STOP THINK DO: Treatment and prevention of social-behavioural problems

Abstract

This paper outlines a cognitive-behavioural-motivational social skills training program for children and adolescents in a clinic or school setting, with a treatment or preventive focus. The approach is didactic and experiential, reflected in its core skill and process – the STOP THINK DO method of social problem solving and relating, following the traffic light cue. The program is broad based to include essential social supports, namely parents, teachers and peers to encourage transfer and maintenance of social skills and pro-social attitudes. Essentially, STOP THINK DO is a behaviour management method for adults and social skills training method for children. A future direction involves the implementation of a curriculum based program as a primary prevention strategy through the formal promotion of social competence in Australian school children. This application represents the confluence of theory, research and practice in social development, plus the interface between developmental, systems and community psychology.