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  1. Evidence for Program Improvement
  2. Externalizing Relational Interventions
  3. Prioritize Youth Presenting with Behavior Problems

Prioritize Youth Presenting with Behavior Problems

Prioritize Youth Presenting with Behavior Problems

Evidence

The 29 relational interventions that selected youth participants based on behavioral issues showed greater reductions in participants’ externalizing behavior than those that based selection on other issues such as academic problems, mental health symptoms, family conflict, or a combination of many risk factors.

Youth with the highest risk for externalizing behavior or those who are already exhibiting externalizing behavior problems often show greater improvement from relational interventions compared to their lower-risk peers. Youth who are referred primarily for behavior problems, as identified by teachers or parents, may have the greatest need for services and, thus, more room to improve on measures of aggressive or disruptive behavior than do youth referred for other kinds of challenges.

Relational interventions that focus on the specific risk and protective factors of youth presenting with behavior problems are aiming limited resources where they can be the most cost-effective. Understanding the specific risk profiles of youth can help program administrators have a better sense of what impacts to expect when serving youth with behavioral versus other difficulties. This may be helpful for planning or funding purposes, or may signal a need to consider programming with a different focus for different risk profiles.

Assess Feasibility

  • Program objectives..
    Review what your program is trying to achieve and consider whether a targeted focus on youth with behavior problems is appropriate.
  • Focal population..
    Programs that focused on youth experiencing problems such as disruptive or aggressive behavior were more effective. Do you have a reliable way to assess the needs, risks, and protective factors of your youth participants? Consider using a reliable assessment tool.
  • Program data..
    Review program data and consider the proportion of youth who present with behavior problems that receive relational program services. Is there room to increase this percentage?
  • Organizational readiness..
    Consider what would need to change for your program to start serving more youth who present with behavior problems. Is your organization ready to increase the population you serve? Serve youth with greater risk factors?

Take Action

Consider the following courses of action depending on the results of your feasibility assessment:

  • Build the capacity to focus your efforts on youth with behavior problems. For example:
    • Train staff on engaging youth experiencing behavioral problems from a strength-based, trauma-informed perspective.
    • Partner with other community programs that serve this population for opportunities to expand capacity.
  • Re-orient services to accommodate a variety of youth with other risk factors as well as those experiencing behavior problems. For example, reserve more intensive oneon- one formats just for this higher risk group within your larger participant population.
  • Develop plan to manage expectations. It may not be appropriate to change the focus of your program. In such cases, consider creating a plan to share information with funders or agency administrators about differences you might see in results for youth with different constellations of problems or levels of risk.