First do no harm: Adverse effects of grouping deviant youth for skills training

Recent research has suggested potential harmful effects of group-based skill training for children and adolescents with externalizing problems. This article reviews four types of evidence from published literature that supports the conclusion that grouping deviant youth for treatment may produce unintended, harmful effects. The evidence includes literature on the role of deviant peers in the socialization of aggressive youth, studies reporting adverse treatment effects for grouped interventions, studies comparing treatment outcomes that differed in the extent to which participants were grouped with deviant peers, and studies that highlight variables that mediate negative treatment outcomes. Finally, the article recommends a research agenda designed to help clinicians provide the highest level of care for children and adolescents with behavior problems. (C) 1999 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.