BUILDING RESILIENCY IN CHILDREN: Preventing Serious Behavior Problems

1. BUILDING RESILIENCY IN CHILDREN: Preventing Serious Behavior Problems Richard P. West, Ph.D. Center for the School of the Future Utah State University Rich.west@usu.edu www.csf.usu.edu

2. ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR Defined: • Recurrent violations of socially prescribed patterns of behavior (Simcha-Fagan, Langer, Gersten, & Eisenberg, 1975, p.7) • Opposite of prosocial • Hostility, aggression, defiance, willingness to violate rules • Aversive to others • Deviationfrom accepted rules and expected standards • Deviance across range of settings • Most frequently cited reason for mental health services (Achenbach, 1985; Quay, 1986; Reid, 1993; Walker, Colvin, & Ramsey, 1995)

3. ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR Facts and Findings • More boys than girls • Overt and covert types • Early antisocial behavior predicts adolescent delinquency • 70%of youth arrested within 3 yrs. of leaving school • Aggressive behavior is stable over time • Identified at 3 or 4 years of age • Severe antisocial behavior patterns are more stable • Antisocial behavior persisting beyond third grade is chronic problem • Early intervention is only hope • Antisocial children are at risk for long term problems • School adjustment measures predict future arrests (Walker, Colvin, & Ramsey, 1995; p. 6)

4. JUVENILE VIOLENCE • Adolescents are killing their friends • Huge surge in reactive aggression • Escalation of weapons use • Two pathways to development of violent behavior • Key risk factors: • a. High irritability • b. Stressed families • Emphasis upon harsh punishment • Affiliation with antisocial peers • Schools unprepared to deal with violent students • Perception of unfair treatment • Antisocial behavior at home and school predicts violence • Lack of parental supervision escalates violence (Walker, Colvin, & Ramsey, 1995; p. 363)

5. What Problems Do We Face in Schools? • Problem behavior in schools is increasing in frequency and intensity. • School-wide discipline systems are unclear and inconsistently implemented. • Educators rely on reactive and crisis management interventions to solve chronic behavior problems. • Teachers are being asked to do more with less, and to teach when students display severe problem behavior. • Students have limited structured opportunities to learn social skills and to receive feedback on their use of these social skills. • Alternative placements are becoming more difficult to find. Sugai, 1997

6. THE GOOD OLD DAYS? “The world is too big for us. Too much is going on. Too many crimes, too much violence and excitement. Try as you will, you get behind in the race in spite of yourself. It is an incessant strain to keep pace, and still you lose ground. Science empties its discoveries on you so fast you stagger beneath them in hopeless bewilderment. Everything is high-pressure. Human nature can’t endure much more.” Editorial in the Atlantic Journal, June 16, 1833.

7. THE CHALLENGE All over America, young adolescents’ experiences of growing up have changed dramatically in the past two decades. Families, schools, and community organizations, the three pivotal institutions that once met the crucial requirements of adolescents to become productive adults, have been slow to adapt to new social realities.

8. Factors that Contribute to Antisocial Behaviors • Home (Dishion & Patterson) • Inconsistent management • Punitive management • Lack of monitoring • Community (Biglan, 1995) • Antisocial network of peers • Lack of prosocial engagements • School(Mayer, 1995) • Punitive disciplinary approach • Lack of clarity of rules, expectations, and consequences • Lack of staff support • Failure to consider and accommodate individual differences • Academic failure Sugai, 1997

9. Table 1. Risk Factors that Predict Adolescent Problem Behavior Factors Targeted Directly () and Indirectly () by this Initiative Substance Abuse School Drop-Out Teen Pregnancy Delinquency Violence

10. Table 1. Risk Factors that Predict Adolescent Problem Behavior Factors Targeted Directly () and Indirectly () by this Initiative Factors Targeted Directly ( ) and Indirectly ( ) by this Initiative School Drop-Out Substance Abuse Teen Pregnancy Violence Delinquency

11. Table 1. Risk Factors that Predict Adolescent Problem Behavior Factors Targeted Directly () and Indirectly () by this Initiative Substance Abuse School Drop-Out Teen Pregnancy Delinquency Violence

12. Table 1. Risk Factors that Predict Adolescent Problem Behavior Factors Targeted Directly () and Indirectly () by this Initiative Substance Abuse School Drop-Out Teen Pregnancy Delinquency Violence

13. Table 1. Risk Factors that Predict Adolescent Problem Behavior Factors Targeted Directly () and Indirectly () by this Initiative Factors Targeted Directly ( ) and Indirectly ( ) by this Initiative Substance Abuse School Drop-Out Teen Pregnancy Violence Delinquency

14. RISK or RESILIENCY? • RISK FACTORS predict future problems • PROTECTIVE FACTORS shield from the effects of risk factors • VULNERABILITY denotes increased susceptibility to risk • RESILIENCY is the ability to resist or surmount risk

15. VULNERABILITY • increases according to the number and intensity of risk factors (including the length of time exposed)

16. RESILIENCY • increases according to the number and intensity of protective factors

18. PROTECTIVE FACTORS Aspects of peoples’ lives that counter risk factors or provide buffers against them • Individual Characteristics • Gender • A resilient temperament • A positive social orientation • Intelligence • Bonding • Attached to positive families, friends, school, and community • Healthy Beliefs and Clear Standards • Adopted from those to whom the youth is “bonded” • Clear, positive standards • High expectations

20. More Assets Mean Less High Risk Behavior 217,000 6th- to 12th-grade Youth, 318 Communities, 33 States 1999-2000 School Year

21. More Assets Mean More Positive Behavior/Attitude 217,000 6th- to 12th-grade Youth, 318 Communities, 33 States 1999-2000 School Year

22. School-Based Responses to Antisocial Behavior • Least effectiveresponses to school violence are: • Counseling • Psychotherapy • Punishment(Gottfredson,1997; Lipsey, 1991; Lipsey & Wilson, 1993; Tolan & Guerra, 1994) • Exclusion is the most common response for conduct-disordered, juvenile delinquent, and behaviorally disordered youth(Lane & Murakami, 1987) • Punishing problem behaviors without a school-wide system of support is associated with increased… • Aggression • Vandalism • Truancy • Tardiness • Dropping out(Mayer, 1995; Mayer & Sulzer-Azaroff, 1991)

23. School-Based Responses to Antisocial Behavior • Most effective responses to school violence are: • Social skills training • Academic and curricular restructuring • Behavioral interventions(Gottfredson, 1997; Lipsey, 1991, 1992; Lipsey & Wilson, 1993; Tolan & Guerra, 1994)

24. The Solution to the Problem of Antisocial Behavior • SCHOOL ORGANIZATION • High commitment from principal and teachers • Intensive training of key personnel • School-wide rewards based upon positive incentives rather than negative sanctions • SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS • Comprehensive in scope and intensive in application • Address changing individual and community norms about violence and appropriate behaviors • Sensitivity to cultural differences in social interaction patterns and styles • Practice in real-life situations • Rewards for positive behavior • Multiple instructional techniques (e.g. role-playing, modeling, direct teaching, and feedback) • Guerra & Williams, 1996

25. THE MOST EFFECTIVE PREVENTION PROGRAMS in reducing risk and improving the long-term outcomes for antisocial children: • Offer comprehensive and intensive services • Are able to respond flexibly and promptlyto a wide variety of needs of the individual, family, and school (or other setting) • Are open to the diverse needs of a family at risk, and • Have staff who are able to invest the time and possess the skills necessary to establish relationships based upon mutual respect and trust Schorr, 1988

26. Characteristics of Schools That are Safe and Responsive to All Children • Focus on academic achievement • Involve families in meaningful ways • Develop links to the community • Emphasize positive relationships among students and staff • Discuss safety issues openly • Treat students with equal respect • Create ways for students to share their concerns • Help children feel safe expressing their feelings • Have in place a system for referring children who are suspected of being abused or neglected • Offer extended day programs for children • Promote good citizenship and character • Identify problems and assess progress toward solutions • Support students in making the transition to adult life and the workplace Early Warning Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools, 1998

27. The Best Schools & Prevention Programs… • Focus on known risk factors in communities, families, & peer groups • Assess both the number of risk factors and time exposed to risk • Regularly document warning signs • Develop protective factors • Focus on academic achievement, meaningful family involvement, • links to the community, positive relationships among students • and staff. • Provide schoolwide systems of support for all students • Provide targeted classroom interventions for students at greater risk • Attend more to positive than negative student behaviors • Emphasize generalized skill development • Eliminate coercive control measures

28. COERCION is an aggressive ACTION that produces the following REACTIONS: ESCAPE AVOIDANCE COUNTER AGGRESSION COERCION the use or threat of PUNISHMENT *This ACTION/REACTION destroys the TEACHING/LEARNING process* COERCION WEAKENS RELATIONSHIPS

29. Research on Coercion  Coercive interchanges are much more frequent in the families of aggressive children. The aversive behavior of one person is usually responded to with aversive behavior of the other person. The mother is the focus for the majority of coercive behaviors. When mothers give in or comply with the child’s coercive behavior, such behavior immediately decreases. Mothers of children with behavior problems are more likely to provide attention following deviant behavior. Mothers of problem children are more likely to provide commands. Mothers of problem children administer more frequent punishment. Parents of problem children utilize more punishment than parents of non-problem children. Kazdin, 1985

30. COERCION is largely INEFFECTIVE with YOUTH AT RISK

31. PREVENTION PLUS is... • Intensive SKILL BUILDING... • across MULTIPLE ENVIRONMENTS... • accomplished by developing strong, PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS with youth... • and using NON-COERCIVE strategies that promote learning.

32. Prevention Plus Elements Focus UniversalTargeted All Students At Risk Rules Values Common Language Instructions Individual Negotiations Contracts Clear Communication of Behavioral Expectations System-wide Advisement Extra-Curricular Programs Mentoring Relationship-building Relationships and Bonding • Skill-Building Emphasis • Academic Skills • Social Skills • Self-management Skills Expectations Modeling Practice Fluency Evaluation Planned And Opportunistic Teaching Recognition for Appropriate Behavior Praise Notes/Boards Recognition Programs Good Behavior Game Instructive Praise

33. Prevention Plus 1994-1996 Prevention Plus “at-risk” students improved over non-participating peers in standardized measures of…. Academic Achievement (KTEA) Social Competence (Teacher Ratings-SSBS) Social Competence (Student Self-Ratings-SSRS) Anti Social Behavior (Teacher Ratings-SSBS) Prevention Plus (1/2 Standard Deviation) Prevention Plus (1/2 Standard Deviation) Prevention Plus Prevention Plus Other At-Risk Other At-Risk (No Change) Other At-Risk (No Change) Other At-Risk

34. Prevention Plus 1993 - 1998 Mound Fort Middle School DIRECT MEASURES OF VIOLENT & DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR Fights & Suspensions 69% Safe School Violations 77% Court Referrals 84% Gang-Related Activities 81%

35. PREVENTION PLUSis different from many other models of preventing antisocial behaviors MORE INTENSIVE -- opportunities throughout the day to practice successful behaviors MORE COMPREHENSIVE -- broad array of skills (academic, interpersonal, self-management), and wide range of settings MORE EFFECTIVE USE OF PERSONNEL -- everyone teaches, everyone mentors LESS COERCIVE -- emphasis on building skills MORE EMPHASIS ON POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS -- creates a context for change and an example of success

36. THERE ARE EARLY WARNING SIGNS OF VIOLENCE TO SELF AND OTHERS • Certain behavioral and emotional signs that, when viewed in context, can signal a troubled child. • Early warning signs provide us with the impetus to check out our concerns and address the child’s needs. • Early warning signs allow us to act responsibly by getting help for the child before problems escalate. • It is important to avoid inappropriately labeling or stigmatizing individual students because they appear to fit a specific profile or set of early warning indicators. Early Warning Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools, 1998

37. Early Warning Signs • Social withdrawal • Excessive feelings of isolation and being alone • Excessive feelings of rejection • Being a victim of violence • Feelings of being picked on and persecuted • Low school interest and poor academic performance • Expression of violence in writings and drawings • Uncontrolled anger • Patterns of impulsive and chronic hitting, intimidating, and bullying behaviors • History of discipline problems • Past history of violent and aggressive behavior • Intolerance for differences and prejudicial attitudes • Drug use and alcohol use • Affiliation with gangs • Inappropriate access to, possession of, and use of firearms • Serious threats of violence Early Warning Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools, 1998

38. Imminent Warning Signs • Serious physical fighting with peers or family members • Severe destruction of property • Severe rage for seemingly minor reasons • Detailed threats of lethal violence • Possession and/or use of firearms and other weapons • Other self-injurious behaviors or threats of suicide Early Warning Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools, 1998

39. Similarities in Prevention Approaches: LEVELS OF INTENSITY BASED UPON LEVELS OF RISK

41. Relationship between Risk and Academic Achievement “Is English the primary language spoken at home?”

42. Relationship between Risk and Academic Achievement “Have you moved more than once in the past three years?”

43. Relationship between Risk and Academic Achievement “Do you regularly attend community, social, or religious meetings?”

44. Relationship between Risk and Academic Achievement “Do your neighbors generally monitor their children’s activities?”

45. Relationship between Risk and Academic Achievement “Do you generally approve of your child’s closest friends?”

46. Relationship between Risk and Academic Achievement “Do you have a high school diploma/GED?”

47. Relationship between Risk and Academic Achievement “Do you have Internet access at home?”

48. Relationship between Risk and Academic Achievement (Indicators of School Quality- ISQ)