Sensitivity to parenting in adolescents with callous/unemotional traits: Observational and experimental findings

Children and adolescents with callous-unemotional (CU) traits have been distinguished as a subset of individuals with disruptive behavioral disorders who may be less sensitive to parenting influence; we test this hypothesis using multiple methods and assessment paradigms. Two hundred seventy-one adolescents (mean age 12.6 years) from 3 samples at elevated risk for disruptive behavior disorders were studied. Symptoms of CU behavior were derived from standard questionnaire; assessments of behavioral adjustment were derived from clinical interview with parent, and parent-report, teacher-report, and self-report questionnaire. Parent–child relationship quality was based on observational assessments in which adolescent and parent behaviors were rated in 3 interaction tasks: (a) low conflict planning task; (b) problem-solving conflict task; (c) puzzle challenge task; parent interview and parent-report and child-report questionnaires of parenting were also assessed. Results indicated that the associations between parent–child relationship quality and behavioral adjustment were comparable in adolescents with and without CU traits. More notably, observational data indicated that adolescents with elevated CU traits showed comparatively greater within-individual variability in observed angry/irritable behavior across interaction tasks, suggesting greater sensitivity to and emotional dysregulation in challenging interpersonal contexts. The findings suggest that adolescents with CU are not less sensitive to parental influence and may in contrast show greater context-sensitive disturbances in emotional regulation. The results have implications for family-based assessment and treatment for adolescents with disruptive behavior disorders

Evaluation of a training programme for foster carers in an independent fostering agency

The aim of this study was to evaluate a parenting programme designed for foster carers from an independent fostering agency. The programme (Park’s Parenting Approach) adapted existing parenting programmes to be more specific to the needs of looked-after children. Sixty-one carers consented to take part in the evaluation of the training, and 55 (90%) completed the programme. The training was delivered over 9 weeks, once a week for 2 h, and pre- and post-course evaluations were carried out at the first and last sessions of the course. The evaluation included carers’ ratings of their fosterchild’s most challenging problems, parenting style, carer efficacy and a survey of carer satisfaction with training. Results showed a decrease in foster children’s problem behaviours and an increase in carer confidence. Carers expressed a high level of satisfaction with the programme, and 100% felt that they would be able to retain the information and skills they had acquired on the course. The implications of providing training within an independent foster care context are discussed