Evaluating cognitive-behavioral group counseling to improve elementary school students' self-esteem, self-control, and classroom behavior

The objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral gro up counseling provided to behaviorally disruptive elementary school childre n. Fifty-two referred children received protocol-based cognitive-behavioral group counseling provided by the first author, a school social worker. Stu dents were randomly assigned to receive either immediate (IT) group counsel ing or delayed treatment (DT). The two-groups were roughly equivalent on mo st demographic and outcome measures at the first assessment. Following grou p counseling, the IT groups' self-esteem, perceived self-control, teacher, and teacher aide grades of classroom comportment significantly improved, wh ile similar measures of the DT children did not appreciably change. The DT children then received the same group program the IT group was exposed to t hree months earlier, and when group counseling was completed (third assessm ent) the IT groups' gains had been maintained, and the DT group gained impr ovements similar to those obtained by the IT group. In conclusion, cognitiv e-behavioral group work can be an effective intervention with behaviorally disruptive elementary school students. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons , Ltd.