抄録
In this paper we investigated antisocial behavior from the viewpoint of the cognitive theory of psychological stress and coping.
The case presented here was of a fourth-grader that had been institutionalized due to his antisocial behavior. We discovered that the child not only had been experiencing various types of stressors at school and home but had few psychosocial coping resources such as social support, social skills, etc. Consequently, the child's assessment exaggerated the threat of the stressors that caused him frequently to choose avoidance and aggression as a way of coping. These coping patterns were not in accordance with or warranted by the situations and resulted in a vicious circle of behavioral patterns and stressors.
In the therapeutic education, while reducing stressors by providing strong social support, an environment was created to allow the child to freely express his maladaptive behavior to a certain extent; on the other hand, simultaneously, corrections were made to his maladaptive behavior. Through the course of nine months, the child developed stress tolerance thus resulting in a decline in his maladaptive behavior. We also provided counseling to his parents and schoolteachers during the therapeutic period to reduce the stressors being placed upon the child. Furthermore we have been following up continuously after his departure from the institution.
Additionally, we discussed the preventative steps in terms of health psychology.
