The Effectiveness of Training the Behavioral Management Flow Chart (BMFC) Program to Mothers on the Aggressive Behavior of Students with Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Oppositional behavior is the most frequent reason for which parents refer to the health centers. Symptoms of these problems appear in childhood and preschool period and if not being treated they continue and lead to long-term outcomes, including school dropouts and personality disorders. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of training behavioral management flow chart program to mothers on the aggressive behavior of students with oppositional defiant disorder.

The present study was a semi-experimental study with pretest- posttest control group design with two-month follow-up period. The study population was composed of mothers of 7-9 year-old male students in Kermanshah in academic year 2017-2018. Thirty mothers, whose children were diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder based on Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach, 2001) and Child Symptom Inventory (Gadow & Sprafkin, 1994), were selected by convenience sampling. The mothers were randomly assigned to either the experimental or the control group (15 per group). Then, the experimental group received behavioral management flow chart program in 8 sessions of 90 minutes. For data analysis, split-plot ANOVA design (SPANOVA)was used.

Findings showed that behavioral management flow chart program had a significant effect on the aggressive behavior (F= 29.21, P< 0.01) and these results remained stable during the two-month follow-up.

Based on the findings of the present study, it can be concluded behavioral management flow chart program without the use of strict punitive methods can lead to the decrease of aggressive behaviors in children with oppositional defiant disorder.