EVALUATING MULTIPLE FAMILY GROUPS TO ADDRESS THE BEHAVIORAL DIFFICULTIES OF URBAN CHILDREN

This article describes the use and evaluation of multiple family group s within a minority, inner-city clinic sample of children and families . Multiple family groups are described in terms of their application t o this clinical population. This study used a single group pretest-pos ttest design to evaluate the effectiveness of an 8-week multiple famil y group meant to address the behavioral difficulties of 32 children. C hange between preassessment and postassessment was measured using the Conners Parent Rating Scale, which consists of sir subscales: anxiety, conduct, hyperactivity, impulsivity, learning and somatization. Stati stically significant improvements were observed an the conduct hyperac tivity, impulsivity, and learning studies over the intervention period . These results point to the need for further controlled studies of th e effectiveness of multiple family groups, particularly with inner-cit y children and families.