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Clinical Handbook of Assessing and Treating Conduct Problems in Youth pp 117–138Cite as

The Incredible Years Program for Children from Infancy to Pre-adolescence: Prevention and Treatment of Behavior Problems

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Abstract

The incidence of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and Conduct Disorder (CD) in children is alarmingly high, with reported cases of early-onset conduct problems occurring in 4–6% of young children (Egger & Angold, 2006), and as high as 35% of young children in low-income families (Webster-Stratton & Hammond, 1998). Developmental theorists have suggested that “early starter” delinquents who first exhibit ODD symptoms in the preschool years have a twofold to threefold risk of becoming chronic juvenile offenders (Loeber et al., 1993; Patterson, Capaldi, & Bank, 1991) compared to typically developing children (Snyder, 2001). Children with early-onset CD also account for a disproportionate share of delinquent acts in adolescence and adulthood, including interpersonal violence, substance abuse, and property crimes. In fact, the primary developmental pathway for serious CDs in adolescence and adulthood appears to be established during the preschool period. Early onset conduct problems represent one of the most costly mental disorders to society because such a large proportion of antisocial children remain involved with mental health agencies or criminal justice systems throughout the course of their lives.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the NIMH Research Scientist Development Award MH00988, NIMH 5 R01 MH067192, and 5 R01 MH074497. Correspondence concerning this chapter should be addressed to Carolyn Webster-Stratton, University of Washington, School of Nursing, Parenting Clinic, 1141 8th Avenue West, Seattle, WA 98119. The senior author of this paper has disclosed a potential financial conflict of intererst because she disseminates these interventions and stands to gain from a ­favorable report. Because of this, she has voluntarily agreed to distance herself from certain critical research activities (i.e., recruiting, consenting, primary data handling, and analysis), and the University of Washington has ­approved these arrangements.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Washington, Seattle, USA

    Carolyn H. Webster-Stratton & M. Jamila Reid

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  1. Carolyn H. Webster-Stratton
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  2. M. Jamila Reid
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Royal North Shore Hospital, Health Psychology Unit, University of Technology Sydney, St. Leonards, Sydney, 2065, New South Wales, Australia

    Rachael C. Murrihy

  2. Royal North Shore Hospital, Health Psychology Unit, University of Technology Sydney, St. Leonards, Sydney, 2065, New South Wales, Australia

    Antony D. Kidman

  3. Child Study Center, Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, 24060, Virginia, USA

    Thomas H. Ollendick

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Webster-Stratton, C.H., Reid, M.J. (2011). The Incredible Years Program for Children from Infancy to Pre-adolescence: Prevention and Treatment of Behavior Problems. In: Murrihy, R., Kidman, A., Ollendick, T. (eds) Clinical Handbook of Assessing and Treating Conduct Problems in Youth. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-6297-3_5

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