Progressive muscle relaxation and aggression among elementary students with emotional or behavioral disorders

Students with emotional or behavioral disorders (E/BD) often engage in challenging behaviors, including physical aggression. One intervention included in multicomponent programs for students with E/BD is relaxation. Despite its widespread inclusion, no studies were located that examined relaxation as a single-component treatment for physical aggression among students in this population. This study evaluated the effectiveness of progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) as a proactive single-component aggression-reduction intervention for elementary students classified as having emotional disabilities in a day school/treatment program. Results of the study supported PMR as a proactive short-term aggression-reduction intervention. Although aggression levels began to increase following posttest, follow-up levels remained below those at pretest.