Group Procedures for Decreasing Problem Behavior Displayed by Detained Adolescents.

Researchers tested a group plan with detained teens. The plan gave attention on a fixed schedule plus short rules with rewards.

They ran the test during daily line-ups and moves. Kids earned group rewards for following rules and keeping problem acts low.

Problem behavior dropped. The teens also walked lines faster and quieter.

When staff cut the attention schedule to half-time, good behavior held. The simple package kept working even on a leaner plan.

Cissne et al. (2026) later flipped the contingency target. They rewarded staff, not youth, via a Kudos board. Resident problem behavior still fell, showing the setting can improve from either angle.

Macdonald et al. (1973) let youths judge peers in a 1970s token house. Both studies use group systems, but the new one adds fixed-time attention before any rule is broken, a gentler start.

Joslyn et al. (2024) used hidden, independent group rewards in a classroom. Both papers slip attention or rewards without waiting for trouble, a shared non-contingent core that keeps kids calm.

You can copy the package Monday. Give brief attention every 30 s during transitions, post two clear rules, and let the group earn a quick reward for meeting them. No extra staff, no tokens, just a timer and praise. Try it at dorm lines, cafeteria queues, or school halls with any tough teen group.