School-based Prevention Research Research Articles

“Why Do I Need to Sign it? Issues in Carrying Out Child Assent in School-Based Prevention Research Within a First Nation Community

The practice of and procedures for obtaining child assent in research involving children are based in Western conceptions of individual decision-making rights, free from any form of coercion including that of parents. In the context of obtaining assent for children involved in research in an Alberta First Nation, the issue can become more complex given respect for ethical frameworks based in collective decision-making and the responsibility of Elders and families to protect children in interactions with Western institutions. This article explores the results of a focus group held to discuss our experience with child assent in research taking place with a community-initiated and culturally-adapted substance abuse prevention program being taught in the community school. In this case the process of being asked to sign written individual assent in the classroom was perceived as bearing extrinsic risk. Given collective cultural norms, the communities past experiences with the safety of signatures, and the proper roles of Elders and family, the children asked “Why do I have to sign it” when asked to sign their assent for participation in the project. A process that involved gathering child assent with children surrounded by family and community was recommended. Greater researcher and REB responsiveness to the issue of non-malfeasance is needed, in this case, by not asking researchers and community members to act in ways that violate culturally-based ethical norms and protocol all of which are important to community continuity, self-determination, and well-being.

A State-Wide Partnership to Promote Safe and Supportive Schools: The PBIS Maryland Initiative

Schools continue to be an important context for preventive interventions targeting a range of behavioral and mental health problems. Yet competing demands on teachers and shifting priorities in response to federal legislation have posed some unique challenges to prevention researchers working in school settings. This paper summarizes an approach to prevention partnerships developed over a decade and centered on the three-tiered Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) model. A state-wide initiative was formed and led through a partnership between the Maryland State Department of Education, Sheppard Pratt Health System, and Johns Hopkins University, which focused on implementing evidence-based practices and conducting prevention research in Maryland public schools. Drawing on a community-based participatory research framework for developing research partnerships, we highlight the importance of forming and sustaining authentic relationships to support school-based prevention research and implementation of evidence-based programs. We also discuss how these relationships have been used to disseminate PBIS and rigorously test its effectiveness. We describe some lessons learned from the partnership and identify potential areas for future research on the prevention partnership model. We conclude with a discussion of the implications for both researchers and community partners engaged in translational research in school settings.

Using Community Ties to Facilitate School-Based Prevention Research

One of the greatest obstacles to conducting school-based HIV/STD/pregnancy prevention research with adolescents is the reluctance of administrators or site-based decision-making councils to commit their teachers and students to participation in a project designed and managed by an outside group of researchers. A major concern is that researchers may not understand or agree with community sensitivities about such personal topics. By first establishing a collaborative relationship with health district educators currently working in Appalachian schools and residing in those communities, one finds a distinct advantage in terms of gaining admittance to area schools. The presence of local health educators at formative meetings also alloys many concerns of community members, as they view these local participants as monitors of outsider research efforts, thereby protecting the community culture from undue outside influence. During the course of the current study, health educators found they also learned more about their communities and about HIV prevention.

The role of school psychology in preventing depression

AbstractTo advance the role of school psychologists in mental health prevention and wellness activities, in this article we describe (a) a social ecological theory for guiding school‐based prevention research, (b) the role of schools in the development and prevention of depression, (c) a continuum of school‐based support for meeting the needs of children who are currently depressed for preventing future internalizing distress for all children, and (d) social and political factors that must be considered if lasting change is to occur. We conclude with specific considerations for school psychologists. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 41: 763–775, 2004.

The best of practices, the worst of practices: The making of science-based primary prevention programs.

The best of practices, the worst of practices: The making of science-based primary prevention programs.

Demographic, psychosocial and behavioral differences in samples of actively and passively consented adolescents

Requiring active consent from parents leads to different self-reports by adolescents than when it is not required. The present study compares self-reported demographic, psychosocial, and behavior variables between those students from whom active consent was and was not obtained. As found in previous studies, fewer minorities, fewer persons who were dissatisfied with school, fewer persons whose parents were of lower educational levels, and fewer cigarette smokers were represented in the sample recruited by active parental consent. Extending on previous work, we found those students whose parents failed to respond to the consent procedure were less likely to live with both parents, were more likely to be latch-key children, placed a lower priority on health, and were higher in risk-taking, lower in self-esteem, and lower in assertiveness than those whose parents had responded. These data further support the suggestion that those children who are omitted from a research study because of lack of action on the part of the parent are at higher risk for a number of health and social problems. These children need to be included in evaluation samples in order to accurately assess the effectiveness of prevention programming. Future studies should employ a passive consent procedure as a means of recruiting a representative subject pool in school-based prevention research.

Curriculum development in school-based prevention research

Curriculum development in school-based prevention research