Related Experiment Videos
The students for peace project: a comprehensive violence-prevention program for middle school students
S H Kelder1, P Orpinas, A McAlister
1Health Science Center at Houston, School of Public Health, University of Texas-Houston, USA. Kelder@UTSPH.SPH.UTH.TMC.EDU
American Journal of Preventive Medicine
|September 1, 1996
Summary
The Students for Peace project evaluated a school-based intervention to reduce aggressive behavior in urban middle school students. Preliminary data suggest the intervention is needed and potentially effective for violence prevention.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Educational Psychology
- Criminology
Background:
- Adolescent violence is a significant public health concern in urban settings.
- Existing violence prevention programs often lack comprehensive, theoretically-grounded approaches.
- Social Learning Theory (SLT) provides a framework for understanding and intervening in health behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a multi-component, school-based intervention in reducing aggressive behavior among middle school students.
- To test the hypothesis that the intervention reduces aggressive behavior compared to standard school practices.
- To assess the feasibility of disseminating a theoretically-sound violence prevention program.
Main Methods:
- A three-year project (1993-1996) employing a nested cross-sectional and cohort design.
- Eight urban schools (four intervention, four control) in Texas participated.
- Data collected via surveys in Spring 1994, Spring 1995, and Spring 1996 from over 8,800 students.
Main Results:
- Baseline data revealed high prevalence of violence-related behaviors among participants (e.g., 23% fighting, 11% handgun carrying).
- Participants were predominantly Hispanic (65%) and African American (19%).
- Year 1 data indicated a need for intervention and comparability between groups.
Conclusions:
- The Students for Peace intervention addresses a critical need for violence prevention in urban schools.
- The multi-component approach, based on Social Learning Theory, shows promise for reducing aggressive behavior.
- Successful implementation could lead to broader dissemination within the school district.