SEL
Social development intervention
teach expectations for behavior, and give among African Americans. By age 27, 16% interventions, including the one described
positive feedback for desirable behavior of African Americans in the full intervention in this article. Based on early positive
and moderate consistent consequences group reported a lifetime STI compared fi ndings, the Institute concluded that this
for undesirable behavior. with 61% in the control group, a much social development intervention would
●
Preparing for School Success: How to greater disparity than was reported by other produce an average benefi t to society of
build a home learning environment, ethnic groups. $14,426 per participant at a cost of $4,590
initiate conversations with teachers about per participant, or a benefi t of $3.14 for
children’s learning, and help children Ongoing replication study every dollar invested. As this line of research
develop basic reading and math skills. This social development program was grows, we are hopeful that social and
●
Guiding Good Choices (formerly Preparing replicated in a study called Raising Healthy emotional development will become integral
for the Drug-Free Years): How to create Children, in which we extended the to the education of future generations.
opportunities for children to be involved intervention into the secondary grades. In Further information about this social
in meaningful ways with their families, the new study, ten urban elementary schools development intervention can be found
strengthen family bonds, set clear were randomly assigned to an enhanced at www.sdrg.org/rhcsummary.asp#4 or
expectations for children’s behavior, social development program or a control www.colorado.edu/cspv/blueprints/
reduce family confl ict, effectively manage condition. promisingprograms.html.
emotions, practice consistent family So far, the program has produced both
management, and teach children skills to short- and long-term effects. By the end Author note
resist peer infl uences. of 2nd grade, students in the intervention This article is based on research
schools demonstrated better academic and supported by grants #1R01DA09679-11,
We sought to identify
social skills compared with students in the #9R01DA021426-08, and #R001DA08093-12
program components that
control schools. By 10th and 11th grades, from the National Institute on Drug Abuse,
could be implemented by
students from intervention schools showed #R24MH56587-06 from the National
less growth in the frequency of alcohol and Institute of Mental Health, and #21548 from
public school teachers, marijuana use than students from control the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The
elementary school-aged
schools. Raising Healthy Children is currently content is solely the responsibility of the
children, and their adult
being implemented in several school districts authors and does not necessarily represent
in the U.S. the offi cial views of these funders.
caretakers
Investing in social development About the authors
Better functioning 15 years later These studies suggest that universal Rick Kosterman is research scientist, Kevin
At ages 24 and 27, we surveyed 598 interventions during the elementary grades – P. Haggerty is Assistant Director, and J.
participants (93% of the original sample) designed to help teachers and parents provide David Hawkins is founding director and
who had been in one of three experimental opportunities and rewards for children’s Endowed Professor of Prevention at the
conditions: a “full” intervention condition social development, and to provide children Social Development Research Group, School
implemented throughout Grades 1 through 6; themselves with the social skills needed to of Social Work, University of Washington,
a “late” intervention condition implemented participate in academic and social settings – where they conduct research to understand
when children were in Grades 5 and 6 only; can positively affect functioning up to 15 years and promote healthy behaviors and positive
and a control group condition that was not later. These effects are not only important for social development among children,
offered the social development program. the health and wellbeing of participants, but adolescents, and young adults.
We found that young adults in the full represent sound public investment.
intervention group were more likely to report Independent researchers at the
Further reading
higher levels of educational and economic Washington State Institute for Public Policy
Aos S, Lieb R, Mayfi eld J, Miller M, &
attainment (meeting or exceeding median have conducted analyses of the effects,
Pennucci A (2004). Benefi ts and Costs
levels) than the control group who did not costs, and benefi ts of a large number of
of Prevention and Early Intervention
receive the intervention (93% versus 84%,
Programs for Youth. Olympia: Washington
respectively) by age 27. The full intervention
What we know
State Institute for Public Policy. Retrieved
group was also less likely to report a mental
01/11/2010, from the World Wide Web:
health disorder (15% versus 26%) or a
●
Research showed that a social
www.wsipp.wa.gov/rptfi; les/04-07-3901.
sexually transmitted infection (23% versus development program implemented
pdf.
35%) than the control group. These effects during the elementary grades had
were all statistically signifi cant by age 27. positive, long-lasting effects into
Catalano RF, Haggerty KP, Oesterle S,
Those in the “late” group, who received the young adulthood.
Fleming CB, & Hawkins JD (2004). ‘The
partial intervention in Grades 5 and 6 only,
●
Intervention throughout elementary
Importance of Bonding to School for
showed smaller effects, though they fared school was important for signifi cant
Healthy Development: Findings from the
somewhat better than the control group. effects.
Social Development Research Group.’
Effects on substance use or criminal behavior
●
Effects were broad, including higher
Journal of School Health , 74, 252 –61
were not found at ages 24 or 27. levels of educational and economic
Hawkins JD, Kosterman R, Catalano RF, Hill
For the most part, the pattern of results attainment, less mental health disorder,
KG, & Abbott RD (2008). Effects of Social
was similar for males and females and across and less sexually transmitted infection.
Development Intervention in Childhood
ethnic groups. One notable difference,
●
This social development program is a
Fifteen Years Later. Archives of Pediatrics
however, was the prevalence of a lifetime cost-effective public investment.
and Adolescent Medicine, 162, 1133–1141.
diagnosis of a sexually transmitted infection
winter 2010 Better: Evidence-based Education 7
Better(US)Win10 pp06-07 Long-term.indd 7 23/2/10 16:59:31
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28