Consortium for Psychoanalytic Research, Inc.

THE PROGRAM

Aggression is often the underlying issue in clinical work. Knowing how individuals learn to express and manage aggression in the course of development is basic to facilitating adaptation and emotional growth in therapy. Henri Parens’ 37-year longitudinal study of the interaction of children and parents over childhood aggression shows how parental evaluation and management of a child’s aggression influences the way that individual expresses aggression later in life. Parens will present the theoretical concepts and research findings that form the basis of Parenting for Emotional Growth, an educational series to help parents develop appropriate skills to manage their children’s aggression. Participants will have an opportunity to complete an actual module of the Workshops on Aggression. They will evaluate the educational effect of the module by comparing their pre and post workshop attitudes. Parens will also present the findings of the long-term followup study. Discussants will consider the applications of these concepts and research findings to clinical practice for both adult and child patients, and for community-wide preventive mental health interventions.

This is our first child-focused program. Participants will explore the value of a well informed theory of early development in forming researchable questions, the answers to which make useful contributions to the psychotherapy not only of children but also of adults.

Program Objectives

At the conclusion of this presentation participants will be able to: (1) Identify the effects on the adult personality of different parenting styles to manage early childhood aggression; (2)develop individual treatment plans – for adults and children –that promote recognition and management of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ aggression in childhood, and (3) participate in community programs that educate parents on techniques to cope with maladaptive childhood aggression in ways that promote emotional growth.