health (Connor, ). Thus, researchers emphasize the importance of early intervention for children demonstrating nonnormative patterns of aggressive behaviors to alleviate prolonged negative consequences (Coie & Dodge, ; Comer, Chow, Chan, Cooper‐Vince, & Wilson, ; Davenport & Bourgeois, ; Foulkrod & Davenport, ; Frick & White, ).…”

“…Despite the demonstrated effectiveness of CCPT with children exhibiting a range of behavioral and emotional concerns, CCPT is not currently considered an evidence‐based practice for working with aggressive children (Bratton et al, ; Bratton, Ray, Rhine, & Jones, ). Researchers have identified a need for increased empirical support within the field of play therapy specific to children exhibiting aggressive behaviors (Foulkrod & Davenport, ).…”

“…Aggressive behaviors in young children currently serve as the leading cause of counselor referrals in the United States (Bratton et al, ). Without early intervention, children exhibiting aggressive behaviors are at an increased risk for highly externalized and problematic behaviors across the life span (Foulkrod & Davenport, ; Frick & White, ; Gathright & Tyler, ). In addition, such problematic behaviors have been shown to contribute to ongoing social, emotional, and academic concerns that affect children's academic and personal success (Bratton et al, ; Cochran, Cochran, Fuss, & Nordling, ; Ray, Blanco, Sullivan, & Holliman, ).…”