Background
This study assessed the effects of the Parent Training (PT) technique, in which child specialists (CSs) such as preschool‐ and school‐teachers promote secure attachment in children with aberrant social behavior following maltreatment, using a team approach.
Methods
CSs confirmed the presence of child abuse, according to Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare criteria. CSs such as homeroom, special education‐related, student guidance‐related, nursing teachers and co‐workers received a PT course conducted by the authors. A homeroom teacher provided classroom management to model good examples of social life for the target child. A nursing teacher and assistant offered individualized instruction to foster the formation of secure attachments by the target child.
Result
Behavioral abnormalities in both school and home resolved in 7 out of 12 cases. These cases received the intervention for 2 to 4 years. In the other cases, behavioral abnormalities disappeared or decreased in school, but continued at home. Almost all children met the alternative criteria of attachment disorder proposed by Borris and Zeanah. One child met the criteria for reactive attachment disorder (DSM‐IV). This intervention is significantly more effective for children who have yet to begin elementary school than those in elementary school.
Conclusions
This study indicates that the PT technique as applied by CSs using a team approach may be a useful intervention for fostering secure attachment in children with maltreatment who exhibit behavioral abnormalities. Early detection and intervention are necessary successfully to address the behavioral abnormalities of children with maltreatment.
（本研究では、幼稚園教師や学校教師などの児童専門家（CS）が、チームアプローチを用いて、虐待後の異常な社会的行動を持つ子どもたちの親トレーニングPTの効果を評価した。PTは効果的であり、虐待を受けた児童の行動異常には、早期発見と介入が必要である。）
Hiroyuki Yokoyama Yayoi Tomizawa Yoshinori Satou Atsuko Kobayashi Yuriko Katsushima Fumio Katsushima
