Effects of Child Skills Training in Preventing Antisocial Behavior: A Systematic Review of Randomized Evaluations

Friedrich Lösel and Andreas Beelmann
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Friedrich Lösel: Institute of Psychology and of the Social Science Research Center at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany
Andreas Beelmann: Institute of Psychology at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany

The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 2003, vol. 587, issue 1, 84-109

Abstract: This article reports a meta-analysis on social skills training as a measure for preventing antisocial behavior in children and youth. From 851 documents, 84 reports containing 135 comparisons between treated and untreated youngsters ( N = 16,723) fulfilled stepwise eligibility criteria (e.g., randomized control-group design, focus on prevention). Despite a wide range of positive and negative effect sizes, the majority confirmed the benefits of treatment. The best estimated mean effects were d = .38 (postintervention) and .28 (follow-up). Effects were smaller on antisocial behavior than on related social and cognitive measures. Studies with large samples produced lower effect sizes than those with smaller samples. Programs targeting at-risk groups had better effects than universal programs. Modes of treatment did not differ significantly; however, cognitive-behavioral programs had the strongest impact on antisocial behavior. More well-controlled studies with large samples, hard outcome criteria, and long follow-up periods are needed, particularly outside the United States.

Keywords: antisocial behavior; social skills training; evaluation; meta-analysis; childhood and adolescence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2003
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:anname:v:587:y:2003:i:1:p:84-109

DOI: 10.1177/0002716202250793

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