Risk and Prevention

Abstract

Research questions in child and adolescent social development are often inspired by practical experiences, challenges, and problems that arise in educational settings. Reciprocally, developmental psychology is a core disciplinary component of many innovative interventions that are implemented to promote social development in classrooms and social atmosphere in schools. Although current educational policies emphasize academic instruction, both within schools and across school districts, epidemiological evidence suggests that over 25% of school age children are at risk for negative social and psychological outcomes that impede learning, with low income communities particularly affected. Preventive interventions designed to ameliorate risk factors for these students, both at the population level and as individuals, rest to a large extent upon research, both basic and applied, in child and adolescent social development. However, “evidence-based” prevention efforts are often ineffectively or slowly implemented, and the connections among applied research, basic research, and practice are still poorly understood or not yet sophisticated in their design. This chapter uses two case studies at the elementary grade level as the basis for describing a new model of the connections of basic and applied risk research, and prevention practice that might efficiently and effectively serve the best interests of children. Keywords: intergroup relations; interpersonal understanding; literacy; personal meaning; practice-based research; psychosocial prevention; risk reduction; self awareness; social awareness; social development; social perspective coordination