title: Effectiveness of school-based violence prevention for children and youth: a research report.
abstract: Aggression, bullying and violence in children and youth are prevalent in Canada (18%) and internationally. The authors evaluated the effectiveness of Roots of Empathy (ROE), a school-based mental health promotion and violence prevention program for children that has been widely implemented but rarely evaluated. Eight school divisions were randomly assigned to either a treatment group that received ROE in 2002-2003 (445 students) or a wait-list control group (315 students). These were compared on three child mental health outcomes (physical aggression, indirect aggression and pro-social behaviour), rated by teachers and students (self-rated). The three wait-list school divisions received ROE in 2003-2004 (new cohort of 265 students) and were compared with the control group from 2002-2003 on the three outcomes, for replication purposes. For both comparisons, the authors report multi-level modelling analyses regarding (1) immediate effects after ROE completion at the end of the school year (pretest to post-test) and (2) long-term ROE effects up to three years after post-test. ROE had replicated, beneficial effects on all teacher-rated outcomes, which were generally maintained or further improved across follow-up. However, ROE had almost no statistically significant or replicated effects on student-rated outcomes. This is the first evaluation to suggest that ROE appears effective when implemented on a large scale under real-world delivery conditions.
authors: PhD, is the scientific director for the Healthy Child Manitoba Office (HCMO), in Winnipeg, Manitoba; senior policy advisor to the Healthy Child Committee of Cabinet (HCCC); and senior advisor to the deputy minister of healthy living, youth and seniors, in the government of Manitoba, where he has served since 1998. In 2006, Dr. Santos was cross-appointed as an assistant professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, at the University of Manitoba, and in 2008 as a research scientist at the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy (MCHP).
authors: Robert G
authors: RG
authors: Santos
authors: RN, PhD, is the senior research scientist for HCMO, HCCC, government of Manitoba, and has served there since 2003. In 2008, Dr. Chartier was cross-appointed as an assistant professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, at the University of Manitoba, and as a research scientist at MCHP.
authors: Mariette J
authors: MJ
authors: Chartier
authors: BEd, MSc, is a research and evaluation consultant. She has implemented research projects and program evaluations in educational, hospital and community settings for over two decades, including for HCMO since 1998; and is currently a project officer for the Office of Community Medicine, First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, Health Canada.
authors: Jeanne C
authors: JC
authors: Whalen
authors: PhD, is a research scientist at MCHP and also served from 2001 to 2010 as a consultant for the Biostatistical Consulting Unit of the Department of Community Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, at the University of Manitoba.
authors: Dan
authors: D
authors: Chateau
authors: MSW, RSW, is the director of policy development, research and evaluation for HCMO, HCCC, government of Manitoba, and has served there since 1976. She was a founding member of the Manitoba Children and Youth Secretariat in 1994, which set the foundations for the Healthy Child Manitoba Strategy in 2000 and the proclamation of The Healthy Child Manitoba Act in 2007.
authors: Leanne
authors: L
authors: Boyd
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D058445:Bullying / Q000517:prevention & control; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012572:School Health Services; D014754:Violence / Q000517:prevention & control*