When parents are inconsistent in punishing aggressive behaviors, or do not punish their children for behaving aggressively, children learn that the aggressive behavior will get them what they want. Parents must learn to reward and reinforce nonaggressive behaviors. Gerald Patterson and his colleagues at the Oregon Social Learning Lab have been leaders in developing this type of intervention. Parents in Patterson's program learn how to break their established cycle of reinforcing aggressive behavior. In this way, the child is not positively reinforced for his or her negative behavior.
Parents also learn to recognize and reinforce positive social behavior.
Unlike Patterson's program, this type of intervention requires participation only by the child. Children learn to recognize their anger by gaining an awareness of their body cues. They then learn to interrupt their anger by verbally reminding themselves not to get angry. Although children make progress through the above-mentioned interventions, reputational bias presents an additional obstacle. Peers view the behavior of popular children in a positive light and the behavior of unpopular children in a negative light.