ABSTRACT
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most widely researched approaches for childhood psychological problems. CBT has been successfully applied to a wide variety of problems in childhood from phobias and generalized anxiety disorder, to depression, to impulsivity, and to antisocial behavior. In particular, the success of child-focused CBT has been greatest for children with internalizing disorders. Empirical support for CBT has also been accumulated for treatment of antisocial youth, but the data have not been as strong and other treatment approaches appear as, if not more, effective (e.g., parent management training, see, e.g., American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 1997; Brestan & Eyberg, 1998). Still, many clinical researchers continue to see a role for child-focused CBT in a broader treatment plan for antisocial youth. This review provides an overview of the evidence to date on child-focused individual and group CBT for antisocial behavior in childhood and adolescence. I begin by briefly discussing the theoretical framework of CBT and illustrating some of the general techniques used in the typical cognitive-behavioral approach. Then, in a review of the extant literature, I consider the evidence for several childfocused CBT approaches. Finally, I discuss the role that child-focused CBT can and should play in a treatment plan for antisocial children.
