Violence is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality amongst young people. Public health approaches are now being increasingly utilised to reduce the risk of young peoples' involvement in violence. One such programme is Medics Against Violence (MAV), which aims to reduce pro-violent attitudes and enhance empathy in secondary school pupils. This thesis aims to investigate whether this approach can be effective in tackling youth violence in secondary school pupils. A mixed-methods approach was adopted to conduct both an outcome and process evaluation of MAV. Four schools took part in the outcome evaluation, which examined whether there was a change in attitudes towards violence or empathy in pupils receiving the MAV programme. The process evaluation consisted of focus groups with school pupils, and open-ended questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with MAV volunteers. There was a small but significant reduction in pro-violent attitudes immediately post-intervention. However, this was not sustained at three months and there was no significant increase in empathy scores. Pupils generally demonstrated anti-violent attitudes, although were more likely to support the use of reactive violence. The pupils appeared to enjoy and generally engage well with the programme. In particular, the use of real footage, interviews with those affected by violence and the Glasgow setting provided a sense of realism for the pupils. Moreover, pupils valued the opportunity to discuss the issues raised by MAV with the volunteers. Volunteers felt engagement was occasionally an issue in the most affluent areas. However, some volunteers adapted the programme to focus on victimisation prevention in the most affluent schools. Further development is therefore needed in terms of establishing who the programme is aimed at (i.e. potential victims or perpetrators), focusing on reactive violence and increasing the sustainability of its effects.

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Program evaluations are increasingly assessing the impact of treatment delivery and program processes on outcomes. The current study examined the effects of program fidelity, measured across various dimensions, and relationship quality on behavior change and knowledge gained outcomes in 241 middle and high school students who were participating in Expect Respect, an evidence-based dating violence prevention program. Cross-level, hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) analyses found that program fidelity was not a significant predictor of participant outcomes. However, main effects for relationship quality were present for the knowledge gained outcome measure. Subsequent cross-level interactions provided further support for the importance of relationship quality in prevention program outcomes.

NOVÁK, Petr. Efektivita primární prevence užívání tabáku v rámci programu Unplugged. [Effectiveness of primary prevention of tobacco use in the program Unplugged]. Praha, 2015. Počet stran 187, počet příloh 3. Disertační práce (Ph.D.). Univerzita Karlova v Praze, 1. lékařská fakulta, Psychiatrická klinika. Školitel prof. PhDr. Michal Miovský, Ph.D. ABSTRACT: This dissertation is based and was a part of large randomised trial featuring an evaluation of the effect of the school-based Unplugged prevention program implemented as part of the EU-Dap-2 international project. Consumption of tobbaco is one of the key risk factors causing serious illness and early death, although that can be prevented effectively. The Unplugged intervention consists of a total of 12 lessons delivered within one academic year and is based on the Comprehensive Social Influence Model. Aims: To ascertain whether the Unplugged program has an impact on tobacco use, by means of the lifetime and 30-day prevalence indicators. To verify the duration of the program's measurable effect over time using retests. Methods: The randomised trial of the program was conducted on a total of 1874 children (with a mean age of 11.8 years), who were divided into the experimental group (exposed Unplugged intervention) and the control group (without...

NOVÁK, Petr. Efektivita primární prevence užívání tabáku v rámci programu Unplugged. [Effectiveness of primary prevention of tobacco use in the program Unplugged]. Praha, 2015. Počet stran 187, počet příloh 3. Disertační práce (Ph.D.). Univerzita Karlova v Praze, 1. lékařská fakulta, Psychiatrická klinika. Školitel prof. PhDr. Michal Miovský, Ph.D. ABSTRACT: This dissertation is based and was a part of large randomised trial featuring an evaluation of the effect of the school-based Unplugged prevention program implemented as part of the EU-Dap-2 international project. Consumption of tobbaco is one of the key risk factors causing serious illness and early death, although that can be prevented effectively. The Unplugged intervention consists of a total of 12 lessons delivered within one academic year and is based on the Comprehensive Social Influence Model. Aims: To ascertain whether the Unplugged program has an impact on tobacco use, by means of the lifetime and 30-day prevalence indicators. To verify the duration of the program's measurable effect over time using retests. Methods: The randomised trial of the program was conducted on a total of 1874 children (with a mean age of 11.8 years), who were divided into the experimental group (exposed Unplugged intervention) and the control group (without...

Background: The prevalence of mental illness, especially anxiety and depression, has increased among children and adolescents, causes suffering. Anxiety and depression can also have serious consequences, including an increased risk of early death among this age group. It is, however, important to point out that these risks can be prevented. School health care plays an essential role when it comes to preventing mental illness among students. Aim: To demonstrate whether the preventive work in schools has any effect on reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression among adolescents in the risk group. Method: A literature review with a quantitative approach was chosen to answer the aim of the study. The study is based on 19 studies where the participants in the sample are in the age group 11 to 18 years. Result: Several different prevention programs were used to prevent mental illness in students in the risk group. The majority of included studies failed to demonstrate a significant effect on reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression among adolescents. The result did however show that some prevention programs such as cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness had reduced anxiety and depressive symptoms. Conclusion: The included studies indicate that there are several prevention programs used to relieve anxiety and depression among adolescents at risk. This study aims to emphasize the importance of preventive efforts in school healthcare, even though the results may not fully confirm the effectiveness of all included prevention programs. / Bakgrund: Förekomsten av psykisk ohälsa, särskilt ångest och depression, har ökat bland barn och ungdomar och orsakar lidande. Ångest och depression kan även ha allvarliga konsekvenser, inklusive en ökad risk för tidig död bland denna åldersgrupp. Det är dock viktigt att påpeka att dessa risker kan förebyggas. Skolhälsovården spelar en väsentlig roll när det kommer till att förebygga och adressera psykisk ohälsa bland elever.  Syfte: Att påvisa om det preventiva arbetet i skolor har någon effekt på att reducera symtom på ångest och depression bland ungdomar i riskgruppen.  Metod: En litteraturöversikt med kvantitativ ansats valdes för att besvara arbetets syfte. Arbetet bygger på 19 studier där deltagarna i urvalet är i åldersgruppen 11 till 18 år. Resultat: Flera olika preventionsprogram användes för att förebygga psykisk ohälsa hos elever i riskgruppen. Majoriteten av inkluderade studier kunde inte påvisa signifikant effekt på att minska symtom på ångest och depression bland ungdomar. Resultatet visade dock att vissa förebyggande program såsom kognitiv beteendeterapi och mindfulness hade minskat ångest och depressiva symtom. Slutsats: Inkluderade studier visar att det finns flera preventionsprogram som används för att förebygga ångest och depression hos ungdomar i riskgruppen. Detta arbete vill betona betydelsen av förebyggande insatser inom skolhälsovården, även om resultaten inte helt kan bekräfta effektiviteten av samtliga inkluderade preventionsprogram.

Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur begreppet skyddsfaktorer hos barn och ungdomar synliggörs och hur kunskap om ämnet tillämpas i tre svenska skolbaserade preventionsprogram: Social och Emotionell Träning (SET), Örebro Preventionsprogram (ÖPP) och Community Parent Education Program (COPE). Tidigare forskning om barn och ungdomars skyddsfaktorer talar för att ett främjande av dessa faktorer kan hjälpa barn och ungdomar undvika att utveckla ett normbrytande beteende. Den här studien har inriktat sig på skolbaserade preventionsprogram då skolan är den sociala arena där barn och ungdomar spenderar majoriteten av sin vakna tid. Studiens frågeställningar är som följer: - Hur synliggörs begreppet skyddsfaktorer i programbeskrivningarna för de tre utvalda skolbaserade preventionsprogrammen? - Hur tillämpas den kunskap som finns om skyddsfaktorer i det praktiska arbetet med preventionsprogrammen enligt hur det beskrivs i programbeskrivningarna? - Finns det några likheter eller skillnader mellan programmen med avseende på deras tillämpning av kunskaper om skyddsfaktorers betydelse? En innehållsanalys av preventionsprogrammens egna material har genomförts utifrån två utvalda teman: preventionsprogrammens utformning och bakgrund samt skyddsfaktorer – hur begreppet synliggörs och hur kunskaper används. Resultaten har därefter kopplats till tidigare forskning om barn och ungdomars skyddsfaktorer. Antonovskys teorier om det salutogena perspektivet och KASAM (Känsla Av SAMmanhang) samt systemteori och Bronfenbrenners utvecklingsekologiska modell har utgjort studiens teoretiska referensramar. Genom analys av resultatet har det framkommit att de olika preventionsprogrammen skiljer sig åt i sin utformning. Dels huruvida de är ett universellt eller selektivt preventionsprogram och dels huruvida de fokuserar på barnens och ungdomarnas individuella skyddsfaktorer eller skyddsfaktorer i familjen. Endast ett av preventionsprogrammen tog uttryckligen upp skyddsfaktorer hos barn och ungdomar i sitt material och kopplade denna kunskap till programmets utformning samt genomförande. I materialet som tillhör de andra två preventionsprogrammen blev begreppet och kunskapen inte lika tydlig, men ämnet blev ändå synligt på mer implicita sätt. / This bachelor thesis aims to explore how the concept of protective factors among children and youths are made visible and how knowledge on the subject is implemented in three Swedish school-based prevention programs: Social och Emotionell Träning (SET), Örebro Preventionsprogram (ÖPP) and Community Parent Education Program (COPE). Existing research on protective factors among children and youths suggests that a promoting of these factors within the lives of vulnerable children and youths can help them resist a development of an antisocial behavior. This bachelor thesis will be looking at school-based preventions programs because school is the social arena where most kids spend a majority of their time spent outside of their home. The study aims to answer the following questions: - How is the concept of protective factors made visible in the program descriptions of the three school-based prevention programs? - How is knowledge on the subject of protective factors implemented in the practice of the prevention programs according to how it is described in the program descriptions? - Are there any similarities or differences between the programs in regard to their implementation of knowledge on the subject of protective factors and their importance? A content analysis was performed on the literature of the three prevention programs on the basis of two chosen themes: the prevention programs design and background as well as protective factors – how the concept is made visible and how knowledge is implemented. The results have then been connected to existing research on protective factors among children and youths. The theoretical framework of the study consists of Antonovsky’s theory on the salutogenic model and SOC (Sense of Coherence) as well as systems theory and Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model. When analyzing the material it was found that the three prevention programs were different in their design. Partly whether they are universal or selective preventions, and partly whether they have chosen to aim their focus at the children and youths individual protective factors or on their parental protective factors. Only one of the prevention programs explicitly mentioned protective factors in its material and implemented the knowledge on the subject in the programs design and execution. In the material belonging to the other two prevention programs the concept of protective factors and knowledge on the subject was not as apparent, but the subject was still visible in more implicit ways.

Social and emotional learning (SEL) programs have become increasingly popular during last 20 years, and have shown to reduce risky behaviors (i.e., substance use), improve communication skills, academic performance, and relationships among students of all ages when implemented in schools (Weissberg, Durlak, Domitrovich, & Gullotta, 2015; Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, & Schellinger, 2011). Although the benefits of SEL programs are significant, the issue of implementation fidelity often arises. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of implementation fidelity in the Life Skills Training program (LST) implemented with middle school students of a large South Florida school district. A not-for-profit-organization (NFPO) facilitated the training of teachers who implemented LST within the school district and provided the materials necessary to carry out the program’s lessons. Fidelity was assessed by eight observers from the NFPO by utilizing the Botvin Life Skills Training Fidelity Checklist-Middle School Level 1. Three core elements of implementation fidelity, adherence, quality of delivery, and participant responsiveness, were assessed. The school district was tasked with modifying and conducting the LST Pretest/Posttest Measure to assess student behavior gains. Multilevel modeling was used to assess the effect of individual-level (gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status [SES]) and classroom-level characteristics (adherence, participant responsiveness, and quality of delivery) on student behavior outcomes measured at posttest. Results from this study indicated that on the individual level, students’ race/ethnicity and SES were significantly associated with predicting student behavior gains at posttest. On the classroom level, participant responsiveness was significantly associated with predicting student behavior gains at posttest. The findings from this study make a unique contribution to the literature as it examined frequently overlooked core elements of fidelity such as participant responsiveness and quality of delivery.

The newly revised 2017-2018 British Columbian high school curriculum, as a prevention education response to a growing concern around children and youths’ mental health, indicates that students will learn the signs and symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression and be able to explain strategies to promote mental well-being (Province of British Columbia, 2016). Youth voices may help in shaping this curriculum objective. This study explores the meaning that five high school students, who were trained to facilitate an anxiety-prevention program, make of the problem of anxiety and prevention through their narratives, applying a narrative methodology and analysis. These youth narratives do not provide a singular explanation, truth or understanding of anxiety; like all narratives, they hold multiple truths. The youth narratives are drawn from the participants’ local experiential knowledge as well as prevailing discourses that shape their understanding. The types of narratives in this inquiry include: i) the quest for problem-free childhoods; ii) the genesis of knowledge; and iii) overcoming giant stigma by connecting. There are implications and considerations pulled from the narratives, including how a prevailing psychologized discourse may obscure contextual factors in making sense of anxiety and prevention. This inquiry may help educators and other professionals to imagine what else could be possible in conceptualizing the problem of anxiety and implementing prevention programs. It is hoped that this study will add to the current dialogue around prevention and support strategies in British Columbian schools and beyond. / Graduate / 0525 / 0680 / 0519 / 0533 / 0347 / arfelix3@gmail.com

The diploma thesis deals with the topic of risk behavior prevention on the elementary schools. It focuses especially on the teachers who are in the position of the school prevention workers and their perceived level of preparedness with regard to their duties specified in reguletion. The aim of this thesis is aslo to identify the possibillities for improvement of their work on the field of school-based prevention.