The effect of a self-management training package on the transfer of aggression control procedures in the absence of supervision.

Four junior-high students with serious emotional disorders took part. Each had many office referrals for fighting or threats.

The team taught an 8-week package. It had three parts: aggression-replacement lessons, self-assessment, and self-reinforcement. Kids checked their own behavior and chose their own rewards.

An ABAB reversal design tested the package. Aggressive acts were counted when no adult was in the room.

Aggression dropped sharply during the training phases. When the package was removed, aggression rose again. When it returned, aggression fell once more.

The teens kept using the skills even when staff were not watching. Gains held in the hall and cafeteria.

Gureasko-Moore et al. (2006) later used the same self-management steps with high-schoolers who had ADHD. They saw better class-prep skills, showing the steps work for other teen groups and goals.

Friedling et al. (1979) found self-instruction alone failed with younger kids. The 1995 package succeeded because it added self-reinforcement and was used with older students. Age and the full package explain the different results.

Hawkes et al. (1974) showed that adding a simple posted chart stabilized self-management gains. The 1995 study built on that idea by giving teens clear ways to track and reward their own behavior.

You can teach teens to run their own behavior plan. Give them a way to score each class period, let them pick a reinforcer, and watch aggression stay low even when you step away. Start with one period a day, then fade your cues.