Group Counseling †Article Review Essay

Unlike the first article, this second article talks about group counseling in elementary school focusing on eliminating aggressive behaviors. The purpose of group counseling in this situation is to lessen aggression by influencing the feelings, emotions, judgments, and behaviors of the students in the process. Group counseling is perceived to be significant for the purpose of lessening aggressive behavior because elementary student, in their respective ages, are highly dependent on groups or group structures. Children relate with each other making it much easier to break into the group structure and influence thoughts, feelings, or behavior that would consequently influence else within the group. Eight sessions were held to implement the concepts of group counseling and intervention. At the end of the sessions, the children were required to attend a follow-up meeting four weeks after. The result of the study revealed that learning took place and the children displayed desirable changes in their behavior. What I like most about the article is that it was based on an actual study conducted on elementary students, and that the purpose of the study is to change specific behaviors within the subjects. The objective of the researcher to approach the problem proactively yielded great results as the sessions have revealed that the aggressive behavior of the children were transformed during the group counseling sessions. The article would be a great source of valid and reliable information that could be applied to future situations that requires behavioral intervention. Moreover, the process is solution-based, such that the study focused on a particular problem which is common in the elementary school setting, and conducted research and data gathering which led to a specific resolution that schools would be able to adapt of implement within their school and guidance and counseling system. Another characteristic that is likeable in the article is that it opens opportunities for further studies and other related studies, such as the adaptation of the steps carried out in the study however, differing in the problem, etc. The success of the study would urge other schools and guidance and counseling professionals to conduct other studies that would resolve other issues as well. References Stewart, J. (1996). Group Counseling Elementary School Children Who Use Aggressive Behaviors. Guidance & Counseling, 11, 12-15). Retrieved November 12, 2008 from Academic Search Complete via EBSCOHost.