Risk of Injury to Others: The Development of an Algorithm to Identify Children and Youth at High-Risk of Aggressive Behaviours

Youth violence is considered one of the most preventable causes of morbidity and premature mortality. Various risk factors have previously been identified, however, there is presently a crucial need to develop effective decision-support tools in order to identify children and youth at increased risk for violence. The current study utilised data collected from the interRAI Child and Youth Mental Health Screener (ChYMH-S), within the province of Ontario, to develop and validate a methodology for the purpose of identifying young persons who were at greater risk of harm to others. Additional data from 59 mental health agencies validated the algorithm, and it was found to be a strong predictor of harmful behaviour toward others. The RIO algorithm provides a valuable decision-support tool with strong psychometric properties that may be used to identify young persons who exhibit signs or symptoms associated with increased likelihood of harm toward others, in order to provide early intervention efforts for these vulnerable youth, thereby reducing the likelihood of future aggressive behaviours.

Linking Emotional Intelligence, Physical Activity and Aggression among Undergraduates

Several indicators are strongly related to health and well-being in university students, such as emotional intelligence and physical activity. At the same time, some qualities threaten it and are incompatible with students’ adaptation to society in general, such as aggressive behaviours. The aim of this research is to analyse the relationship established between emotional intelligence using TMMS-24, physical activity, using IPAQ, and aggression behaviours in university students. For this purpose, a descriptive, cross-sectional and non-experimental study was developed with 932 undergraduates (M = 20.55; SD = 3.673). The findings highlight how emotional intelligence and physical activity practice decrease violent behaviour in university students. In addition, men tend to have more aggressive behaviours than women as well as the relation between physical activity and emotional intelligence is stronger in all its dimensions. Results highlight the importance of including emotional intelligence programs in order to enable undergraduate well-being.

Implementing the Rating Scale for Aggressive Behaviours in the Elderly: Can it Make a Difference to Nursing Management of Aggressive Behaviours in Elderly Patients with Dementia?

<p><b>Aggressive behaviour is the most common clinical and nursing management problem for patients with dementia. Many elderly patients with dementia show sexual, physical, and verbal aggressive behaviours that complicate their management and make day-to-day nursing care difficult. These behaviours include yelling, hitting, swearing and verbal abuse. Despite this there is no consistent use of rating scales for assessing aggressive behaviour in this population. Nurses in the inpatient setting are often the main target for this aggression and without a rating scale the assessment of the behaviour is open to interpretation of the individual. While aggressive behaviours can be the most difficult behaviours for nursing staff to manage, these behaviours can also disrupt the milieu on inpatient psychogeriatric settings and frequently distress other patients, visiting families/whanau and friends.</b></p> <p>The Rating Scale for Aggressive Behaviours in the Elderly (RAGE) is a twenty-one item rating scale, designed specifically to measure aggressive behaviours in the elderly in the psychogeriatric inpatient setting. The purpose of the scale is to qualify the aggressive behaviour, note any changes in the behaviour, and record intervention and/or treatments. This study combines both qualitative and quantitative methods with exploratory and descriptive designs to explore nurses’ experiences of using a consistent tool for monitoring, measuring and managing aggressive behaviours.</p> <p>Data gathered over a three month period of implementing RAGE will provide a ‘snapshot’ of the prevalence, extent and type of aggressive behaviours within the inpatient setting, providing evidence to nurses in developing strategies for the management of aggression. Focus group interviews were used to enable nurses to discuss their experiences of utilising a clinically validated tool in their practice and how this made a difference to their practice.</p> <p>Findings from this research indicate that nurses within the setting found that RAGE is a consistent tool with which nurses can record, measure and monitor aggressive behaviours. Responses from nurses’ experiences of utilising RAGE in their practice were varied, with some being unable to articulate how RAGE had made a difference to their practice. Despite this there was an overwhelming positive response for the continued use of RAGE within the setting as a clinically validated tool by which to measure, record and manage aggressive behaviours.</p>

Implementing the Rating Scale for Aggressive Behaviours in the Elderly: Can it Make a Difference to Nursing Management of Aggressive Behaviours in Elderly Patients with Dementia?

<p><b>Aggressive behaviour is the most common clinical and nursing management problem for patients with dementia. Many elderly patients with dementia show sexual, physical, and verbal aggressive behaviours that complicate their management and make day-to-day nursing care difficult. These behaviours include yelling, hitting, swearing and verbal abuse. Despite this there is no consistent use of rating scales for assessing aggressive behaviour in this population. Nurses in the inpatient setting are often the main target for this aggression and without a rating scale the assessment of the behaviour is open to interpretation of the individual. While aggressive behaviours can be the most difficult behaviours for nursing staff to manage, these behaviours can also disrupt the milieu on inpatient psychogeriatric settings and frequently distress other patients, visiting families/whanau and friends.</b></p> <p>The Rating Scale for Aggressive Behaviours in the Elderly (RAGE) is a twenty-one item rating scale, designed specifically to measure aggressive behaviours in the elderly in the psychogeriatric inpatient setting. The purpose of the scale is to qualify the aggressive behaviour, note any changes in the behaviour, and record intervention and/or treatments. This study combines both qualitative and quantitative methods with exploratory and descriptive designs to explore nurses’ experiences of using a consistent tool for monitoring, measuring and managing aggressive behaviours.</p> <p>Data gathered over a three month period of implementing RAGE will provide a ‘snapshot’ of the prevalence, extent and type of aggressive behaviours within the inpatient setting, providing evidence to nurses in developing strategies for the management of aggression. Focus group interviews were used to enable nurses to discuss their experiences of utilising a clinically validated tool in their practice and how this made a difference to their practice.</p> <p>Findings from this research indicate that nurses within the setting found that RAGE is a consistent tool with which nurses can record, measure and monitor aggressive behaviours. Responses from nurses’ experiences of utilising RAGE in their practice were varied, with some being unable to articulate how RAGE had made a difference to their practice. Despite this there was an overwhelming positive response for the continued use of RAGE within the setting as a clinically validated tool by which to measure, record and manage aggressive behaviours.</p>

Problems of children who need special education and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic process

The COVID-19 pandemic process has been significant in all areas of our country, just like other countries of world. The changes in lifestyle that occurred with the pandemic process affected both children with special needs and their families. The aim of this research is to examine the effects of the pandemic on children with special needs and their families. The phenomenology model, one of the qualitative methods, was used as the research method in the study. The data obtained through the semi-structured interview form consisting of five questions developed by the researcher was analysed. The participants of the study comprised 29 parents, and data were obtained through telephone and online interview with 21 women and 8 men. As a result of the data, five main themes and related sub-themes were formed. Within the scope of the findings obtained in this study, the parents who constitute the participants of the study have observed an increase in the anxiety levels and aggressive behaviours of their children with special needs during the pandemic process, coupled with other findings as well. Keywords: COVID-19, pandemic process, children with special needs, families

The Use of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) To Reduce Impulsivity and Aggression in Adults With Intellectual Developmental Disabilities: The tDCS-RIADD Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol

Background Challenging behaviours, in particular aggressive behaviours, are prevalent among people with intellectual developmental disabilities. Predictors of challenging behaviours are numerous, including past history of aggression, poor coping skills and impulsivity. Factors like motor or Rapid Response Impulsivity (RRI), have neurobiological underpinnings that may be amenable to change via neuromodulation using non-invasive brain stimulation techniques like transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS). Methods This study aims to determine the efficacy of anodal tDCS in reducing RRI and incidents of aggression in people with intellectual developmental disabilities (IDD) in residential or hospital settings. Using a single blind, randomized, sham-controlled trial design, adults with IDD, with a history of impulsivity leading to aggression, will be randomised to receive either repetitive anodal or sham tDCS applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Outcome measures assessing impulsivity and aggression, will be collected for up to one month following the last tDCS session. Discussion The results of this study may pave the way for developing targeted interventions for impulsivity and aggressive behaviours in people with IDD.

Embitterment – Conception of a Potential Moderator to Dysfunctional and Aggressive Behaviour in Children and Adolescents

Embitterment is an emotion which is known to everybody in reaction to injustice, humiliation, and breach of trust. Children and adolescents have an understanding of justice/injustice and fairness, violations of injustice, humiliation, and breach of trust are also stressors at a young age. In this conceptual paper it is argued that embitterment is also seen in children and adolescents, and that parents, educators and therapists should recognize this emotion. This could possibly help to early identify children at risk for severe dysfunctional and aggressive behaviours, when preventive interventions are still possible. The article concludes with concepts on how to diagnose and treat children with embitterment.

Receiving visits in prison and aggressive and contraband misconduct among Dutch prisoners

Although scholars have emphasised the implications of social support for in-prison behaviour, and prison administrators worldwide use visitation as a correctional tool to manage prisoner behaviour, a few empirical studies have provided an articulate account of the visitation–misconduct relationship. This study expands research in this field by (a) addressing various features of visits, such as whether, from whom and how often prisoners receive visits and (b) examining two specific types of misconduct: aggressive and contraband. Using a combination of survey and administrative data from 3885 Dutch prisoners, multilevel analyses were conducted. Receiving visits in prison is associated with the higher probabilities of contraband misconduct, especially when partner or friends visit. Receiving visits is, however, not significantly associated with aggressive misconduct, but weekly visits from friends increased the likelihood of aggressive misconduct. Post hoc analyses suggest that visits are particularly not associated with verbally aggressive behaviours, but they are associated with lower likelihoods of physically aggressive behaviours. No significant associations were found between child or family visits and any type of misconduct. Policy implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.