Skip to main content
Log in

Multi-Year Evaluation of the Effectiveness of a Resilience-Based Prevention Program for Young Children

  • Published:
Journal of Primary Prevention Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This article describes the results of a multi-year, multi-state evaluation of the effectiveness of an early childhood prevention initiative that translates resilience research into practice. Targeted to children in preschool through the early elementary grades, the intervention comprises teacher training, a year-long classroom curriculum, original materials and music, and a companion parent education program. The evaluation methodology evolved from pre-experimental to true experimental design and encompassed multiple program replications. Child outcome data indicate that the intervention is effective in both: (a) strengthening children's social-emotional competence and positive coping skills and (b) suppressing the development of antisocial, aggressive behavior. The systematic process and outcome evaluation of this prevention initiative fills a gap by providing hard evidence of the effectiveness of a developmentally appropriate, research-based intervention for young children.

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

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • American Psychological Association. (1993). Violence and youth: Psychology's response. Summary report of the American Psychological Association Commission on Violence and Youth (Vol. 1). (New York, NY: Sol Goldman Charitable Trust.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benard, B. (1993). Fostering resiliency in kids. Educational Leadership, 51(3), 44–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benard, B. (1999). The foundations of the resiliency paradigm. In N. Henderson, B. Benard, & N. Sharp-Light (Eds.), Resiliency in action: Practical ideas for overcoming risks and building strengths in youth, families, and communities (pp. 5–9). Gorham, ME: Resiliency in Action.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bliesener, T., & Loesel, F. (1992). Resilience in juveniles with high risk of delinquency. In F. Loesel, D. Bender, & T. Bliesener (Eds.), Psychology and law: International perspectives (pp. 62–75). Berlin, Germany: Walter De Gruyter.

    Google Scholar 

  • Born, M., Chevalier, V., & Humblet, I. (1997). Resilience, desistance and delinquent career of adolescent offenders. Journal of Adolescence, 20, 679–694.

    Google Scholar 

  • Catalano, R. F., Berglund, M. L., Ryan, J. A. M., Lonczak, H. S., & Hawkins, J. D. (1998). Positive youth development in the United States: Research findings on evaluations of positive youth development programs. Retrieved September 4, 2002, from U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation Web site: http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/PositiveYouthDev99/

  • Catalano, R. F., & Hawkins, J. D. (1996). The social development model: A theory of antisocial behavior. In J. D. Hawkins (Ed.), Delinquency and crime: Current theories (pp. 149–197). New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coie, J. D., & Dodge, K. A. (1998). Aggression and antisocial behavior. In W. Damon (Series Ed.) & N. Eisenberg (Vol. Ed.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 3, Social, emotional, and personality development (5th ed., pp. 779–862). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Consortium on the School-based Promotion of Social Competence. (1996). The school-based promotion of social competence: Theory, research, practice, and policy. In R. J. Haggerty, L. R. Sherrod, N. Garmezy, & M. Rutter (Eds.), Stress, risk, and resilience in children and adolescents: Processes, mechanisms, and interventions. (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cowen, E. L., Wyman, P. A., Work, W. C., & Iker, M. R. (1995). A preventive intervention for enhancing resilience among highly stressed urban children. Journal of Primary Prevention, 15, 247–260.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dubas, J. S., Lynch, K. B., Galano, J., Geller, S., & Hunt, D. (1998). Preliminary evaluation of a resiliency-based preschool substance abuse and violence prevention project. Journal of Drug Education, 28, 235–255.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eisenberg, N., Fabes, R. A., Bernzweig, J., Karbon, M., Poulin, R., & Hanish, L. (1993). The relations of emotionality and regulation to preschoolers' social skills and sociometric status. Child Development, 64, 1418–1438.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fashola, O. S., & Slavin, R. E. (1997). Promising programs for elementary and middle schools: Evidence of effectiveness and replicability. Journal of Education for Students Placed At Risk, 2, 251–307.

    Google Scholar 

  • Finkelhor, D., & Dziuba-Leatherman, J. (1994). Victimization of children. American Psychologist, 49, 173–183.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fraser, M. W., & Galinsky, M. J. (1997). Toward a resilience-based model of practice. In M. W. Fraser (Ed.), Risk and resilience in childhood: An ecological perspective (pp. 265–275). Washington, DC: NASW Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freedman, M. (1993). The kindness of strangers. (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garmezy, N., & Masten, A. S. (1994). Chronic adversities. In M. Rutter, E. Taylor, & L. Hersov (Eds.), Child and adolescent psychiatry: Modern approaches (pp. 191–208). Oxford, England: Blackwell Scientific.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenberg, M. T., Domitrovich, C., & Bumbarger, B. (1999). Preventing mental disorders in school-age children: A review of the effectiveness of prevention programs. Retrieved September 6, 2002, from Penn State University Prevention Research Center Web site: http://www.prevention.psu.edu/CMHS.html

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

    Google Scholar 

  • Henderson, N., & Milstein, M. M. (1996). Resiliency in schools: Making it happen for students and educators. (Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kellam, S. G., Ling, X., Merisca, R., Brown, C. H., & Ialongo, N. (1998). The effect of level of aggression in the first grade on the course and malleability of aggressive behavior into middle school. Development and Psychopathology, 10, 165–185.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krovetz, M. L. (1999). Fostering resiliency: Expecting all students to use their minds and hearts well. (Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lecca, P. J., & Watts, T. D. (1993). Preschoolers and substance abuse: Strategies for prevention and intervention. (Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Loeber, R., & Hay, D. (1994). Developmental approaches to aggression and conduct problems. In M. Rutter & D. F. Hay (Eds.), Development through life: A handbook for clinicians (pp. 488–515). Oxford: Blackwell Scientific.

    Google Scholar 

  • Loeber, R., & Hay, D. (1997). Key issues in the development of aggression and violence from childhood to early adulthood. Annual Review of Psychology, 48, 371–410.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lynch, K. B., Geller, S. R., Hunt, D. R., Galano, J., & Dubas, J. S. (1998). Successful program development using implementation evaluation. Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community, 17(2), 51–64.

    Google Scholar 

  • Masten, A. (2001). Ordinary magic: Resilience processes in development. American Psychologist, 56, 227–238.

    Google Scholar 

  • Masten, A., Best, K. M., & Garmezy, N. (1990). Resilience and development: Contributions from the study of children who overcome adversity. Development and Psychopathology, 2, 425–444.

    Google Scholar 

  • Masten, A. S., & Coatsworth, J. D. (1998). The development of competence in favorable and unfavorable environments: Lessons from research on successful children. American Psychologist, 53, 205–220.

    Google Scholar 

  • Merrell, K. W. (1994). Preschool and kindergarten behavior scales test manual. (Brandon, VT: Clinical Psychology Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, G. E., Brehm, K., & Whitehouse, S. (1998). Reconceptualizing school-based prevention for antisocial behavior within a resiliency framework. School Psychology Review, 27, 364–379.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Institute for Drug Abuse. (1995). Monitoring the future. (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parker, G. R., Cowen, E. L., Work, W. C., & Wyman, P. A. (1990). Test correlates of stress affected and stress resilient outcomes among urban children. Journal of Primary Prevention, 11, 19–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pianta, R. C., Steinberg, M. S., & Rollins, K. B. (1995). The first two years of school: Teacher-child relationships and deflections in children's classroom adjustment. Development and Psychopathology, 7, 295–312.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pianta, R. C., & Walsh, D. J. (1998). Applying the construct of resilience in schools: Cautions from a developmental systems perspective. School Psychology Review, 27, 407–417.

    Google Scholar 

  • Radke-Yarrow, M., & Brown, F. (1993). Resilience and vulnerability in children of multiple-risk families. Development and Psychopathology, 5, 581–592.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, M. (1987). Psychosocial resilience and protective mechanisms. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 57, 316–331.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, M. (1989). Pathways from childhood to adult life. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 30, 23–51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sandler, I. (2001). Quality and ecology of adversity as common mechanisms of risk and resilience. American Journal of Community Psychology, 29, 19–61.

    Google Scholar 

  • Virginia Commonwealth University Intellectual Property Foundation. (1997). Child Behavior Rating Scale. (Richmond, VA: Wingspan, LLC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Werner, E. E. (1993). Risk, resilience, and recovery: Perspectives from the Kauai Longitudinal Study. Development and Psychopathology, 5, 503–515.

    Google Scholar 

  • Werner, E. E. (1995). Resilience in development. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 4, 81–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Werner, E. E. (1999). How children become resilient: Observations and cautions. In N. Henderson, B. Benard, & N. Sharp-Light (Eds.), Resiliency in action: Practical ideas for overcoming risks and building strengths in youth, families, and communities (pp. 11–20). Gorham, ME: Resiliency in Action.

    Google Scholar 

  • Werner, E. E. (2000). Protective factors and individual resilience. In J. P. Shonkoff & S. J. Meisels (Eds.), Handbook of early childhood intervention (2nd ed., pp. 115–134). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Werner, E. E., & Smith, R. S. (1989). Vulnerable but invincible: A longitudinal study of resilient children and youth. (New York: Adams, Bannister, Cox.

    Google Scholar 

  • Werner, E. E., & Smith, R. S. (1992). Overcoming the odds: High risk children from birth to adulthood. (New York, NY: Cornell University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wingspan, L. L. C. (1999). Al's Pals: Kids Making Healthy Choices. (Richmond, VA: Author.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lynch, K.B., Geller, S.R. & Schmidt, M.G. Multi-Year Evaluation of the Effectiveness of a Resilience-Based Prevention Program for Young Children. The Journal of Primary Prevention 24, 335–353 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOPP.0000018052.12488.d1

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOPP.0000018052.12488.d1

Navigation