The effect of timeout duration on frequency of aggression in hospitalized children with conduct disorders

Abstract

Timeout has been shown to be an effective procedure in the treatment of aggressive behaviors. Previous research, however, has not provided evidence to support the use of a particular timeout duration in the treatment of aggressive behavior. This study compared the effectiveness of four different timeout durations (1, 5, 10, and 20 min) in the treatment of aggressive behavior in hospitalized children with conduct disorders. Results did not support the use of extended periods of timeout, but suggested that 5 min duration was as or more effective than the other tested durations.Timeout is a widely utilized and widely researched technique in the treatment of a variety of problematic behaviors. Brantner and Doherty (1983), in a comprehensive review, discuss the wide range of problematic behaviors which have been treated through the use of timeout. Their discussion gives examples of the use of timeout in a variety of settings, with extremely diverse populations. Timeout has been used in school settings (Ahern,

Parental Use of Time Out Revisited: A Useful or Harmful Parenting Strategy?

“…There is no evidence that longer periods of time out are any more effective than shorter periods (Benjamin et al 1983;Freeman et al 1976;Hobbs et al 1978;McGuffin 1991;Pendergrass 1971), and short periods of time out are generally recommended. There is no specific research providing recommendations relation to the time out stimulus or the schedule.…”

Consultant's guide for the use of time-out in the preschool and elementary classroom

“…If a shorter duration is as effective as a longer duration, ethics and the policy of least restrictive interventions mandate the use of a shorter time-out (McGuffin, 1991). In addition, shorter time-outs allow the child a faster return to the environment which provides them with an increased opportunity to engage in appropriate behavior and receive reinforcement.…”

Internet Guidance on Time Out

“…Four-minute TOs have been shown to be more effective than TOs that were 1 minute or less in nonclinical 4- to 6-year-old children,[16] and 5- and 10-minute TOs were more effective than 1-minute TOs with hospitalized 4 to 12 year olds. [38] TOs of 5, 10, and 15 minutes have been shown to reduce inappropriate behavior to similar levels,[18,38] although it is usually recommended that moderate length TOs be used to allow the child more reinforcement opportunities for appropriate behavior in the natural environment[38] and to minimize the stress the parent may experience. Some Parent Management Training programs suggest that a child spend 1 to 2 minutes in TO per year of their age 7 despite a lack of consistent evidence that longer TOs are required as children age.…”

“…Some Parent Management Training programs suggest that a child spend 1 to 2 minutes in TO per year of their age 7 despite a lack of consistent evidence that longer TOs are required as children age. [18,38]…”