| Course | PAC 420 Group Therapy |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 6 |
| Paper type | Group conflict paper |
| Length | About 1,055 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Aspen University |
| Program | Psychology and Addiction Studies |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for PAC 420 Module 6
When the Group Becomes the Problem: Conflict, Monopolizing and Deviancy Training in an Adolescent Substance Use Group
Student Name
Psychology and Addiction Studies Program, Aspen University
PAC 420: Group Therapy
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
When the Group Becomes the Problem: Conflict, Monopolizing and Deviancy Training in an Adolescent Substance Use Group
Lake Erie runs an outpatient group for adolescents aged fourteen to seventeen with substance use problems, most referred by schools or juvenile court. The group has eight members and meets twice a week. Its leaders have noticed three problems. Tyler, sixteen, talks for half of every session, usually about his conflicts with his parents. Jade, seventeen, calls new members soft and rolls her eyes when they speak. And several boys tell stories about parties and getting high, which draw laughter and more stories. This paper analyzes these behaviors and plans responses. The group and its members are composites written for teaching; the cited works are real.
Productive and Harmful Conflict
Yalom and Leszcz (2020) argued that conflict is inevitable in groups and can be valuable. When members challenge one another honestly, express anger and work it through, the group can become more cohesive and members can learn how they affect others. Conflict becomes harmful when it turns into scapegoating, attacks on vulnerable members or patterns that block the group's work. The authors also described common challenging roles, including the monopolist, who dominates the group's time, often from anxiety; the silent member; the help-rejecting complainer; and the member who attacks others. They recommended understanding the function of each behavior and responding in ways that help both the member and the group.
Group Climate and Gains
Kivlighan and Lilly (1997) studied how group climate changed over the life of counseling groups and how those changes related to members' improvement. Climate was measured in terms of engagement, avoidance and conflict. Patterns of change in climate across sessions, including changes in conflict, were related to members' therapeutic gains, suggesting that conflict is a normal part of group development rather than a sign of failure. The study supports leaders allowing and working with conflict rather than suppressing it.
In the adolescent group, a member challenging Tyler's account of his parents might be productive conflict. Jade's mocking of newcomers is not.
When the Group Itself Does Harm
Dishion et al. (1999) reviewed evidence that interventions grouping high-risk youth together can increase problem behavior. In one study, adolescents assigned to peer groups for prevention later showed increased smoking and delinquency compared with those who received parent-focused or no intervention. In a long-term follow-up of a youth program, boys who attended summer camps with other high-risk boys had worse outcomes decades later. The authors described a process they called deviancy training, in which young people reinforce each other's talk about problem behavior with laughter and attention, making the behavior more attractive. They recommended caution in grouping high-risk adolescents and careful structure when groups are used.
The boys' laughter at stories of getting high is deviancy training in action.
Behaviors and Responses
| Behavior | Possible function | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Tyler monopolizes | Anxiety; desperate for help with his parents | Turn-taking structure; acknowledge him, then invite others; meet briefly with him individually |
| Jade mocks newcomers | Protecting status; fear of vulnerability | Name the behavior and its effect; protect newcomers; talk with Jade privately about her role as a senior member |
| Trading stories of getting high | Status, belonging, deviancy training | Redirect to consequences and present goals; set a rule against glorifying use |
| Laughter at drug stories | Peer reinforcement | Leaders do not laugh; ask what the story cost the teller |
| Members challenge Tyler's account | Productive conflict | Support; help members speak from their own experience |
| A newcomer stays silent | Fear after mockery | Pair with a supportive member; check in after the session |
A Session in Practice
In the first session after the changes, the leaders opened with a structured check-in: each member had two minutes, timed, to describe one high point and one hard moment of the week. Tyler went first and, when his two minutes ended, the leader thanked him and said she would come back to his situation with his parents later in the session. When one of the boys began a story about a party, the co-leader asked him what happened the next morning, and the room grew quieter as he described his mother finding him on the bathroom floor. Jade, asked privately before the session to help a new member feel welcome, introduced herself to the newcomer and, for the first time, did not comment on her. The session was not perfect, but the structure gave the leaders more control over what the group reinforced.
What Tyler and Jade Need
Behind the behaviors are teenagers with real needs. Tyler's monopolizing comes from a home where his parents fight constantly and he feels no one listens; individual sessions and a family session may relieve the pressure he brings to the group. Jade, one of the longest-attending members, has been in and out of treatment since thirteen and may mock newcomers because their fear reminds her of her own. Giving her a recognized role, such as helping new members understand the group's agreements, may turn a status she defends by attacking into one she can earn by helping. Responses that address what each member needs are more likely to change behavior than responses that only stop it.
Structural Changes
In-session responses are not enough when the group's composition itself drives harm. The leaders recommended several changes. First, the group will mix members at different stages, including two members with several months of recovery, so that early users are not the majority. Second, a young adult peer mentor in long recovery will join twice a month to model recovery-oriented norms. Third, the group will add a structured skills segment each session, reducing unstructured time when drug talk flourishes. Fourth, parents will be invited to a monthly family session, since Dishion and colleagues found family-focused approaches safer than peer groups alone. Fifth, members whose behavior consistently harms others will be offered individual sessions until they can participate safely.
Conclusion
The adolescent group's difficulties combine individual challenging behaviors with a risk that comes from the group itself. Yalom and Leszcz show how to understand and respond to monopolizing and attacking, Kivlighan and Lilly show that conflict can be part of a group's growth and Dishion, McCord and Poulin show that grouping high-risk youth can reinforce the very behavior treatment aims to reduce. Responses in the session, combined with changes to the group's composition and structure, address both.
References
Dishion, T. J., McCord, J., & Poulin, F. (1999). When interventions harm: Peer groups and problem behavior. American Psychologist, 54(9), 755-764. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.54.9.755
Kivlighan, D. M., Jr., & Lilly, R. L. (1997). Developmental changes in group climate as they relate to therapeutic gain. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 1(3), 208-221. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2699.1.3.208
Yalom, I. D., & Leszcz, M. (2020). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy (6th ed.). Basic Books.
Reading the PAC 420 Module 6 assignment instructions
Conflict and challenging behaviors are the sixth module of PAC 420, and assignments generally ask you to analyze difficult moments in a group and plan leader responses using research. Take the Module 6 instructions from your Aspen course as the governing prompt; the group is invented. Distinguish productive conflict from harmful patterns. Describe common challenging behaviors and their functions. Present research on group climate and on risks specific to the population, such as deviancy training among adolescents. Plan responses for each behavior. Consider structural changes, not only in-session moves. Reference each source in APA 7, and describe members respectfully even when their behavior is difficult. Say what each difficult behavior may be doing for the member. Include changes to who is in the group, not only what the leader says.
How this PAC 420 Module 6 example is built
In the group of eight teenagers, Tyler talks for half of every session, Jade calls newcomers soft and several boys laugh while describing parties. Yalom and Leszcz's textbook describes the monopolist and other roles and the value of conflict. Kivlighan and Lilly's Group Dynamics study links changes in climate, including conflict, to gains. Dishion, McCord and Poulin's American Psychologist article explains deviancy training. A six-row table pairs behaviors with responses, from structured turn-taking to redirecting using stories. Structural changes include mixing members at different stages of recovery, adding a young adult peer mentor, a structured skills segment, monthly family sessions and individual sessions for members who keep harming others.
Where the marks sit in the PAC 420 Module 6 rubric
Conflict papers earn credit for distinguishing productive conflict from harmful patterns and for responses grounded in research. This example recognizes that some conflict, such as members challenging each other's excuses, can be productive, while mocking and drug talk are harmful. Dishion, McCord and Poulin's research identifies a risk specific to adolescent groups, which leads to structural changes rather than only in-session responses. Each challenging behavior is understood in terms of its function, such as Tyler's monopolizing as anxiety. The table makes responses concrete, and the structural changes address the group's composition, which no single intervention could fix. Parents become part of the response.
Common PAC 420 Module 6 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Conflict papers often treat all conflict as bad or label members as problem people. Distinguish productive conflict, which can deepen a group, from harmful patterns. Understand what each challenging behavior does for the member. Respond to the behavior, not the person. Recognize risks specific to the population, such as deviancy training among adolescents, and change structure where needed. Use structured techniques, such as turn-taking, when a group's norms have broken down. Protect members who are targeted. Involve co-leaders and supervisors. Avoid shaming members in front of the group, and talk privately with a member whose behavior keeps derailing sessions. Add structure before removing anyone.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Aspen University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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PAC 420 Module 6 questions, answered
What does PAC 420 Module 6 usually ask for?
Aspen's PAC 420 covers conflict and challenging behaviors here, so analyzing difficult group moments and planning leader responses is typical. See your Module 6 prompt.
Is conflict in a group harmful?
Not necessarily. Yalom and Leszcz argued that conflict handled well can deepen a group, and Kivlighan and Lilly found changes in climate, including conflict, related to gains.
What is deviancy training?
Dishion, McCord and Poulin's term for the process in which high-risk youth grouped together reinforce each other's problem behavior, such as by laughing at stories of using.
Where can I find a free PAC 420 Module 6 sample paper?
The full paper is above: conflict, monopolizing and deviancy training in an adolescent substance use group, with a table of responses.
How should a leader handle a member who monopolizes?
By understanding what the behavior does for the member, often relieving anxiety, setting structure such as turn-taking and inviting others in without shaming the member.