Reductions In Antisocial Behavior Research Articles

Amygdala Response to Fear in Boys With Conduct Problems Following Parent Training: Considering Heterogeneity

Conduct problems (CPs) in childhood, such as conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder, are among the most prevalent mental health disorders in childhood and a leading cause for referral to child and adolescent mental health services ( 1 Fairchild G. Hawes D.J. Frick P.J. Copeland W.E. Odgers C.L. Franke B. et al. Conduct disorder. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2019; 5: 43 Crossref PubMed Scopus (152) Google Scholar ). The 2019 Global Burden of Disease Study found that for the 0- to 14-year-old age category, CPs have now become the leading cause of burden among mental disorders, in terms of both disability-adjusted life years and years lived with disability ( 2 GBD 2019 Mental Disorders CollaboratorsGlobal, regional, and national burden of 12 mental disorders in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2019: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Lancet Psychiatry. 2022; 9: 137-150 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (502) Google Scholar ). Crucially, various prospective longitudinal studies have shown that the negative outcomes observed in youth persist into adulthood and cover a similar range of domains. Importantly, the worst outcomes in adulthood are experienced by those whose CP symptoms persist ( 1 Fairchild G. Hawes D.J. Frick P.J. Copeland W.E. Odgers C.L. Franke B. et al. Conduct disorder. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2019; 5: 43 Crossref PubMed Scopus (152) Google Scholar ). SEE CORRESPONDING ARTICLE ON PAGE 50 SEE CORRESPONDING ARTICLE ON PAGE 50 Selective Amygdala Hypoactivity to Fear in Boys With Persistent Conduct Problems After Parent TrainingBiological PsychiatryVol. 94Issue 1PreviewParenting interventions reduce antisocial behavior (ASB) in some children with conduct problems (CPs), but not others. Understanding the neural basis for this disparity is important because persistent ASB is associated with lifelong morbidity and places a huge burden on our health and criminal justice systems. One of the most highly replicated neural correlates of ASB is amygdala hypoactivity to another person’s fear. We aimed to assess whether amygdala hypoactivity to fear in children with CPs is remediated following reduction in ASB after successful treatment and/or if it is a marker for persistent ASB. Full-Text PDF Open Access

Selective Amygdala Hypoactivity to Fear in Boys With Persistent Conduct Problems After Parent Training

BackgroundParenting interventions reduce antisocial behavior (ASB) in some children with conduct problems (CPs), but not others. Understanding the neural basis for this disparity is important because persistent ASB is associated with lifelong morbidity and places a huge burden on our health and criminal justice systems. One of the most highly replicated neural correlates of ASB is amygdala hypoactivity to another person’s fear. We aimed to assess whether amygdala hypoactivity to fear in children with CPs is remediated following reduction in ASB after successful treatment and/or if it is a marker for persistent ASB. MethodsWe conducted a prospective, case-control study of boys with CPs and typically developing (TD) boys. Both groups (ages 5–10 years) completed 2 magnetic resonance imaging sessions (18 ± 5.8 weeks apart) with ASB assessed at each visit. Participants included boys with CPs following referral to a parenting intervention group and TD boys recruited from the same schools and geographical regions. Final functional magnetic resonance imaging data were available for 36 TD boys and 57 boys with CPs. Boys with CPs were divided into those whose ASB improved (n = 27) or persisted (n = 30) following the intervention. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data assessing fear reactivity were then analyzed using a longitudinal group (TD/improving CPs/persistent CPs) × time point (pre/post) design. ResultsAmygdala hypoactivity to fear was observed only in boys with CPs who had persistent ASB and was absent in those whose ASB improved following intervention. ConclusionsOur findings suggest that amygdala hypoactivity to fear is a marker for ASB that is resistant to change following a parenting intervention and a putative target for future treatments.

Does Stop and Search Reduce Crime? Evidence from Street-Level Data and a Surge in Operations Following a High-Profile Crime

Abstract This paper uses a surge in stop and search operations following a high-profile murder to look at their effect on recorded crime. Difference-in-difference estimates using detailed geocoded data at the street-level suggest a doubling to trebling of the number of searches in streets close to the place of the murder. IV estimates on the effects of stops and searches on crime suggest little effect on property crime, weapons offences and violent crime or drug offences. Some specifications find reductions in anti-social behaviour, suggesting that any effects on crime are due to an increased police presence on the streets.

Developmental Prevention Programs Intended to Change Peer Risk and Protective Factors: a Review of the Evaluation Literature

This paper seeks to increase knowledge of the nature and effectiveness of developmental peer prevention programs, defined as interventions that target change in peer risk and protective factors. Three bibliographic databases and the Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development website were searched to identify peer prevention programs. Evaluations of these programs were reviewed to determine if statistical tests were performed to measure change in targeted factors and/or whether changes in targeted factors mediated reductions in antisocial behaviors. The search identified 33 peer prevention programs, 27 that had evidence of effectiveness in reducing substance use and/or delinquency and 6 that appeared to be ineffective. Peer prevention programs included a diverse set of interventions for children and/or caregivers and comprised individual, classroom, community, family, and multi-component interventions. Most (73%) of the programs had at least one evaluation that assessed change in at least one targeted peer risk or protective factor, but only six (18%) had evaluations that tested for mediation of targeted factors on outcomes. The findings suggest the utility of broadly defining peer prevention programs to better capture the full range of interventions that seek to reduce antisocial behaviors by changing peer risk and protective factors. Doing so has practical implications and can provide communities with more options for altering peer risk and protective factors. However, additional evaluation of peer prevention programs, including greater use of mediation analyses, is needed to better understand why and how these programs work and to identify implementation factors that may lead to iatrogenic effects.

Omega-3 supplementation, child antisocial behavior, and psychopathic personality: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, stratified, parallel group trial.

While some RCTs have observed efficacy for omega-3 supplementation in reducing antisocial behavior, the role of psychopathic personality and gender in moderating treatment outcome has not been examined. This study examines whether omega-3 supplementation reduces antisocial behavior, and whether any treatment effects are a function of gender and psychopathy. Three hundred and twenty-four schoolchildren with a mean age of 11.9years were randomized into 3 groups: omega-3 (N = 108), placebo (N = 110), and no-treatment controls (N = 106). Parent and child reports of child antisocial and aggressive behavior and psychopathic-like personality were collected at 0months (baseline), 6months (end of treatment), and 12months (6months post-treatment). A group × time × gender interaction (p = .016) indicated that only females in the omega-3 group showed a significant reduction in antisocial behavior 6months post-treatment compared to baseline (d = .35), whereas the females in the two control groups showed no change over time. A group x time x psychopathy interaction (p < .006) was also observed, with psychopathic personality levels moderating treatment outcome. Children in the omega-3 group with high (but not low) psychopathic-like personality showed significant improvements in child-reported antisocial behavior at the end of treatment (d = .19) Results suggest that omega-3 supplementation may be helpful in reducing childhood antisocial and aggressive behavior in females, and those with psychopathic-like personalities.

Evaluating the causal impact of individual alcohol licensing decisions on local health and crime using natural experiments with synthetic controls.

Background and AimsGiven the costs of alcohol to society, it is important to evaluate whether local alcohol licensing decisions can mitigate the effects of alcohol misuse. Robust natural experiment evaluations of the impact of individual licensing decisions could potentially inform and improve local decision‐making. We aimed to assess whether alcohol licensing decisions could be evaluated at small spatial scale by using a causal inference framework.DesignThree natural experiments.Setting and participantsThree English local areas of 1000–15 000 people each.Intervention and comparatorThe case study interventions were (i) the closure of a nightclub following reviews; (ii) closure of a restaurant/nightclub following reviews and (iii) implementation of new local licensing guidance (LLG). Trends in outcomes were compared with synthetic counterfactuals created using Bayesian structural time–series.MeasurementsTime–series data were obtained on emergency department admissions, ambulance call‐outs and alcohol‐related crime at the Lower or Middle Super Output geographical aggregation level.FindingsClosure of the nightclub led to temporary 4‐month reductions in antisocial behaviour (−18%; 95% credible interval − 37%, −4%), with no change in other outcomes. Closure of the restaurant/nightclub did not lead to measurable changes in outcomes. The new licensing guidance led to small reductions in drunk and disorderly behaviour (nine of a predicted 21 events averted), and the unplanned end of the LLG coincided with an increase in domestic violence of two incidents per month.ConclusionsThe impact of local alcohol policy, even at the level of individual premises, can be evaluated using a causal inference framework. Local government actions such as closure or restriction of alcohol venues and alcohol licensing may have a positive impact on health and crime in the immediate surrounding area.

Evaluating the impact of individual alcohol licensing decisions on local health and crime: a natural experiment with synthetic controls

BackgroundLocal authorities in England can influence the local alcohol environment by contributing to the licensing process and controlling the enforcement of existing licenses. However, a gap remains in the availability of quantitative evidence of effectiveness and impact of these local interventions, including a shortage of public health evidence around individual premises. Natural experiments offer the opportunity to evaluate these interventions where formal randomisation is not possible. We aimed to assess whether it is possible to quantitatively evaluate three natural experiments of alcohol licensing decisions at small spatial scale. MethodsThree situations presenting a natural experiment were identified in different English Local Authority areas by public health or licensing practitioners: (i) the closure of a nightclub in 2013, (ii) the closure of a restaurant-nightclub following reviews in 2016, and (iii) the implementation of new local licensing guidance (LLG) in 2013/14. We obtained monthly numbers of reported incidents of emergency department admissions for alcohol-related reasons, ambulance call-outs, and various crimes at lower/middle-super-output-area level (from 2010–14 for case i, 2015–17 for case ii, and 2008–14 for case iii). Bayesian structural timeseries were used to compare trends to their counterfactuals, approximated by synthetic controls based on time series of the same outcomes in other, comparable, areas. FindingsClosure of the nightclub was associated with temporary reductions in antisocial behaviour (–18%; 95% Bayesian Credible Interval [BCI] –37 to –4); equivalent to 60 averted incidents in 4 months. Closure of the restaurant-nightclub was not associated with measurable changes in outcomes. There was some evidence that the LLG introduction was associated with a reduction in drunk and disorderly behaviour (–42%, 95% BCI –109 to 23), but this reduction equated to less than one incident per month. The unplanned end of the LLG might have contributed to an increase in domestic violence (11%, 95% BCI –10 to 35), corresponding to two additional incidents per month. InterpretationIt is possible to evaluate the impact of local alcohol policies, even at the level of individual premises, using this methodology. We provide quantitative evidence that local government actions to influence the local alcohol environment can have a positive impact on health and crime in the area but could also have unintended consequences. FundingThis work was funded by the National Institute for Health Research School for Public Health Research (NIHR SPHR), a partnership between the Universities of Sheffield, Bristol, Cambridge, Exeter, and University College London); the London School for Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; the LiLaC collaboration between the Universities of Liverpool and Lancaster and Fuse; and the Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, a collaboration between Newcastle, Durham, Northumbria, Sunderland and Teesside Universities. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the National Health Service, the NIHR, or the UK Department of Health.

Impact of the Resilient Families intervention on adolescent antisocial behavior: 14-month follow-up within a randomized trial

Antisocial behaviors are common in adolescence. Family centred school-based interventions are attractive models for assisting adolescent populations. This study evaluated the impact of a universal family intervention implemented in Australian schools, on adolescent antisocial behavior. Year 7 students (57% female; M = 12.3 years, the first year of secondary school) in 12 randomly assigned schools, completed a survey in 2004 and were longitudinally followed in 2005 (n = 2042). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that exposure to the intervention did not significantly predict reductions in antisocial behavior across the whole-school population. However, significantly lower increases were evident for the sub-group of adolescents whose parents attended the parent-education activities. Given that 13% of intervention families attended the parent education events, future research should aim to increase parent attendance in school-based interventions.

Using three-group propensity score method to estimate effects of relationship status and quality on men's antisocial behavior

PurposeTo test the associations between cohabitation/marriage and men's antisocial behavior, and the moderating effect of relationship quality on these associations with a contemporary nationally representative sample. MethodsData was drawn from a nationally representative sample, including men who were married (n=1996) or cohabiting (n=1067) and who were single (n=2789). Three-group propensity score weighting was used to balance pre-existing characteristics and to test the effect of marriage and cohabitation on antisocial behavior at Wave 4. Internal moderator analysis was used to test the moderating effect of relationship quality. ResultsMarriage and cohabitation were associated with 48% and 26% reductions in antisocial behavior. Relationship quality conditioned the marriage and cohabitation effects. Men in higher quality marriages engaged in less antisocial behavior than men in lower quality marriages, but married men overall engaged in less antisocial behavior than single men. In contrast, only men in high quality cohabiting relationships committed less antisocial behavior than single men. ConclusionsThe effect of romantic relationship in reducing crime is contingent upon the type of union and the relationship quality. Research is needed to explore the mechanisms of the combined effect of relationship status and quality.

How Do Family-Focused Prevention Programs Work? A Review of Mediating Mechanisms Associated with Reductions in Youth Antisocial Behaviors.

The development and evaluation of family-focused preventive interventions has grown significantly in recent decades, but the degree to which these interventions produce anticipated improvements in the family environment, and the extent to which such changes are associated with reductions in youth antisocial behaviors (ASB), is unclear. This article seeks to answer these questions by reviewing evidence from tests of mediation conducted in evaluations of family-focused interventions. Interventions are drawn from family-focused interventions rated as Model Plus, Model, or Promising on the Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development Web site ( http://www.colorado.edu/cspv/blueprints/ ) based on evidence of their effectiveness in reducing child externalizing behaviors, substance use, and/or delinquency. Of the 19 such interventions listed on Blueprints, seven programs (37%) were evaluated using mediation analyses which met study criteria. Two-thirds (67%) of these analyses indicated significant improvements in the targeted family processes for intervention versus control group participants. Over half (62%) of all tests of mediation were statistically significant and indicated that improvements in the family environment were associated with reductions in ASB. The results support prior theoretical and empirical literature identifying the family as an important context for preventing ASB and promoting healthy youth development. The findings also provide information that can be used to refine current family-focused interventions in order to increase their efficiency and potency, and to develop new interventions in order to expand the number and types of families who can benefit from such services.

Reducing Therapist Contact in Parenting Programs: Evaluation of Internet-Based Treatments for Child Conduct Problems.

This study evaluated two Internet-based versions of Parent Management Training (PMT) and the effects of greatly reducing the contact required of a mental health professional on treatment of children referred for conduct problems. We were interested whether reduced contact with a therapist influenced treatment outcome, therapeutic alliance, parent adherence to treatment prescriptions, and parent reactions to and evaluations of the treatment procedures. Sixty children and their caregivers were assigned to receive either Full Contact PMT (with the amount of weekly contact similar to traditional PMT; approximately 50 minutes of direct therapist contact each week) or Reduced Contact PMT (with most information provided through recordings; approximately 10 minutes of therapist contact each week). Children in both groups showed significant and similar reductions in antisocial behaviors specifically, internalizing and externalizing symptoms more generally, and improvements in overall adaptive functioning. Therapeutic alliance also was similar across the two treatment groups. However, parents rated Full Contact treatment as more acceptable than the reduced version. Both treatments were similar in outcomes to in-person treatment as evaluated by a nonrandomized matched sample used as a benchmark in supplementary analyses. Overall, the findings indicate that therapist contact can be reduced while positive treatment outcomes are maintained but that interventions that reduce direct time with a therapist may be viewed less positively by clients.

‘Troubled Families’ Programme in England: ‘wicked problems’ and policy-based evidence

This article outlines and critiques a key area of contemporary social policy in England: the Troubled Families Programme, launched in 2011. This is a national programme which aims to ‘turn around’ the lives of the 120,000 most troubled families in England by 2015. Troubled families are characterised as those who ‘have’ problems and ‘cause’ problems to those around them. Troubled Families can be viewed as a ‘wicked problem’ in the sense that the issues surrounding these families tend to be reconceptualised regularly and re-solved differently, depending on changes in government. The article critically reviews the evidence base for the overall approach of the programme and the way the scale and nature of the issue is understood. It debates whether this is a case of evidence-based policy or policy-based evidence. Early indications are that behavioural change is likely to be achieved in some families (increased school attendance, reductions in anti-social behaviour and crime), but that addressing worklessness (a key focus of the programme) presents the biggest challenge. An even bigger challenge is helping families to find work that will move them out of poverty. The article draws on ongoing research in two contrasting local authorities implementing the programme.

Did Children's Perceptions of an after-school Social Learning Program Predict Change in their Behavior?

This research explored the influence of children's perceptions of a pro-social behavior after-school program on actual change in the children's behavioral outcomes over the program's duration. Children's perceptions of three program processes were collected as well as self-reported pro-social and anti-social behavior before and after the program. Statistical models showed that: Positive perceptions of the program facilitators’ dispositions significantly predicted reductions in anti-social behavior; and positive perceptions with the program activities significantly predicted gains in pro-social behavior. The children's perceptions of their peers’ behavior in the sessions were not found to a significant predictor of behavioral change. The two significant perceptual indicators predicted a small percentage of the change in the behavioral outcomes. However, as after-school social learning programs have a research history of problematic implementation children's perceptions should be considered in future program design, evaluation and monitoring.

The Offence Analogue and Offence Reduction Behaviour Rating Guide as a Supplement to Violence Risk Assessment in Incarcerated Offenders

The Offence Analogue and Offence Reduction Behaviour Rating Guide provides a structure for monitoring behaviors linked to a violent offenders’ criminogenic needs within the prison environment. It has the potential to assist reappraisals of dynamic risk factors, measure treatment progress, and enhance release decision making. The present study investigates the utility of this guide by (1) exploring whether Offence Analogue Behaviours (OABs) and Offence Reduction Behaviours (ORBs) manifest within the prison environment, and (2) investigating the relationship between these behaviors and violent recidivism. This study was conducted via a retrospective review of case files for 94 violent offenders imprisoned and then released into the community in Victoria, Australia. The results indicate that these risk-related behaviors can be identified, and some OABs and ORBs are associated with time to the commission of a violent offense post-release. Most of the significant predictors were pro-social behaviors (ORBs), demonstrating a negative relationship with violent recidivism. This illustrates the importance of attending to the development of pro-social behavior in addition to a reduction in antisocial behavior when assessing risk for future violence in incarcerated offenders. These results suggest the OAB and ORB rating guide may provide a useful framework for structuring observations of risk-related behaviors in custody.

Enhanced thinking skills and the association between executive function and antisocial behaviour in children and adult offenders: scope for intervention?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate whether the Enhanced Thinking Skills (ETS) programme, prepared for the Joint Prison Probation Service Accreditation Panel, might reduce antisocial behaviour if delivered to school‐aged children.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents two studies. In the first, adult offenders' executive function was measured before and after undertaking the ETS course, using a self report form. Change in behaviour following the course was assessed using behaviour checklists completed by prison staff. In the second study, schoolchildren's executive function was measured using a self report form and their behaviour was also assessed using a comparable behaviour checklist.FindingsThe results showed an association between antisocial behaviour and poor executive function in both offenders and schoolchildren. Offenders displayed less antisocial behaviour following the ETS course. Executive function and antisocial behaviour measured before the ETS course predicted reduction in antisocial behaviour following the course.Research limitations/implicationsThe studies do not establish a causal role for the ETS programme in reducing antisocial behaviour, and it was not possible to investigate the effect of the programme in schoolchildren. However, the results indicate that further research may be fruitful.Practical implicationsThe possibility that an adapted ETS programme might lead to a reduction in antisocial behaviour in schoolchildren should be investigated. Behavior checklists and measures of executive function should guide the selection of individuals joining the ETS programme.Originality/valueThe findings suggest that the ETS programme might be effective outside a criminal justice setting, as an early intervention with schoolchildren aimed at preventing later offending.

Maternal Empathy and Changes in Mothers’ Permissiveness as Predictors of Toddlers’ Early Social Competence with Peers: A Parenting Intervention Study

The goal of the current study was to examine how changes in parenting due to a parenting intervention designed to decrease permissive parenting affected the quality of children’s peer interactions. Forty-nine mothers of toddlers aged 2–3 years participated in a 12-week intervention in which half got hands-on training and practice using positive guidance in a toddler classroom setting, while the other half learned positive guidance solely via a seminar format. To observe children’s peer interactions, toddlers were divided into 8 groups of 5–7 children mixed across condition. Observers coded mothers’ empathy, permissiveness, and positive guidance parenting strategies. Children’s peer interactions were coded for antisocial behaviors, verbal aggression, physical aggression, prosocial behaviors, positive social bids, and empathy. Prior analysis of this intervention indicated that mothers in both conditions showed reductions in permissiveness over the course of the intervention. Results from the present study indicated that reductions in permissiveness predicted decreases in toddlers’ verbal aggression. Maternal empathy was a moderator such that mothers low in empathy who got hands-on training in positive guidance had children who demonstrated the greatest reductions in antisocial behaviors.

A multi-site randomized controlled trial of a cognitive skills programme for male mentally disordered offenders: social–cognitive outcomes

Cognitive skills programmes have been associated with improvements on psychometric measures and reductions in antisocial behaviour in mentally disordered offenders (MDOs). However, to date there have been no randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of such programmes with this population. In the first RCT of a cognitive skills programme with MDOs we aimed to determine if participation in the Reasoning and Rehabilitation (R&R) programme was associated with improvements in social-cognitive skills and thinking styles. A total of 84 men with a primary diagnosis of psychotic disorder and a history of violence were recruited from medium-secure forensic units and allocated to receive R&R (n=44) or treatment as usual (TAU; n=40). At baseline and post-treatment interviews, participants completed questionnaires to assess social problem-solving, criminal attitudes, anger experience, blame externalizing and perspective-taking. Researchers were not blind to group status. The R&R group demonstrated significant improvements on measures of social problem-solving relative to the TAU group, some of which were maintained at 12 months post-treatment. Only half of those allocated to receive R&R completed the full programme. In post-hoc analyses programme completers showed improvements in social problem-solving at the end of treatment and changes in criminal attitudes at 12 months post-treatment. Among male MDOs, R&R participation was associated with improvements in social-cognitive skills, some of which were maintained for up to 12 months post-treatment. Our finding that programme completers do better may reflect pre-treatment patient characteristics. This study establishes that multi-site RCTs can be conducted in medium-secure forensic units.

Educational expansion, economic growth and antisocial behaviour: evidence from England

This paper investigates the impact of the increase in post‐compulsory schooling and economic growth on conviction rates for antisocial behaviour in England. I hypothesise that both educational and employment opportunities should lead to greater reductions in antisocial behaviour when they are combined than when they exist in isolation. I test this hypothesis empirically using three unique sources of area‐level data over time in England. Results show that expansion of post‐compulsory education is important for reductions in antisocial behaviour regardless of the additional impact of economic growth. Additionally, economic growth itself is found not to be associated with reductions in antisocial behaviour. Two possible explanations for these results are the diploma disease and the negative consequences of inequality.

Effects of nutritional supplements on aggression, rule‐breaking, and psychopathology among young adult prisoners

In an earlier study, improvement of dietary status with food supplements led to a reduction in antisocial behavior among prisoners. Based on these earlier findings, a study of the effects of food supplements on aggression, rule-breaking, and psychopathology was conducted among young Dutch prisoners. Two hundred and twenty-one young adult prisoners (mean age=21.0, range 18-25 years) received nutritional supplements containing vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids or placebos, over a period of 1-3 months. As in the earlier (British) study, reported incidents were significantly reduced (P=.017, one-tailed) in the active condition (n=115), as compared with placebo (n=106). Other assessments, however, revealed no significant reductions in aggressiveness or psychiatric symptoms. As the incidents reported concerned aggressive and rule-breaking behavior as observed by the prison staff, the results are considered to be promising. However, as no significant improvements were found in a number of other (self-reported) outcome measures, the results should be interpreted with caution.

Errorless Acquiescence Training

Errorless acquiescence training (EAT) was developed as a graduated, success-focused, and short-term intervention for building social skills. The approach focuses on building the skill of acquiescence (i.e., teaching children to be flexible with the needs and will of peers). The authors predict that acquiescence would serve as a keystone, that is, a skill that when trained produces widespread improvements in child behavior, including reductions in antisocial behavior. The authors provide EAT to eight children referred to a clinical classroom for severe antisocial behavior. Consistent with errorless paradigms, key intervention components present at the initiation of intervention are systematically faded at a slow enough rate to ensure continued prosocial interactions throughout and following treatment. Children demonstrate substantial increases in acquiescent responding and other prosocial behavior as well as covariant reductions in antisocial behaviors. Acquiescence is discussed in terms of its potential as a keystone for prosocial responding in children with antisocial behavior.