Prevention Programs In Schools Research Articles

School prevention of non-consensual sexting among middle adolescents: Does sexual preoccupation awareness matter?

Although non-consensual sexting seems to concern not only adults but also middle adolescent students, with detrimental consequences on their well-being, the related research-based effective school prevention programs are almost absent. Furthermore, there is an unanswered research question as to whether sex-related issues, such as sexual preoccupation, matters in adolescents’ non-consensual sexting and its prevention. The present study investigated the effectiveness of a school-based intervention against non-consensual sexting among middle adolescents, based on the European funded program TABBY (Threat Assessment of Bullying Behavior in Youth). Furthermore, the predictive role of sexual preoccupation was examined. Overall, 280 Greek students from randomly selected junior high school responded to self-report scales on non-consensual sexting and sexual preoccupation. Based on an experimental longitudinal research design, only the experimental (N = 131), but not the control group of students (N = 149), participated in the intervention. To test the effectiveness of the intervention, both student groups completed the scales before (1st phase), immediately after (2nd phase), and six months after the intervention (3rd phase), which was implemented by trained teachers. The results showed both, the short-term and long-term effectiveness of the intervention. Also, the study highlighted the significant contribution of sexual preoccupation awareness in reducing non-consensual sexting, especially immediately after and six months after the intervention. The study implies the necessity to adapt existed prevention programs to the specific parameters of non-consensual sexting, integrating at the same time sexual preoccupation awareness activities to better address this issue.

Alerta Cannabis: A Tailored-Computer Web-Based Program for the Prevention of Cannabis Use in Adolescents: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol

BackgroundThe growing use of cannabis in adolescence is a public health problem that must be addressed through prevention. In Spain, the average age of initiation of cannabis use in the adolescent population is 14.8 years. At 14 years, the lifetime prevalence of cannabis use is 11.7%, which increases to 51.,5% at the age of 18; the prevalence of cannabis use in the population aged 14 to 18 years is 28.6%, a figure that must be tried to reduce, that is why this school prevention program is proposed: Alerta Cannabis.MethodsThe Alerta Cannabis research project consists of design, implementation, and evaluation. In the first phase, a computer-tailored eHealth program (Alerta Cannabis) is developed based on the I-Change Model, an integrated model based on three main behavioral change processes: awareness, motivation, and action. This program consists of four 30-minute sessions that will provide culturally adapted and personalized advice to motivate students not to use cannabis through text feedback, animations, and gamification techniques. This phase will also include usability testing. In the implementation phase, secondary school students from Western Andalusia, Spain (Seville, Cádiz, Huelva, and Córdoba) and Eastern Andalusia (Jaén, Málaga, and Granada) will be randomized to an experimental condition (EC) or a control condition (CC) for a cluster randomized clinical trial (CRCT). Each condition will have 35 classes within 8 schools. GI will receive the online intervention Alerta Cannabis. EC and CC will have to fill out a questionnaire at baseline, six months, and twelve months of follow-up. In the last phase, the effect of Alerta Cannabis is evaluated. The primary outcomes are the lifetime prevalence of cannabis use and its use in the last 30 days and at 6 months. At 12 months of follow-up, the prevalence in the last 12 months will also be assessed. The secondary outcome is the intention to use cannabis.DiscussionThe study tests the effect of the innovative program specifically aimed to reduce the use of cannabis in the adolescent population through eHealth in Spain. The findings aim to develop and implement evidence-based cannabis prevention interventions, which could support school prevention, for instance, the assistance of school nurses. If the program proves to be effective, it could be useful to prevent cannabis use on a national and international scale.Trial registrationNCT05849636. Date of registration: March 16, 2023.

COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT AGENT OF CHANGE IN THE STUDENT BULLYING PREVENTION PROGRAM AT SMP N 1 CITY OF GORONTALO

Communication management is very important. for the process of reciprocal exchange of information, persuasion, or giving orders. This is used by agents of change so that they can carry out their duties of bullying prevention programs in schools. This study aims to explain the communication management of agents of change at SMP Negeri 1 Gorontalo City in the bullying prevention program. This is a qualitative study with data collection techniques using observation, interviews, and documentation. The findings show that the agents of change at SMPN 1 Kota Gorontalo carry out bullying prevention programs with several programs, such as bullying prevention programs through socialization, educational programs for each class, and programs through social media. Also, the top program of the anti-bullying campaign is carried out using communication management assisted by their supervisor as head of Counseling and Guidance. The conclusion from the findings is that the communication management of agents of change in the bullying prevention program at SMPN 1 Kota Gorontalo has been in accordance with the Cutlip and Center model of communication planning. As in the fact-finding process, agents of change have been able to identify bullying prevention programs well. In the planning process, even though in planning the bullying prevention program they still asked for help from the supervisor, they were able to carry out at the well by SMPN bullying the 1 Kota agents prevention of Gorontalo change programs by because well. they communicate The successful communication in through raising the process programs awareness is of those carried bullies have out implemented. However, in the final evaluation process, the agents of change do not carry out this process well. This is because they are still new so they do not know how the evaluation process is carried out.

The Effectivity of a School-Based Early Intervention Targeting Psychological Complaints and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Adolescents.

Background: Recent research suggests a concerning trend of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidal behaviors emerging at younger ages (as early as age 12). Early onset of NSSI is linked to more severe outcomes. While universal school-based prevention programs have shown promise in addressing suicidal behaviors, there is limited research on their effectiveness in preventing NSSI onset among adolescents. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a universal prevention program in schools for NSSI and mental complaints while enhancing resilience and mental health in 11-14-year-old adolescents. Methods: In total, 329 Flemish secondary school students (55.6% female), aged 11 to 14 years, participated in a 4 h classroom universal prevention, with a focus on emotion regulation, mental health, and specific strategies to prevent NSSI and reduce stigma. For both the intervention and control group (N = 124), a pre-, post-, and one-month follow-up questionnaire was administered, containing reliable and valid measures for NSSI and suicidality, emotion regulation, help-seeking behaviors, well-being, and psychological distress. Results: The prevention program effectively reduced NSSI and psychological distress, particularly for adolescents with a history of NSSI. Conclusions: These findings support previous research on the effectiveness of school-based programs in reducing mental complaints and suggest promising outcomes for NSSI prevention.

The effectiveness of school-based child sexual abuse prevention programmes among primary school-aged children: A systematic review

This systematic review provides a comprehensive overview of child sexual abuse prevalence globally, along with an examination of the effectiveness of school-based prevention education programmes for primary school-aged children. These prevention programmes utilise social cognitive learning theories to teach children the importance of identifying and responding to abusive situations. A total of 676 papers were evaluated with 13 Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) or cluster RCT design studies identified as meeting the study's inclusion criteria. These studies were published in English between January 2000 and May 2022, and focus on outcomes of school-based prevention programmes designed for primary school-aged children (5–12 years old). To ensure a comprehensive and academically rigorous analysis, the following databases were included: Science Direct, Web of Science, Scopus, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) PsycINFO, Ovid Medline, and Embase. The studies reviewed aim to evaluate the effectiveness of various child sexual abuse prevention programmes in improving children's knowledge and recognition of, and response to potentially unsafe situations. In terms of outcomes and results, the interventions have significantly impacted knowledge, skills, confidence, and awareness in the short and long term. These studies used different intervention methods, including mobile applications, personal safety programmes, and protective behaviour programmes, delivered in various formats such as web-based, textbooks, and in-person sessions. This systematic review highlights the importance of child sexual abuse prevention programmes in schools and the need for further research.

The effectiveness of drug prevention programs among children in schools

The problem of discipline and moral decay nowadays in society in Malaysia is very concerning, especially among children and teenagers, as it spreads very fast and keeps being very difficult to deal with. Drug abuse is a big problem that is spreading among the world community and this will have a very bad effect especially the development of human capital. This study aimed to find out the effectiveness of Drug Prevention Programs among children at school. From this Program we want to know the level of awareness, knowledge, skills, and spirituality among children. This study has used quantitative design and is supported by qualitative data. The first phase is a case study that uses the interview with teachers and government anti-drug agency officers who are involved in the implementation of the program. For the second phase of the study, researchers have used the survey method by distributing questionnaires to the recipient subjects, who are primary school students in at-risk states who have been selected to follow the drug prevention program. The results of the survey show that all the indicators of the effectiveness of the participants, namely awareness, knowledge, skills, and spirituality, have a high percentage, with percentage values of 78.0%, 93.4%, 84.2%, and 93.4%. Overall, of the study show that the implementation of the drug prevention program in schools has achieved its objectives, in addition to paying attention to the effectiveness factors as well as the obstacles and weaknesses encountered.

Exposure to school-based tobacco prevention interventions in low-income and middle-income countries and its association with psychosocial predictors of smoking among adolescents: a pooled cross-sectional analysis of Global Youth Tobacco Survey data from 38 countries

ObjectivesTo describe the prevalence of school-based tobacco prevention programme exposure among adolescents in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) and its association with psychosocial predictors of smoking.DesignAnalysis of pooled cross-sectional data.SettingGlobal...

Intervensi Keperawatan Komunitas dalam Mengantisipasi Bullyng di Sekolah

This research aims to determine nursing interventions in the community in dealing with bullying at school. The method used is library research and a descriptive qualitative approach with data collection carried out based on source search techniques, the process of understanding and analyzing and constructing various sources such as books, journals and various research related to community nursing interventions in anticipating bullying in schools. The research results show that community-based nursing interventions to overcome bullying in the school environment include bullying prevention programs in schools, group counseling and health education. In conclusion, in general, school-based bullying prevention interventions by increasing students' knowledge of bullying and victimization can therefore reduce the number of cases of bullying among students, and obtain much better results.
 
 Keywords: Bullying, Community Nursing Intervention, School

Maintaining Program Fidelity in a Changing World: National Implementation of a School-Based HIV Prevention Program

Large-scale, evidence-based interventions face challenges to program fidelity of implementation. We developed implementation strategies to support teachers implementing an evidence-based HIV prevention program in schools, Focus on Youth in The Caribbean (FOYC) and Caribbean Informed Parents and Children Together (CImPACT) in The Bahamas. We examined the effects of these implementation strategies on teachers’ implementation in the subsequent year after the initial implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected from 79 Grade 6 teachers in 24 government elementary schools. Teachers completed training workshops and a pre-implementation questionnaire to record their characteristics and perceptions that might affect their program fidelity. School coordinators and peer mentors provided teachers with monitoring, feedback, and mentoring. In Year 1, teachers on average taught 79.3% of the sessions and 80.8% of core activities; teachers in Year 2 covered 84.2% of sessions and 72.9% of the core activities. Teachers with “good” or “excellent” school coordinators in the second year taught significantly more sessions on average (7.8 vs. 7.0, t = 2.04, P < 0.05) and more core activities (26.3 vs. 23.0, t = 2.41, P < 0.05) than teachers with “satisfactory” coordinators. Teachers who had a “good” or “satisfactory” mentor taught more sessions than teachers who did not have a mentor (7.9 vs. 7.3; t = 2.22; P = 0.03). Two-level mixed-effects model analysis indicated that teachers’ program fidelity in Year 1, confidence in the execution of core activities, and school coordinators’ performance were significantly associated with Year 2 implementation dose. Implementation of FOYC + CImPACT was significantly associated with improved student outcomes. Teachers maintained high fidelity to a comprehensive HIV prevention program over 2 years during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future program implementers should consider additional implementation support to improve the implementation of school-based programs.

Effects of a healthcare students’ prevention intervention for school children on their own substance use: a before-after study

BackgroundCognitive dissonance theory and research has suggested that engaging in prevention interventions for other students may be a means of reducing one’s own problematic behaviors in order to reduce potential cognitive dissonance. This study assessed the effects of a new mandatory prevention intervention program for healthcare students in France. The aim was to measure the effects of engaging in a prevention program in schools on the usual increase in substance use in student populations.MethodsHealthcare students were trained in a French university to develop psychosocial competences as a health promotion means (FEPS training) or more specifically to prevent substance use in teenagers (Unplugged program training). The students (n = 314) who accepted to take part in the study from both groups completed questionnaires before their interventions in schools, and at the end of the year, measuring their representations and behaviors regarding psychoactive substances.ResultsThe results indicated a significant reduction in alcohol consumption in terms of quantity, but no significant reduction in tobacco and marijuana consumption.ConclusionsThis study showed that, contrary to the usual increase in substance use in students as they advance in their year, the students who took part in this study showed reduced self-reported consumption of alcohol after they had performed the prevention intervention in schools regardless of the type of training they had received (general health promotion vs. specific substance use prevention program). Limitations and future perspectives are discussed.

Vaping among young people-Our best defence is self-defence.

Use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes or 'vapes') has risen rapidly among young Australians in recent years. To combat this, on 2 May 2023, the Albanese Government announced a suite of reforms to reduce the desirability and accessibility of e-cigarettes to young people-including a ban on disposable e-cigarettes, restricting flavours, colours and nicotine content and requiring pharmaceutical-like packaging. While many have welcomed this announcement, the efficacy of such reforms in reducing the availability of e-cigarettes to young people remain to be seen, particularly given the current prescription-only model has done little to curb youth vaping. We argue that, in an uncertain landscape where e-cigarettes will likely remain accessible and desirable to young people, it is critical that we also upskill, empower and arm our young people with the skills, resilience, resources and knowledge to make informed and positive health decisions so that: (i) fewer young people opt to take up vaping (primary prevention); and (ii) among those who already do vape, more seek help earlier on to reduce or cease their use before dependency develops (secondary prevention). Schools are an ideal setting for the delivery of these programs, where they can be delivered en masse, integrated into existing alcohol and other drug programs and aligned with school curricula. Skills-based school prevention programs have demonstrated significant and sustained reductions in drug-related harms up to 7 years post-intervention. For as long as vapes remain widely available, desirable and purposefully marketed towards young people, we believe our best defence is self-defence.

Co-design and Development of Implementation Strategies: Enhancing the PAX Good Behaviour Game in Australian Schools.

Effective implementation strategies are important for take-up of programs in schools. However, to date, few implementation strategies have been co-designed with teachers and support staff (including principals) in Australia. The aim of this study was to iteratively co-design multiple implementation strategies to enhance the delivery of mental health prevention program, PAX Good Behaviour Game, in New South Wales primary schools. The secondary aim was to evaluate the acceptability of the implementation strategies from the perspective of school staff. Twenty-nine educational staff (including principals) informed the co-design of the implementation strategies across three phases. Phase 1 involved a rapid review of the literature and stakeholder meetings to agree upon potential evidence-based strategies. Phase 2 involved focus group discussions with educational staff to co-design implementation strategies. Phase 3 involved semi-structured interviews with school staff to assess strategy acceptability after implementation at 6-months post-baseline. Data were analysed using deductive, framework analysis. The final co-designed intervention included nine implementation strategies accessible through a toolkit delivered to the school's leadership team. These strategies were deemed acceptable in school settings that experienced periods of both face-to-face and remote learning due to the changing COVID-19 situation in 2021. This paper contributes to the implementation literature by transparently reporting how educational staff-informed implementation strategies were iteratively co-designed. This will provide a roadmap for other researchers to co-design implementation strategies to further support the delivery of evidence-based prevention programs in schools.

Adolescent Life Satisfaction: Association with Psychological, School-Related, Religious and Socially Supportive Factors.

Adolescent life satisfaction is crucial to later adult health and well-being; therefore, searching for its correlates should receive priority in research. The aim of this study was to explore the role of psychological (depression, future orientation), school-related (school achievement, satisfaction with school), religious (going to church, importance of religion), socially supportive (family and friend support), other familial, and sociodemographic (age, sex, self-assessed socioeconomic status) factors in adolescent life satisfaction. This cross-sectional survey (entitled Szeged Youth Study 2022) involved a sample of middle and high school students (N = 2239, aged 11-18 years, 51.8% females) from public schools in Szeged, Hungary. Besides descriptive statistics, correlation and multiple regression analysis were applied to the data analyses. Boys scored higher on the life satisfaction scale (Satisfaction with Life Scale, SWLS), while the level of depression (Children's Depression Inventory, CDI) was higher among girls. In the final regression model, family support was the strongest predictor of life satisfaction (β = 0.44, p < 0.001), followed by depression (as a negative contributor), socioeconomic (SES) self-assessment, future orientation, satisfaction with school, going to church, and friend support. School prevention programs should be focused not only on preventing mental health difficulties but also promoting adolescent well-being.

Implementing a Digital Depression Prevention Program in Australian Secondary Schools: Cross-Sectional Qualitative Study

Background Depression is common during adolescence and is associated with adverse educational, employment, and health outcomes in later life. Digital programs are increasingly being implemented in schools to improve and protect adolescent mental health. Although digital depression prevention programs can be effective, there is limited knowledge about how contextual factors influence real-world delivery at scale in schools. Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the contextual factors that influence the implementation of the Future Proofing Program (FPP) from the perspectives of school staff. The FPP is a 2-arm hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation trial evaluating whether depression can be prevented at scale in schools, using an evidence-based smartphone app delivered universally to year 8 students (13-14 years of age). Methods Qualitative interviews were conducted with 23 staff from 20 schools in New South Wales, Australia, who assisted with the implementation of the FPP. The interviews were guided by our theory-driven logic model. Reflexive thematic analysis, using both deductive and inductive coding, was used to analyze responses. Results Staff perceived the FPP as a novel (“innovative approach”) and appropriate way to address an unmet need within schools (“right place at the right time”). Active leadership and counselor involvement were critical for planning and engaging; teamwork, communication, and staff capacity were critical for execution (“ways of working within schools”). Low student engagement and staffing availability were identified as barriers for future adoption and implementation by schools (“reflecting on past experiences”). Conclusions Four superordinate themes pertaining to the program, implementation processes, and implementation barriers were identified from qualitative responses by school staff. On the basis of our findings, we proposed a select set of recommendations for future implementation of digital prevention programs delivered at scale in schools. These recommendations were designed to facilitate an organizational change and help staff to implement digital mental health programs within their schools. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) RR2-10.1136/bmjopen-2020-042133

School partner perspectives on the implementation of the Your Voice Your View sexual assault prevention program for high school students.

Despite the high risk for sexual assault among adolescents, few sexual assault prevention programs designed for implementation in high schools have sustained rigorous evaluation. The present study sought to better understand the factors that influenced the implementation of Your Voice Your View (YVYV), a four-session sexual assault prevention program for 10th grade students, which includes a teacher "Lunch and Learn" training as well as a 4-week school-specific social norms poster campaign. Following program implementation, eight school partners (i.e., health teachers, guidance counselors, teachers, and principals) participated in an interview to provide feedback on the process of program implementation. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research was utilized to examine site-specific determinants of program implementation. Participants discussed the importance of the design quality and packaging of the program, as well as the relative advantage of offering students a violence prevention program led by an outside team, as opposed to teachers in the school. School partners highlighted the importance of intensive preplanning before implementation, clear communication between staff, the utility of engaging a specific champion to coordinate programming, and the utility of offering incentives for participation. Having resources to support implementation, a desire to address sexual violence in the school, and a positive classroom climate in which to administer the small-group sessions were seen as school-specific facilitators of program implementation. These findings can help to support the subsequent implementation of the YVYV program, as well as other sexual assault prevention programs in high schools.

Parental gambling frequency and adolescent gambling: A cross-sectional path model involving adolescents and parents.

Nowadays, most of the research studies in the field of adolescent gambling are focused on individual factors related to problem gambling. The aim of this study was to test an integrated model to explain adolescent problem gambling involving both individual (i.e., correct gambling knowledge, superstitious thinking, and gambling-related cognitive distortions) and environmental factors (i.e., parental gambling frequency). In detail, the aim was to better understand the role of parental gambling behavior on adolescents' gambling frequency and problem gambling severity, to draw indications for prevention. Participants were 680 parents (36% men; Mage = 48.32, SD = 6.14 years) of 680 high school students (51% boys; Mage = 15.51, SD = .55 years) attending the second year of different high schools in Tuscany (Italy). Data collection occurred within the school prevention program PRIZE (Prevention of gambling risk among adolescents). A path model showed was conducted to detect direct and indirect effects from individual and environmental factors to gambling problem severity. Analyses showed that correct gambling knowledge and superstitious thinking were directly related-respectively in a negative and a positive direction-both to gambling-related cognitive distortions and adolescents' gambling frequency. Parental gambling frequency was directly associated with adolescents' gambling frequency. Correct gambling knowledge and superstitious thinking were indirectly related to adolescents' gambling problem severity through the mediational role of gambling-related cognitive distortions and gambling frequency. Parental gambling frequency was indirectly linked to gambling problem severity by passing through adolescents' gambling frequency. The current cross-sectional results confirm that parental gambling behavior has an important role for adolescents' gambling behavior and severity. Thus, results highlight the need for innovative prevention programs which involve adolescents' adult reference figures and integrate the individual risk and protective factors with the environmental ones.

Protocol for a Trial Assessing the Efficacy of a Universal School-Based Prevention Program for Addictive Behaviors.

"Juego de Llaves" [ Set of Keys ] is a universal school-based prevention program for adolescents aged 12-15. It is aimed at reducing drug use and other addictive behaviors. This paper describes the full protocol for the evaluation design, instruments, randomization procedure, follow-ups, and primary outcomes. Non-Randomized Control Cluster Trial in a set of Spanish secondary schools, with follow-ups at 12-, 24- and 36-months. Participants will be allocated to an experimental or control group. Using a digital application designed for the study, a battery of instruments will be used to assess addictive behaviors, sociodemographic variables, school climate and other transdiagnostic psychological variables. A pilot test will be carried out to test the implementation protocol and to calculate the sample size needed for outcome evaluation. After implementing the program, longitudinal statistical approaches will be used to report intervention efficacy and potential moderators and mediators. There is a lack of assessments on the effectiveness of school prevention programs, and this paper is expected to improve monitoring and ongoing evaluation in prevention.

Similarities and Differences between Psychosocial Determinants of Bullying and Cyberbullying Perpetration among Polish Adolescents.

Despite the extensive literature on the psychosocial determinants of bullying and cyberbullying among adolescents, there is not sufficient comprehensive analysis of the differences between perpetrators. This study aims to assess the psychosocial similarities and differences between bullies and cyberbullies. Data of 3650 students from two grades, K9 and K11 (47% females, mean age = 16.53), were used from a survey conducted in Poland in 2018 as part of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study. Perpetration was measured by questions adapted from the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire. The following predictors were analyzed: demographic, socioeconomic status measured with the Family Affluence Scale-III (FAS), and individual and social factors. Multiple binary logistic regression was applied. The random sampling design was based on stratification according to the local deprivation index of the region where the school was located. Male gender, younger age, and non-intact family were associated with a higher risk of bullying and cyberbullying. Family support, empathy, school performance, and school attachment had a protective effect against both aggressive behaviors. Life dissatisfaction and high FAS were revealed as determinants of cyberbullying and local deprivation of bullying only. Bullying and cyberbullying school prevention programs should take into account these psychosocial differences and consider the economic deprivation of the region.

Teacher attitudes toward evidence-based practices: Exploratory and confirmatory analyses of the school-adapted evidence-based practice attitude scale.

The Evidence-Based Practice Attitudes Scale (EBPAS) is widely used in implementation research, but it has not been adapted and validated for use among general education teachers, who are most likely to deliver evidence-based prevention programs in schools, the most common setting where youth access social, emotional, and behavioral health services. School-based stakeholders and a research team comprised of experts in the implementation of evidence-based practices in schools adapted the EBPAS for teachers (the S-EBPAS). The adapted instrument was administered to a representative sample (n = 441) of general education teachers (grades K-5) to assess the reliability and internal consistency via factor analyses. The S-EBPAS included two forms (i.e., EBP-agnostic and EBP-specific item referents), therefore, a multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was also performed to establish measurement invariance between the two forms. After adaptation and refinement, a 9-item, 3-factor structure was confirmed, with the final model supporting three first-order factors that load onto a second-order factor capturing attitudes toward adopting evidence-based practices. Multiple-group CFA analyses of measurement invariance indicated there were no significant differences between the two forms. Overall, this study provides a brief, flexible instrument capturing attitudes toward adopting EBPs that has high reliability and internal consistency, which support its use among general education teachers in school settings implementing evidence-based practices. The Evidence-Based Practice Attitudes Scale (EBPAS) is a popular instrument for measuring attitudes toward evidence-based practices (EBPs). This instrument provides valuable information during implementation initiatives, such as whether providers or front-line implementers have favorable attitudes toward a given practice. The EBPAS has been used in many different settings, such as in community-based mental health clinics, medical hospitals, and in child welfare. However, it's use in schools has been limited, and it has not yet been tested with general education teachers, who are key implementers of evidence-based practices in schools. In order to trust that the scores from an instrument are accurate, it needs to be evaluated when scaling it out to new populations and settings. One popular method to determine this is to use factor analysis, which was employed in this study. This study fills the identified gap by assessing the reliability (i.e., accuracy) and internal consistency of the EBPAS among a representative sample of general education teachers. Findings from this study indicate that the school-adapted EBPAS (S-EBPAS) is a brief, nine-item instrument that provides a reliable estimate of teachers' attitudes toward evidence-based practices. Our results also provide evidence that the S-EBPAS can be used to capture attitudes toward specific EBPs as well as attitudes toward EBP-agnostic. This study provides a flexible instrument that can be used by school-based implementation researchers, practitioners, and intermediaries at multiple phases of implementation projects, such as when exploring a new EBP to adopt.

Teachers’ perceptions of school bullying prevention programs

Bullying prevention is a significant aspect of the educational work in schools. In order to reduce the prevalence of bullying in schools, it is necessary to simultaneously implement various measures and activities within the school context. Teachers play a crucial role in this regard, as the effectiveness of bullying prevention largely depends on their attitudes and behaviors. The aim of this study was to determine the beliefs of teachers regarding school bullying prevention programs. It was hypothesized that teachers consider prevention and intervention equally important in reducing the incidence of bullying among students; that they believe current school prevention programs do not yield positive results and require more frequent revision, and that there are no statistically significant differences in the responses of participants based on school type and length of teaching experience. Our research findings support the first hypothesis, while the second and third hypotheses are only partially confirmed. The results of this study are significant for considering possibilities to enhance the school?s work in bullying prevention through the development of teacher competencies as key actors.