African Educational Research Journal Vol. 11(1) - Full Length Research Paper - The effectiveness of child-centered play therapy on behavior problems of children

Oct 15, 2026

This study examines Child-Centered Play Therapy’s effect on reducing behavioral problems in five- and six-year-old children in Istanbul. Twenty children from socioeconomically disadvantaged families participated after families applied for support in a school-based play therapy room. A pre-test and post-test control group design was used, with eight weeks of individual CCPT sessions. Outcomes from parents via the Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation-30 Scale and family pre-interview form were analyzed using Mann Whitney-U and Wilcoxon tests.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

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Pages8

Reading Time20 min

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Abstract

Introduction

African Educational Research Journal Vol. 11(1), pp. 139-146, March 2023 DOI: 10. 30918/AERJ.111.23.017 ISSN: 2354-2160 Full Length Research Paper The effectiveness of child-centered play therapy on behavior problems of children\# Gizem Göker-Özdemir1 and Çare Sertelin-Mercan2* 1Ministry of National Education, Turkey. 2 Istanbul University – Cerrahpaşa, Istanbul, Turkey. Accepted 31 March, 2023 | ABSTRACT
This study aims to examine Child-Centered Play Therapy's effect on reducing behavioral problems in fiveand six-year-old children living in Istanbul. The study was conducted with 20 children from socioeconomically disadvantaged families. Families applied for support to a play therapy room established in a primary school. A pre-test and post-test control group design is used. Child-Centered Play Therapy sessions were implemented in the experimental group for eight weeks as individual sessions. Data due to the children's behavior problems were collected from parents via the “Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation-30 Scale” and the family pre-interview form . Mann Whitney-U Test and Wilcoxon Test analyzed data. Results of the experimental group (ingroup analyses) show a significant difference between pre-test and post-test scores of social competence, anger aggression, and anxiety withdrawal subscales, as hypothesized. However, analyses of between groups’ post-test comparisons show significant differences only in the social competence subscale. Between groups, post-test scores, comparisons of angeraggression, and anxiety withdrawal subscales showed no significant differences. The results are discussed; additionally, observations of the researcher as a play therapist are presented.
Keywords: Child-centered play therapy, behavior problems, social competence, experimental design. | | --- | | *Corresponding author. E-mail: [sertelin@iuc.edu.tr. Tel:](sertelin@iuc.edu.tr. Tel:) + 90 212 866 37 00 .
\#This study is a part of the Master’s thesis of the first author prepared under the supervision of the second author. | INTRODUCTION Turkey is a middle-income country with well-established institutions that provide comprehensive public services, especially health, and education. Turkey's capacity to defend and support children's rights beyond national borders is remarkable (TUIK, 2017) . On the other hand, regional , socio-economic , and gender inequalities continue to affect children's living conditions and access to high-quality education and health services (UNICEF, 2018) . Along with the population increase, the 20th century has also been a period of violence, war, and urbanization. Mental health services are provided in public and state institutions, especially hospitals and municipalities, but these services are extremely limited in meeting the general population’s needs. Services offered in private centers are only accessible to individuals from the upper middle- and high-income groups. In cosmopolitan cities, where populations have increased with immigration, individuals have difficulty reaching highquality education and developmental guidance until school age. In Turkey, public services that families can get free support for early childhood emotional and behavioral problems are minimal. The present study was conducted with the children of families living at the border of hunger and poverty. The study can also be considered an example of how psychological support processes can be carried out for socio-economically disadvantaged families and children in their neighborhoods. Play research in Turkey has progressed within the scope of examining the effect of play on the development of children for a long time (Koçyiğit et al. , 2007; Ünal, 2009; Kalaycıoğlu, 2011; Bekmezci and Özkan, 2015) . Especially in the 2000s, the importance of psychotherapies for children has increased due to the search for non-pharmacological approaches for children Afr Educ Res J 140 and adolescents. The World Health Org

FAQs

What population and setting were used for the study?

The study involved 20 five- and six-year-old children living in Istanbul, from socioeconomically disadvantaged families, with therapy support provided through a primary school play therapy room.

How was the intervention delivered and for how long?

Child-Centered Play Therapy was implemented for eight weeks using individual sessions in the experimental group.

Which outcomes showed significant improvements after the therapy?

Within the experimental group, significant differences were found between pre-test and post-test scores for social competence, anger aggression, and anxiety withdrawal subscales.

Oct 15, 2026

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