Aggressive and antisocial young children
Subtitle: risk assessment and management utilizing the early assessment risk list for boys (Earl-20B)
By: by Leena K. Hrynkiw-Augimeri.
Published: 2005
Language: eng
Number of pages: 169
Subjects: Problem children.; Conduct disorders in children.; Aggressiveness in children.; Violence -- Forecasting.; Criminal behavior, Prediction of.; Violence -- Prevention.; Criminal behavior -- Prevention.
Description: The scientific literature indicates certain childhood indicators of risk are strongly linked to subsequent violence (e.g., Loeber, Farrington, & Petechuk). Although there is some degree of consensus that certain variables, alone and in combination, are predictive of future aggression and violence, almost nothing has been done in the way of harnessing this information in order to make it useful in a clinical and practical way (Rappaport & Thomas, 2004). A reliable and valid assessment device that could target risk amongst young children would constitute a major and much-needed advance in the field.The present study is divided into sections. First, there is a brief review of what is known about children with disruptive behaviour problems. Second, given the dearth of information available to assess antisocial conduct in children, the reader is introduced to risk assessment and prediction in the adult literature. Third, a review of the method by which the EARL-20B, Version 1, Consultation Edition (Augimeri, Webster, Koegl, & Levene, 1998) was constructed and subjected to preliminary testing is provided. Fourth, the study, the focus of this thesis, was undertaken based on reviews of 447 clinical files (68 girls and 379 boys all under 12 years of age referred to the Earlscourt Under 12 Outreach Project a program designed specifically for children in conflict with the law). Emphasis in this study was mainly on the boys. The files were coded by three independent raters utilizing the EARL-20B device. This enabled calculations of inter-rater reliability. It also allowed exploration of the factor structure of the EARL-20B. Three latent factors emerged accounting for 43% of the variance. With reliability assessed and with a parsimonious three-factor solution in hand, it was possible to proceed to the key question: What is the predictive validity of the EARL-20B? This was examined by obtaining a court order enabling collection of criminal conviction data maintained on the former ORP clients as they proceeded into adolescence and adulthood. The length of follow-up ranged from 6 months to 13 years. Simple chi-square tests showed that high total EARL-20B scores were statistically predictive of guilty findings. This basic finding was supplemented by more penetrating analyses which revealed that two of the three factors strongly related to antisocial outcomes. The fifth aspect of the thesis deals with what has occurred since the main study reached completion.
Notes: Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Toronto, 2005.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 138-158)