title: The Sense of School Belonging and Implementation of a Prevention Program: Toward Healthier Interpersonal Relationships Among Early Adolescents.
abstract: The purpose of this qualitative study is to pave the way for the establishment of healthy interpersonal relations by facilitating an understanding of the impacts ofLions Quest Skills for Adolescenceas perceived by adolescents and teachers who took part in it.Lions Questhas become recognized as an evidence-based program for preventing alcohol and drug use through the development of social skills and the promotion of meaningful engagement in the school community (Lions Clubs International, Overview of Skills for Adolescence 2013). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 7th and 8th grade Francophone and Anglophone adolescents from three schools in Eastern Ontario who had participated inLions Quest. Deductive and inductive analysis of interview transcripts clearly underscored that the positive perceptions of those early adolescents on the quality of their relationships with friends outweigh the negative impression that can be created by peer pressures at this age. It is through such a filter that these adolescents came to appreciate the impact ofLions Quest.Their need to be part of a circle of friends also comes to the fore as a crucial component of a sense of school belonging (Faircloth and Hamm (2005) J Youth Adolesc 34:293-309), highlighting the need to incorporate more of this form of positive social norm into interventions and prevention geared toward early adolescents. The data also underline the complementary importance attributed to having positive relationships with supportive adults.
authors.affiliation: University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON Canada ; University of Ottawa, 120 University Street, Room 12022, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 Canada.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Drolet
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Arcand
authors.forename: Daphne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ducharme
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leblanc
keywords: Early adolescents; Evidence-based practice; Healthy peer relations; Prevention of alcohol and drug use; Promotion of social skills; Qualitative methodology