Effects of Christian REACH forgiveness intervention to reduce aggressiveness in adolescents with conduct disorder

Abstract

While there have been significant advances in the treatment of conduct disorder (CD), there is still a need to seek and develop therapeutic solutions that can overcome the poor long-term prognosis. In this evidence-based research, we evaluated the effect of immediate REACH Forgiveness training on the severity of aggressiveness among adolescents with CD. The purposive sample consisted of 32 Catholics aged 15–18 randomly placed in an experimental or nonintervention control group. Participants in the experimental group were subjected to an immediate REACH Forgiveness session for Christians, which lasted 6 h, while participants in the control group played board games and spent time together in the day care center during this time. The scores obtained by adolescents in the experimental group regarding forgiveness (decisional and emotional) and aggressiveness (anger, physical aggression, verbal aggression, and hostility) improved under REACH Forgiveness training, and these positive effects were still evident 1 month after the intervention (while the control scores did not change in a statistically significant way). The data obtained indicate that the Christian version of REACH can provide important support for other forms of psychopedagogical therapy in adolescent Catholics with CD in reducing aggressive behavior.