Contemporary influences to consider in planning treatment for aggressive and violent children are the circumstances instigating or maintaining aggression. Interactions between parents and children play a major role in shaping aggressive behavior. Children are likely to generalize what they learn about the utility and benefits of aggression to other situations. Among the most common instigating conditions for aggression are aversive experiences such as physical assaults, verbal threats, and insults and any frustrating conditions which prevent children from getting what they want. A triadic model of intervention is described that is based on a social learning approach. Therapeutic methods of the model involve stimulus change, the identification of alternatives to aggression, reducing exposure to aggressive behavior, reducing aversive stimuli, desensitization, self-instruction, cognitive change, and conflict resolution. Outcome control and skills training methods are also employed. Parents can be effectively taught to use behavioral methods with their children in individual treatment or group sessions, although experience indicates that work with aggressive, conduct-disordered children has some limitations. 27 references, 3 figures.