Prevention of early child disruptive behavior: A latent growth curve analysis

Parent training (PT) is one of the most efficacious methods to prevent and treat disruptive behavior problems in children (Serketich & Dumas, 1996).Unfortunately, the exact mechanisms are not thoroughly understood and maintenance of gains following PT has been found to be lacking. The current study investigated the trajectory of child disruptive behavior and dysfunctional parental disciplinary styles following PT, as well as how these trajectories vary by child gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic (SES) status. The results indicated that child disruptive behavior and dysfunctional parenting styles decreased over time. More specifically, child anger/aggression and dysfunctional parenting styles were found to decrease more rapidly for females, minorities, and high SES children. Implications for PT as prevention of child disruptive behavior are discussed.