ABSTRACT

This chapter sketches some of the clinical implications of group therapy for a specific type of problem children, those with what can be called severe ego-disturbances. The clientele in this group consists of children with severe behavior disturbances along pre-delinquent lines. They are hyper aggressive, destructive, truanting, lying, highly impulsive. Children who function in the manner described can be said to have failed in the development of ego structure. Therapeutic recreational programming for disturbed children is thus built around the principle of suiting the activity to the need of the child. It is important to stress once again that this presentation has concerned itself with summarily sketching the relationship between group therapy and casework therapy in a special type of setting for disturbed children. With other types of settings the applications of both group therapy and casework therapy may differ from the impressions conveyed in the chapter.