Parent Management Training to Decrease Disruptive Behavior in

Children

Zurratul Muna, Wiwik Sulistyaningsih and Liza Marini

Department of Psychology, University of North Sumatra

Keywords: Disruptive Behavior, Parent Management Training

Abstract: Disruptive behaviors that persist until middle childhood will develop into a worse behavior. One of the causes

of disruptive child sedentary behavior is the overly punishment style of maternal discipline and inconsistent

consequences. Therefore the mother needs a treatment to improve mother's ability in dealing with children

with disruptive behavior. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of parent magement training (PMT)

to decrease disruptive behavior on children. PMT is the training for mothers in dealing with disruptive

behavior children by consistently apply the behavior modification and discipline style. The PMT consists of

instruction, reinforcement technique, modeling, role play, feedback and evaluation. Disruptive behaviour of

each sample was measured by using CBCL scale. This research was designed to use subject pretest-postest

control group. The subject of the research were 10 mothers who have children aged 6-11 years old with

disruptive behaviour. The result of analysis data showed that mother, who was given PMT has been able to

reduce the disruptive behaviour on the children. The implication of this research is mothers who take part in

PMT can improve their ability to handle children with disruptive behavior..

1 INTRODUCTION

Children are different from adults. While children

tend to have an egocentric mindset, adults are able to

think more empathically and socially. Therefore,

throughout the development of children, disruptive

behavior often appears in children (Muro, 2011).

Many studies show that as many as 23% of toddlers

have disruptive behavior, and this behavior usually

peaks when a child is 2 years old (O'Brien, 1996).

Matthys and Lochman (2010) mention that disruptive

behavior in children usually does not last long. As

they grow up, disruptive behaviors such as refusing

orders, tantrums, and aggressiveness will decrease. In

fact, there are many cases showing a significant

increase in disruptive behavior in children, both in the

school and family environment. Similarly, The

Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI)

notes an increase in crime rates committed by

children throughout 2015 (Setyawan, 2014). The data

in Aceh itself also shows an increase in the number of

crimes committed by children throughout 2015

reaching 1,326 cases. One of the phenomenal cases in

Aceh is NF case, an eleven years old child, which is

a student of the Madrasah Ibtidayah Negeri (MIN),

Keunaloi, District of Seulimum, Aceh Besar. NF

passed away after being violated by four of her

classmates (Yunis, 2015).

Disruptive behavior is the behavior of children

refusing caregivers. It can be in either passive or

active form. The passive form is shown by ignoring

the commands of the parents while the active form is

shown by rejecting the parents’ commands with anger

or commonly called deviant (Matthys&Lochman,

2010). Disruptive behavior also includes behavior

that hurts others such as hitting other children, using

harsh words, and calling the name of another child

with certain unpleasant names (Parke &Slaby, 1983).

Normal disruptive behavior at a certain age can

continue to develop at a later stage.The development

of such behavior indicates the abnormality and needs

to be attended and treated by the experts

(Matthys&Lochman, 2010). Untreated disruptive

behavior will continue to occur persistently. Thus, it

indicates abnormal behavior and needs attention from

experts who can handle it (Ettinger, 2008). The

treatment needs to be undertaken in cases of

disruptive behavior as early as possible by providing

immediate treatment when disruptive behavior is

detected in preschool or elementary school stage

(Kazdin, 2005).

Muna, Z., Sulistyaningsih, W. and Marini, L.

Parent Management Training to Decrease Disruptive Behavior in Children.

DOI: 10.5220/0009438701310136

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Psychology (ICPsy 2019), pages 131-136

ISBN: 978-989-758-448-0

131

The development of disruptive behavior is caused

by a number of factors: biological or genetic,

environment, and family factors. In terms of

biological factor, Kazdin (1995) states that

aggressiveness and anti-social behavior are usually

passed down from the previous generation of

children’s parents. Furthermore it is said that the

temperament of children plays asignificant role in the

development of disruptive behavior.

(Tschann.Kaiser, Chesney, Alkon, & Boyce, 1996).

For environmental factor, there are many factors

that might influence the development of disruptive

behavior such as financial issue, parents’ death, and

social isolation (Schroeder & Gordon, 2002). A harsh

environment such as cruel treatment and child abuse

are also factors which can form and develop

disruptive behavior (Lier, Sar, Muthen, &Crijnen,

2004).

In the case of family factor, parents play an

important role in the development of disruptive

behavior such as depression experienced by parents

(Querido, Eyeberg&Calzada, 2004). Kazdin (2005)

asserts that the developments of disruptive behavior

resulting in a risk of worse behavior in children are

caused by the interactions between parents and

children and ineffective parental discipline. The

impulsiveness and explosiveness in disruptive

children require deeper direction from parents at

home. Children with disruptive behavior who receive

directions inconsistently are unable to control

behavior that is appropriate for their age. Children

also have a risk of developing worse behaviors

(Scahill, Sukhodolsky, Bearss, Findley, Hamrin,

Carrol, & Rains, 2006).

Here are some forms of intervention to overcome

disruptive behavior with different focus of goals:

children, parents and the environment (Schroeder and

Gordon, 2002). For children, the intervention can be

in the form of social skills training and cognitive

skills training. This training is based on the

assumption that disruptive behavior is the result of

learning wrong behavior or the child has not mastered

the social skills needed to interact with others. The

training shows good results in improving children's

social skills, but there is no clinically significant

evidence that the training can change disruptive

behavior if carried out without involving other

treatments (Taylor, Eddy &Biglan, 1999).

Interventions involving parental involvement are

Parent Management Training (PMT). It is an

intervention carried out for parents based on the

assumption that disruptive behavior in children is

related to parental behavior towards children,

negative interactions between parents and children, as

well as inconsistent and inappropriate parenting

processes (Bijou, 1984; Patterson, 1998).

PMT is a training program developed by Kazdin

entailing the interventions in which parents are taught

social learning techniques to change the behavior of

their children (Kazdin, 2005). The principles of

operant conditioning and modeling are implemented

in everyday life (Kazdin, 2005).

Kazdin (2005) added operant conditioning is a

type of learning that emphasizes on control. It is

believed that consequences of the environment give

rise to a behavior; the consequences have a major

influence on behavior that occurs in the future. There

are four principles of operant conditioning. The first

one is reinforcement which is a presentation of

consequences after the behavior appears so that the

likelihood or probability of the behavior increases.

The second one is punishment. It is the presentation

of an unpleasant event after the behavior appears so

that the probability or probability of the behavior

decreases. The third one is extinction, which does not

strengthen the behavior after the behavior appears so

that the likelihood or probability of the previous

behavior decreases. The final principle is stimulus

controls and presence discrimination, reinforcing a

behavior that arises with one stimulus, but not another

behavior. This procedure increases the likelihood or

probability of increasing expected behavior and

eliminating other behaviors.

Kazdin (2005) revealed that PMT training

programs are effective for dealing with behavioral

problems in pre-school age, middle child to

adolescent age. The idea that PMT can reduce

disruptive behavior and increase adherent behavior in

children is based on the results of the previous study

(Josephson in Scahill, Sukhodolsky, Bearss, Findley,

Hamrin, Carroll, &Rains, 2006). Research shows that

PMT is one of the most extensively studied

treatments to reduce child behavior problems through

increased involvement with children, parental

attention and praise for alternative behaviors that

arise, improved parent-child communication, shorter

instructions, and providing reinforcement when the

desired behaviors are achieved (Enabrink, Hogstrom,

Forster, &Ghaderi, 2012). Likewise, the study of

Kling, Forster, Sundell, &Melin (2010) tested the

effectiveness of PMT for parents of children with

problem behavior aged 3 to 10 years also shows that

PMT reduced problem behavior in children compared

to the group that was not given treatment.

Based on the phenomenon, the preliminary study,

and the literature, one way to reduce the level of

disruptive behavior is to improve parental

management through Parent Management Training

ICPsy 2019 - International Conference on Psychology

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(PMT). This research focuses on training to improve

management of parents aimed at increasing the ability

of parents to discipline and control the children and

react to children's disruptive behavior. With the

growth of management capabilities in parents, it is

expected that the child's disruptive behavior will

decrease. Therefore, it needs to be investigated to

determine the effectiveness of PMT in reducing

children’s disruptive behavior.

2 LITERATURE REVIEW

Disruptive behavior or behavior shown externally is

a behavior problem directed at another person or the

outside world (Achenbach & Edelbrock, 1981).

Achenbach (1981) mentions that there are two criteria

of disruptive behavior: (a) Delinquent behavior by

breaking rules such as running away, playing with

fire, stealing, not going to school (ditching), using

alcohol and illegal drugs, and committing vandalism;

and (b) Aggressive behavior such as fighting,

destructive behavior, insubordination, showing off,

rebelling, threatening others, and being a bully in

school.

Parent Management Training (PMT) is a

treatment procedure where parents are trained to

change their children's behavior at home. Procedures

are based on the principles of social learning used to

develop positive behavior, prosocial behavior and

reduce deviant behavior (Kazdin, 2005).Kazdin

(2005) notes that effective discipline in PMT is

characterized by three skills, namely: (a) tracking and

classifying problematic behaviors; (b) ignoring trivial

coercive events in which parents do not pay attention

on children's behaviors which are considered

disturbing; and (c) using an effective consequence.

The basic assumption of management training is

training as an intervention used to change parental

behavior and train parents to change the behavior of

children based on operant conditioning theory.

Kazdin (2005) states that there are 4 principles in

operant conditioning: (a) Reinforcement, which is a

consequence that is given immediately after the

behavior appears. The consequences given will cause

the behavior to repeat; (b) Punishment, which is a

consequence that is given immediately after the

behavior appears. The consequences that are given

will cause the behavior to decrease; (c) Extinction is

tonullify the consequences that are usually given

immediately after the behavior appears, causing the

behavior to decrease; and (d) Stimulus control and

discrimination in order to provide reinforce if the

expected behavior appears, but not to other behaviors.

This procedure increases the expected behavior and

reduces or eliminates the behavior that is not expected

to reappear.

3 RESEARCH METHOD

This research was conducted using a quantitative

research approach. The research method used was an

experimental study using a between-subjects design

with a pretest posttest control group design. It is a

study involving a control group and an experimental

group in which the experimental one is treated while

the control one is not treated then the results of the

two groups are compared (Myers & Hansen, 2006).

The selection of research subjects was carried out

by screening the mother of the child (subject) who

was recommended by the school principal and the

school counselor as many as 65 people from 2

different schools in Langsa. After being given a child

behavior checklist (CBCL) made by Achenbach (in

Mash & Wolfe, 2005; Schroeder & Gordon, 2002),

30 mothers who met the criteria of having children-

boys and girls- with moderate and high disruptive

behavior were marked with a T score of 60 to 100. Of

the 30 mothers, there were 13 mothers who met the

criteria of the research subjects: mothers having

children with disruptive behavior that are in the

moderate to high category marked by T scores of 60

to 100, mothers having a maximum of high school

education, having a maximum of 2 children, and

mothers with a maximum age of 40 years. However,

of 13 mothers, there were only 10 people who are

willing participate in the research.

Questionnaires developed by Thomas Achenbach

consisting of 33 items, subject worksheets, and

observations were used to collect data for this study.

4 RESULT

In this study, measurements were carried out twice;

before the treatment of parent management training

was carried out (pretest) and after the parent

management training was carried out (posttest).

Based on the Wilcoxon test analysis of pretest scores,

the posttest scores in the experimental group obtained

Z scores = -2.023 and scores p = 0.043 so that p <0.05.

Based on the analysis of the Wilcoxon test, it is

known that there is a significant difference between

the pretest and posttest in the experimental group

after Parent Management Training (PMT). This

means that after the PMT was conducted, the

Parent Management Training to Decrease Disruptive Behavior in Children

133

experimental group experienced a decrease in

disruptive behavior in their children.

Table 1: Wilcoxon Test of Pretest and Posttest for

Experimental Group

Test Statistics

The results of the Wilcoxon test analysis of pretest

scores and posttest scores in the control group

obtained a score of Z = -0.447 and a score of p = 0.655

so that p> 0.05. Based on the Wilcoxon test analysis,

it is known that there is no significant difference

between the pretest and posttest in the control group

after the implementation of PMT. This means that

children in the control group continue showing

disruptive behavior.

Table 2: Wilcoxon Test of Pretest and Posttest for Control

Group

Test Statistics

-0.447

Asymp. Sig. (2-tailed)

0.655

The results of the Mann-Whitney test posttest

score in the experimental and control groups obtained

a score of Z = -2,694 and a score of p = 0,000 so that

p <0.05. Based on the Mann-Whitney test analysis, it

is known that there is a difference between the

posttest in the experimental group and the posttest in

the control group. This means that there is a decrease

in disruptive behavior in the experimental group after

PMT while the control group does not experience a

decrease in the disruptive behavior of their children.

Table 3: Mann-Whitney Test of Posttest for Experimental

and Control Group

5 DISCUSSION

There are several matters that can explain the results

of this study. First, the intervention in the form of

parent management training is given to the mother.

The central life of children at the age of middle

childhood is within family environment. Mother

spends the most time with children, thus, she is the

primary caregiver of children carrying out an

important role in children’s growth, development,

and formation of discipline (Huston &Ripke, 2006).

Parent management training helps mothers develop

their ability to handle children when they behave

positively or negatively. Parent management training

is based on the general view that problematic

behavior is inadvertently developed and maintained

at home by maladaptive parent-child interactions.

There are several parent-child interactions that

triggerthe existence and persistence of aggressiveness

ordisruptive behavior. These patterns directly

reinforce negative behaviors such as using commands

to children frequently and ineffectively, harsh

punishments, and failing to provide the right

consequences for appropriate behavior (Patterson,

1996). When parents behave inconsistently and

unpredictably, it shows that parentsdo not pay

attention to children. On the other hand, when

children show some disruptive behavior (whining,

throwing things), parents respond. This condition has

an impact on children to maintain the disruptive

behavior, but it might increase the punishment that

parents give to their children.

Mothers usually focus only on negative behaviors

by giving negative consequences to such behaviors.

Meanwhile, positive behaviors that rarely appear are

ignored. This condition might cause negative

behavior to increase while positive behavior might

decrease. Through parent management training

interventions, mothers are taught to focus on the

positive behavior of children and use negative

consequences on the negative behaviors of children

that arise so that the positive behavior of children

continues to increase. Therefore, by participating in

the intervention of parent management training,

which is based on the principles of operant

conditioning learning theory, the consequences given

by mothers on the behavior shown by children will

become more precise and consistent. This can be seen

in the implementation of parent management training

at home to children. Mothers can provide appropriate

positive consequences for children when positive

behavior appears, thereby increasing positive

behavior to reappear.

Second, the subjects involved in this study are

those less than 41 years old and those having a

minimum level of high school education so that the

level of understanding, motivation and active

participationduring PMT contribute to the success of

the training and ease the participants to

implementwhat they have learned to their children at

home. This is in line with the opinion of Kling,

Z -2.023

Asymp. Sig. (2-tailed) 0.043

Test Statistics

Mann-Whitney U

0.000

Wilcoxon

15.000

-2.694

Asymp. Sig. (2-tailed)

0.008

ICPsy 2019 - International Conference on Psychology

134

Forster, Sundell, &Melin (2010) mentioning that each

individual has different character from one

anothersuch as educational background, age,

motivation and active participation in training. These

indicators will help the parent management training

participants in achieving the success of training.

Third, the parent management training process

runs smoothly according to the established

procedures. The training is carried out by

practitioners who are experienced and competent in

conducting parent management training so that it

results in the effectiveness ofits running process. In

addition, the research subjects were cooperative,

willing to take the parent management training to

completion, were present on time at each intervention

session and enthusiastic about the intervention

process so that the intervention could proceed

accordingly. This is in accordance with the opinion of

Kazdin (2005) believing that in order to master

techniques and develop parents’ strategies in dealing

with disruptive behavior of children, the participants

should participate in each training process without

missing a single meeting. This is because every

meeting in the training has a closely related

continuity. So, if the participants leave one meeting,

it will be difficult to understand the material at the

next meeting.

Qualitatively, this study reveals several results.

First, there is a positive change in the subject of

research after the intervention of parent management

training. This can be seen from the decreasing

frequency of negative behaviors although they do not

disappear yet. These conditions go hand in hand with

the increasing frequency of positive behavior

compared to the time before the mother was given an

intervention. Of the four techniques taught, almost all

techniques are carried out by the subject in dealing

with children's behavior at home. The decrease in the

frequency of the emergence of negative children's

behavior and behavior changes towards the positive

direction is more significant in younger children.

This is in line with the opinion of Kazdin (1997)

mentioning that parent management training

interventions are more effectively applied to younger

children than older children or teenagers. This is

because parents are easier to implement discipline in

younger children. Older children and adolescents

spend more time outside the home than at home so

that the role of parents becomes more minimal and

the role of peers becomes more dominant. This

condition makes behavior changes in older children

or teenagers need to involve not only parents but also

peers.

These results indicate that the goal of parent

management training that has been previously

established in order to reduce the disruptive behavior

of children through the techniques taught in parent

management training has been achieved. In addition,

parent management training has also provided

effective changes in children so that children's

behavior becomes more positive.

6 CONCLUSIONS

Based on the results of research on PMT to reduce

children’s disruptive behavior, it can be concluded

that PMT can reduce disruptive behavior of children.

However, there are some limitations in this study. The

observation on techniques that mothers implement to

children is still limited as the observation was only

done for 3 days before and 3 days after the

intervention was given. Besides, no followup

observations were made after the study was

completed so it is unknown whether the

implementation of the parent management training

technique is still carried out appropriately.

Furthermore, the intervention is only given to

mothers. In fact, disruptive behavior does not only

appear at home but also at school. In order to reduce

children’s disruptive behavior at school, it needs the

support from the school environment, in this case, the

teacher. The technique used to create the cooperation

between the homeroom teacher and the mother was

giving a paper containing a certain number of tokens

on the behavior of children at school. This way was

not effective in reducing the disruptive behavior of

children at school due to the homeroom teachers’

inconsistency in giving the paper to be delivered to

the mothers. Therefore, the intervention of parent

management training needs to be carried out by the

teacher in the classroom setting so that the process of

assessing and the consequences can be directly given

to the child.

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