Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Primary Prevention Programs in Schools

  • Chapter
Advances in Clinical Child Psychology

Part of the book series: Advances in Clinical Child Psychology ((ACCP,volume 19))

Abstract

The title of Klein and Goldston’s (1977) text, Primary Prevention: An Idea Whose Time Has Come,was prophetic. Whereas there had been relatively few reports of school-based prevention before the mid-1970s, over the past two decades there has been a surge of interest in such programs. In fact, each year millions of school-children throughout the United States are exposed to programs with a preventive thrust, with many receiving more than one program. For instance, over 90% of all school districts offer services to children who are at risk for academic problems (Slavin, Karweit, & Madden, 1989). Between 72% and 77% of all districts provide programming relevant to smoking, alcohol and other drug use, nutrition, physical fitness, and sex education; between 51% and 67% of districts instruct students on such matters as AIDS, suicide prevention, physical violence, and the use of seat belts and other safety behaviors (Holtzman et al., 1992). There are also many other programs devoted to students’ personal growth and adjustment, and specialized interventions to prevent teenage pregnancy, sexual abuse, and school dropouts. Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of school-based prevention programs have never been systematically evaluated, with the result that students are being exposed to many programs of unknown impact. Because schools are willing to offer prevention programs, it is important to ascertain which programs are effective in achieving which goals.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Allensworth, D. D., (1993). Health education: State of the art. Journal of School Health, 63, 14–20.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Alpert-Gillis, L. J., Pedro-Carroll, J. L. and Cowen, E. L. (1989). The child of divorce intervention program: Development, implementation, and evaluation of a program for young urban children. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 57, 583–589.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barnett, W. S. (1990). Benefits of compensatory preschool education. Journal of Human Resources, 27, 279–312.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barnett, W. S. (1993). Benefit—cost analysis of preschool education: Findings from a 25-year follow-up. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 63, 500–508.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Barnett, W. S., and Escobar, C. M. (1989). Research on the cost-effectiveness of early educational intervention: Implications for research and policy. American Journal of Community Psychology, 17, 677–704.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Botvin, G. J., Baker, E., Dusenbury, L., Botvin, E. M., and Diaz, T. (1995). Long-term follow-up results of a randomized drug abuse prevention trial in a white middle-class population. Journal of the American Medical Association, 273, 1106–1112.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, P. A., Kulik, J. A., and Kulik, C. C. (1982). Educational outcomes of tutoring: A meta-analysis of findings. American Educational Research Journal, 19, 237–248.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coie, J. D., Watt, N. E, West, S. G., Hawkins, J. D., Asarnow, J. R., Markman, H. J., Ramey, S. L., Shure, M. B., and Long, B. (1993). The science of prevention: A conceptual framework and some directions for a national research program. American Psychologist, 48, 1013–1022.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Corner, J. P. (1985). The Yale—New Haven Primary Prevention Project: A follow-up study. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 24, 154–160.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Connell, D. B., Turner, R. R., and Mason, E. E (1985). Summary of findings of the school health education evaluation: Health promotion effectiveness, implementation, and costs. Journal of School Health, 55, 316–321.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cowen, E. L. (1994). The enhancement of psychological wellness: Challenges and opportunities. American Journal of Community Psychology, 22, 149–180.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cowen, E. L., Hightower, D., Pedro-Carroll, J., and Work, W. C. (1990). School-based models for primary prevention programming with children. In R. P. Lorion (Ed.), Protecting the children: Strategies for optimizing emotional and behavioral development (pp. 133–160 ). Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dielman, T. E., Shope, J. T., Leech, S. L., and Butchart, A. T. (1989). Differential effectiveness of an elementary school-based alcohol misuse prevention program. Journal of School Health, 59, 255–263.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dryfoos, J. G., (1990). Adolescents at risk: Prevalence and prevention. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Durlak, J. A. (1995). School-based prevention programs for children and adolescents. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dusenbury, L., Botvin, G. J., and James-Ortiz, S. (1990). The primary prevention of adolescent substance abuse through the promotion of personal and social competence. In R. P. Lorion (Ed.), Protecting the children: Strategies for optimizing emotional and behavioral development (pp. 201–224). Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Emery, R. E. (1988). Marriage, divorce, and children’s adjustment. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Finkelhor, D., and Strapko, N. (1992). Sexual abuse prevention education: A review of evaluation studies. In. D. J. Willis, E. W. Holden, and M. Rosenberg (Eds.), Prevention of child maltreatment: Development and ecological perspectives (pp. 150–167 ). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Feiner, R. D., Brand, S., Adan, A. M., Mulhall, P. F., Flowers, N., Sartain, B., and DuBois, D. L. (1993). Restructuring the ecology of the school as an approach to prevention during school transitions: Longitudinal follow-ups and extensions of the School Transitional Environment Project (STEP). Prevention in Human Services, 10, 103–136.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fullan, M. G. (1992). Successful school improvement: The implementation perspective and beyond. Philadelphia: Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Flynn, B. S., Worden, J. K., Secker-Walker, R. H., Pirie, P. L., Badger, G. J., Carpenter, J. H., and Geller, B. M. (1994). Mass media and school interventions for cigarette smoking prevention: Effects 2 years after completion. American Journal of Public Health, 84, 1148–1150.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Greenwood, C. R., Delquadri, J. C., and Hall, R. V. (1989). Longitudinal effects of classwide peer tutoring. Journal of Educational Psychology, 81, 371–383.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greenwood, C. R., Carta, J. J., and Hall, R. V. (1988). The use of peer tutoring strategies in classroom management and educational instruction. School Psychology Review, 17, 258–275.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gullotta, T. P. (1994). The what, who, why, where, when, and how of primary prevention. Journal of Primary Prevention, 15, 5–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hansen, W. B., and Graham, J. W. (1991). Preventing alcohol, marijuana, and cigarette use among adolescents: Peer pressure resistance training versus establishing conservative norms. Preventive Medicine, 20, 414–430.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartman, L. M. (1979). The preventive reduction of psychological risk in asymptomatic adolescents. American Journal of Orthopsycliiatry, 49, 121–135.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hawkins, J. D., Catalano, R. F., and Miller, J. Y. (1992). Risk and protective factors for alcohol and other drug problems in adolescence and early adulthood: Implications for substance abuse prevention. Psychology Bulletin, 112, 64–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hawkins, J. D., Von Cleve, E., and Catalano, H. F., Jr. (1991). Reducing early childhood aggression: Results of a primary prevention program. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 30, 208–217.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Heller, K., Price, R. H., and Sher, K. J. (1980). Research and evaluation in primary prevention: Issues and guidelines. In R. H. Price, R. F. Ketterer, B. C. Bader, and J. Monahan (Eds.), Prevention in mental health: Research, policy, and practice (pp. 285–313 ). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holtzman, D., Greene, B. Z., Ingraham, G. C., Daily, L. A., Demchuk, D. G., and Kolbe, L. J. (1992). HIV education and health education in the United States: A national survey of local school district policies and practices. Journal of School Health, 62, 421–427.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Horacek, H. J., Ramey, C. T., Campbell, F. A., Hoffman, K. P., and Fletcher, R. H. (1987). Predicting school failure and assessing early intervention with high-risk children. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 26, 758–763.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Huberman, M., and Miles, M. (1984). Innovation up close. New York: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Institute of Medicine (1994). Reducing risks for mental disorders: Frontiers for preventive intervention research. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jason, L. A., Thompson, D., and Rose, T. (1986). Methodological issues in prevention. In B. A. Edelstein and L. Michelson (Eds.), Handbook of prevention (pp. 1-19) New York: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jason, L. A., Weine, A. M., Johnson, J. H., Warren-Sohlberg, L., Filipelli, L. A., Turner, E. Y., and Lardon, C. (1992). Helping transfer students: Strategies for educational and social readjustment. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, D. L., (1988). Primary prevention of behavior problems in young children: The Houston Parent-Child Development Center. In R. H. Price, E. L. Cowen, R. P. Lorion, and J. Ramos-McKey (Eds.), Fourteen ounces of prevention: A casebook for practitioners (pp. 44–52 ). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, C. A., Pentz, M. A., Weber, M. D., Dwyer, J. H., Baer, N., MacKinnon, D. P., Hansen, W. B., and Flay, B. R. (1990). Relative effectiveness of comprehensive community programming for drug abuse prevention with high-risk and low-risk adolescents. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 58, 447–456.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kazdin, A. E. (1990). Psychotherapy for children and adolescents. Annual Review of Psychology, 41, 21–54.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kirby, D., Short, L., Collins, J., Rugg, D., Kolbe, L., Howard, L. Miller, B., Sonenstein, F., and Zabin, L. S. (1994). School-based programs to reduce sexual risk behaviors: A review of effectiveness. Public Health Reports, 109, 339–360.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klein, D. C., and Goldston, S. E. (1977). Primary prevention: An idea whose time has come. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Publication No. (ADM) 77–447. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lamb, H. R., and Zusman, J. (1979). Primary prevention in perspective. American Journal of Psychiatry, 136, 12–17.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lipsey, M. W., and Wilson, D. B. (1993). The efficacy of psychological, educational and behavioral treatment. American Psychologist, 48, 1181–1209.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lorion, R. P. (1990). Evaluating HIV risk-reduction efforts: Ten lessons from psychotherapy and prevention outcome strategies. Journal of Community Psychology, 18, 325–336.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manning, W. G., Keeler, E. B., Newhouse, J. P., Sloss, E. M., and Wasserman, J. (1991). The costs of poor health habits. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Masten, A. S., and Garmezy, N. (1985). Risk, vulnerability, and protective factors in developmental psychopathology. In B. B. Lahey and A. E. Kazdin (Eds.), Advances in clinical child psychology (Vol. 8, pp. 1–52 ). New York: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meisels, S. J., and Liaw, F. R. (1993). Failure in grade: Do retained students catch up? Journal of Educational Research, 87, 69–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, B. C., Card, J. J., Paikoff, R. L., and Peterson, J. L. (Eds.). (1992). Preventing adolescent pregnancy: Model programs and evaluations. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Donnell, J., Hawkins, J. D., Catalano, R. G., Abbott, R. D., and Day, L. E. (1995). Preventing school failure, drug use, and delinquency among low-income children: Effects of a longterm prevention project in elementary schools. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 65, 87–100.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Olweus, D. (1994). Annotation: Bullying at school: Basic facts and effects of a school-based intervention program. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 35, 1171–1190.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pekarik, G., and Stephenson, L. A. (1988). Adult and child client differences in therapy dropout research. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 17, 316–321.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perry, C. L., Luepker, R. V., Murray, D. M., Kurth, C., Mullis, R., Crockett, S., and Jacobs, D. R., Jr. (1988). Parent involvement with children’s health promotion: The Minnesota Home Team. American Journal of Public Health, 78, 1156–1160.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Price, R. H., Cowen, E. L., Lorion, R. P., and Ramos-McKay, J. (1989). The search for effective prevention programs: What we learned along the way. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 59, 49–58.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Resnicow, K., Cohn, L., Reinhardt, J., Cross, D., Futterman, R., Kirschner, E., Wynder, E. L., and Allegrante, J. P. (1992). A three-year evaluation of the Know Your Body Program in inner-city schoolchildren. Health Education Quarterly, 19, 463–480.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rohrbach, L. A., Graham, J. W., Sr Hansen, W. B. (1993). Diffusion of a school-based substance abuse prevention program: Predictors of program implementation. Preventive Medicine, 22, 237–260.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ross, J. G., Luepker, R. V., Nelson, G. D., Saavedra, P., and Hubbard, B. M. (1991). Teenage health teaching modules: Impact of teacher training on implementation and student outcomes. Journal of School Health, 61, 31–34.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Russell, L. B. (1986). Is prevention better than cure? Washington, DC: Brookings Institution.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, M. (1979). Protective factors in children’s responses to stress and disadvantage. In M. Whalen and J. E. Rolf (Eds.), Primary prevention of psychopathology: Volume 3. Social competence in children (pp. 49–74 ). Hanover, NH: University Press of New England.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sameroff, A. J., (1987). Transactional risk factors and prevention. In J. Steinberg and M. Silverman (Eds.), Preventing mental disorders: A research perspective (pp. 74–89 ). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scanlon, J. W., Horst, P., Nay, J. N., Schmidt, R. E., and Waller, T. (1977). Evaluability assessment: Avoiding type III and IV errors. In G. R. Gilbert and P. J. Conklin (Eds.), Evaluation management: A source book of readings (pp. 71–90 ). Charlottesville, VA: U.S. Civil Service Commission.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schinke, S. P., Botvin, G. J., and Orlandi, M. A. (1991). Substance abuse in children and adolescents: Evaluation and intervention. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schweinhart, L. J., and Weikart, D. B. (1988). The High/Scope Perry Preschool Program. In R. H. Price, E. L. Cowen, R. P. Lorion, Sr J. Ramos-McKay (Eds.), Fourteen ounces of prevention: A casebook for practitioners (pp. 53–65 ). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shaffer, D., Garland, A., Gould, M., Fisher, P., and Trautman, P. (1988). Preventing teenage suicide: A critical review. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 27, 675–687.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Simons-Morton, B. G., Parcel, G. S., Baranowski, T., Forthofer, R., and O’Mara, N. M. (1991). Promoting physical activity and a healthful diet among children: Results of a school-based intervention study. American Journal of Public Health, 81, 986–991.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Simons-Morton, B. G., Parcel, G. S., and O’Mara, N. M. (1988). Implementing organizational changes to promote healthful diet and physical activity at school. Health Education Quarterly, 15, 115–130.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Simons-Morton, B. G., Taylor, W. C., Snider, S. A., and Huang, I. W. (1993). The physical activity of fifth-grade students during physical education classes. American Journal of Public Health, 83, 262–264.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Slavin, R. E., Karweit, N. L., and Madden, N. A. (1989). Effective programs for students at risk. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Slavin, R. E., Karweit, N. L., Sr Wasik, B. A. (1994). Preventing early school failure. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spivack, G., and Shure, M. (1974). Social adjustment of young children: A cognitive approach to solving real-life problems. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taggart, V. S., Bush, P. J., Zuckerman, A. E., and Theiss, P. K. (1990). A process evaluation of the District of Columbia “Know Your Body” project. Journal of School Health, 60, 60–66.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tobler, N. S. (1986). Meta-analysis of 143 adolescent drug prevention programs: Quantitative outcome results of program participants compared to a control or comparison group. Journal of Drug Issues, 16, 537–567.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walter, H. J., Sr Vaughan, R. D. (1993). AIDS risk reduction among a multiethnic sample of urban high school students. Journal of the American Medical Association, 270, 725–730.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weissberg, R. P., Gesten, E. L., Rapkin, B. D. Cowen, E. L., Davidson, E., de Apodaca, R. F., and McKim, B. J. (1981). The evaluation of a social problem-solving training program for suburban and inner-city third-grade children. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 49, 251–261.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolchik, S. A., West, S. G., Westover, S., Sandler, I. N., Martin, A., Justig, J., Tein, J., and Fisher, J. (1993). The Child of Divorce Parenting Intervention: Outcome evaluation of an empirically based program. American Journal of Community Psychology, 21, 293–331.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Work, W. C., and Olsen, K. H. (1990). Evaluation of a revised fourth-grade social problem solving curriculum: Empathy as a moderator of adjustive gain. Journal of Primary Prevention, 11, 143–157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yates, B. T. (1985). Cost-effectiveness analysis and cost—benefit analysis: An introduction. Behavior Assessment, 83, 201–206.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yoskikawa, H. (1994). Prevention as cumulative protection: Effects of early family support and education on chronic delinquency and its risks. Psychological Bulletin, 115, 28–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zabin, L. S., Hirsch, M. B., Street, R., Emerson, M. R., Hardy, J. B., and King, T. M. (1986). The Baltimore Pregnancy Prevention Program for urban teenagers: I. How did it work? Family Planning Perspectives, 20, 182–187.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Loyola University, Chicago, Illinois, 60626, USA

    Joseph A. Durlak

Authors
  1. Joseph A. Durlak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA

    Thomas H. Ollendick

  2. University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA

    Ronald J. Prinz

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1997 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Durlak, J.A. (1997). Primary Prevention Programs in Schools. In: Ollendick, T.H., Prinz, R.J. (eds) Advances in Clinical Child Psychology. Advances in Clinical Child Psychology, vol 19. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-9035-1_8

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-9035-1_8

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-9037-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-9035-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation