Bop Bags and Aggression Toys
There has been a decline in the use of bop bags in play therapy. The concern is that bop bags simply provide an opportunity to rehearse aggression, and serve to support further aggressive behavior. I have discontinued the use of bop bags in my play sessions due to the kinds of responses that I would get from clients. They would wildly attack the bop bag and seemed to perseverate on that kind of behavior week after week. I treat a large number of neurologically impaired children (bipolar, Asperger’s, PDD) who are also impulsively aggressive, and seem poorly motivated by the consequences of their behavior. The focus in therapy has turned to restraining anger, restraining expressions of aggression, and controlling behavior, rather than venting and cathecting. However, I have not eliminated all aggression toys. I still have guns, including dart guns. It appears that these toys do not elicit as out-of -control behaviors as the bop bag. When these neurologically impaired children used the bop bag, it appeared to be impulsive and out-of-control aggression, as opposed to symbolic or purposeful play. I would be interested in hearing what other providers are experiencing and how they are using aggression toys.
Hi there,
I came across your article whilst searching the internet to order therapeutic bop bags (as you know they burst very easily) for the organisation I'm involved with as a play therapist (website below). I have printed off your article to take to supervision today. Our organisation is principally concerned with the Axline model and more recently the work of Gary Landreth in the States. I know my supervision group will be very interested to hear your article. We use bop bags in all of our play therapy rooms currently. Your article certainly gives us much to think about regarding the inclusion of bop bags in our play rooms.
Many thanks
Stuart
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Comment posted on childtherapytoys.com:
Yesterday I received my first order, among which included a plain 'Bop Ball'. I used this tonight during a session with one of my young clients and it had a profound effect on her ability to express some very strong emotions. What a great tool this has turned out to be. One item I ordered arrived incomplete. I contacted playtherapytoys to notify them of this and they called the manufacturer.
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Good post, but have you thought about Bop Bags and Aggression Toys before?
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