The Effects of School-Based Intervention Programs on Aggressive Behavior: A Meta-Analysis
Title
The Effects of School-Based Intervention Programs on Aggressive Behavior: A Meta-Analysis
Author
Wilson, S.J., Lipsey, M., & Derzon, J.H.
Source
Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology; Vol 71, Issue 1
Year Published
2003
Background
There is a need of programs that reduce and prevent behaviors such as fighting, name-calling, bullying, and general intimidation that can create a negative school climate and lead to serious violence. Therefore, the effectiveness of school-based programs for preventing or reducing these forms of aggressive behavior is the focus of this study. School-based intervention programs have been evaluated to support systemic review of their effectiveness and can be cataloged into two categories: demonstration programs, implemented and evaluated by a researcher mainly for research or demonstration purposes; and routine practice programs, in which the program being studied already exist in the school on an ongoing basis and the evaluation is conducted either by school-based or outside researchers. This meta-analysis focuses specifically on changes in aggressive behavior and does not take into account changes in attitude, skills, and intention. Studies on any school-based program that measured aggressive behavior as an outcome variable and programs identified explicitly as violence or aggression prevention programs were included.
Research Questions
This meta-analysis had two major purposes:
- Differentiate research-oriented demonstration programs from practice-oriented programs and evaluate the evidence for the effectiveness of intervention programs as they are routinely used in schools;
- Study changes in aggressive behavior over time periods covered by studies of school-based intervention programs, because the children exposed to these programs were in various developmental stages that may make aggressive behavior dynamic and undergoing.
Findings
- The most outstanding characteristic of the outcome research on school based interventions is that they deal primarily with the results of demonstration programs.
- There is little information about the effects of programs implemented by schools. The data available, suggests that those practice programs have minimal effects on the aggressive behavior they target.
- Regardless of the fact that demonstration programs are not representative of routine practice programs, they produced encouraging evidence about what practice programs might achieve under favorable circumstances.
- Youth in untreated control groups, showed little change on levels of aggressive behavior even across different levels of risk and different ages.
- The role of school-based programs is primarily to reduce the levels of aggression that are already occurring, rather than preventing potential increases. Programs are most effective in contexts where the base rates of aggressive behavior are high enough for meaningful reduction to be possible.
- Regardless of student characteristics, school-based interventions to reduce aggressive behavior were positive, however, the type of intervention did affect the overall success of the intervention.
- Behavioral and counseling approaches showed the largest effects followed closely by social competence training with and without cognitive behavioral components. Multimodal and peer mediation programs showed the smallest effects.
- Interventions were generally more effective when they were implemented well and relatively intensely, used one-on-one formats, and were administered by teachers.
Conclusion/Recommendations
There was not enough evidence about the effectiveness of routine practice programs to support any solid conclusions. Research suggests that in order to be successful in implementing programs, service delivery personnel should be trained, supervised and have support. Compared to the routine practice programs, demonstration programs showed significant researcher involvement in training and supervision of delivery personnel. Future research should conduct more controlled evaluations of routine programs in school settings.