Research Results (2009-2010)

During this year, the project focused on reactive aggressors in the primary schools. There were three kinds of group interventions in this study: child group intervention, parent group intervention and parent-child conjoint group intervention. The results are shown below.

Child Group Intervention

Results of Student Questionnaires

Questionnaire	Valid Sample Size	Mean Difference	t-value
Reactive Aggression (RPQ: Reactive Aggression)	40	-2.48	-3.37**
Proactive Aggression (RPQ: Proactive Aggression)	40	-2.25	-2.68*
Trait Anger (STAXI: Trait Anger)	23	-2.46	-2.14*
Anger Expression (STAXI: Anger Expression)	23	-3.61	-2.03*

*p<0.05, **p<0.01

The results show a significant change in the reactive aggressors’ emotions and behaviours after the group intervention. There was a significant decrease in reactive aggression, proactive aggression, trait anger and anger expression. This suggests that the students displayed less aggressive behaviour as the way to solve problems, and they became less angry when challenged and provoked. These remarkable improvements in their behaviour indicate that the child group intervention was effective for reactive aggressors.

Parent Group Intervention

Questionnaire	Valid Sample Size	Mean Difference	t-value
Reactive Aggression (RPQ: Reactive Aggression)	38	-3.00	-3.84**
Proactive Aggression (RPQ: Proactive Aggression)	38	-3.29	-4.48**

**p<0.01

After the parent group intervention, the students’ reactive and proactive aggression decreased significantly. The results suggest that the students displayed less aggressive behaviour to solve problems and that the parent group intervention was effective for reactive aggressors.

Parent-child Conjoint Group Intervention

Questionnaire	Valid Sample Size	Mean Difference	t-value
Reactive Aggression (RPQ: Reactive Aggression)	37	-3.54	-4.59**
Proactive Aggression (RPQ: Proactive Aggression)	37	-1.97	-2.14*

*p<0.05, **p<0.01

After the parent-child conjoint group intervention, the students’ reactive aggression and proactive aggression decreased significantly. The results suggest that the students displayed less aggressive behaviour to solve problems and that the parent-child conjoint group intervention was effective for reactive aggressors.

The Effectiveness of Three Kinds of Group Intervention

In the above described research results, all three kinds of group interventions reduced the reactive aggression and proactive aggression of reactive aggressors.

Mixed ANOVA was applied to compare the effectiveness of the three kinds of interventions. As expected, the results showed no significant differences in effectiveness among them. Therefore, regardless of the intervention, aggression was always remarkably and effectively reduced. Social workers and other professional front-liners can use any of the group interventions to help high-risk schoolchildren, based on the similar effectiveness of their outcomes.