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Research, Applications, and Interventions for Children and Adolescents pp 225–245Cite as

Sociomoral Development for Behaviorally At-Risk Youth: Mac’s Group Meeting

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Abstract

A “mutual help” meeting involving a 15-year-old named Mac is used to explicate the EQUIP program, a group-based intervention that facilitates sociomoral development for behaviorally at-risk or antisocial youth. Mac participated in not only mutual help but also “equipment” meetings; mutual help and equipment meetings derive, respectively, from Positive Peer Culture (group transforming, motivating) and cognitive-behavioral (cognitive restructuring, skills training) approaches. High-fidelity implementations of EQUIP accomplish a synergy of these interdependent approaches. Cognitive restructuring and social perspective-taking are key processes in the remediation of typical sociomoral limitations such as moral judgment delays, self-serving cognitive distortions or anger problems, and social skill deficiencies. EQUIP and related programs have facilitated movement toward responsible thought and behavior of not only of adolescents like Mac, but also at-risk children and adults. EQUIP may need supplementation with more intense social perspective-taking activities (such as victim role-play) for effective treatment of severe offenders.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, 1835 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

    John C. Gibbs

  2. EQUIP consultant, 5015 Charlbury Drive, Columbus, OH, 43220, USA

    Granville Bud Potter

  3. Department of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies, Faculty of Education, Brock University, 500 Glenridge Ave, St. Catherines, ON, Canada, L2S 3A1

    Ann-Marie DiBiase

Authors
  1. John C. Gibbs
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  2. Granville Bud Potter
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  3. Ann-Marie DiBiase
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to John C. Gibbs .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Positive Psycology Research Centre, St. Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands, GY1 6HL, United Kingdom

    Carmel Proctor

  2. Centre of Applied Positive Psychology, Sir William Lyons Road, Coventry, United Kingdom

    P. Alex Linley

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Gibbs, J.C., Potter, G.B., DiBiase, AM. (2013). Sociomoral Development for Behaviorally At-Risk Youth: Mac’s Group Meeting. In: Proctor, C., Linley, P. (eds) Research, Applications, and Interventions for Children and Adolescents. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6398-2_14

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