This is a program for children who are transitioning from primary to secondary school, in order to prevent substance use and reduce aggressive behavior.
The intervention is carried out over 16 months and addresses the main predictors for psychoactive substance use, such as lack of social competence, lack of self-regulation, lack of self-control, and little involvement in school care.
Those themes are discussed in two types of components:
1) Child: emphasizes problem-solving and conflict management techniques, coping mechanisms, positive social supports, and development of social skills;
2) Parents: teaches skills to caregivers so that they can manage stress, identify disruptive child behavior, discipline and effectively reward their children, establish effective communication structures, and manage the child’s behavior outside the home.
In addition to this model, there is a universal version of the program, known as Coping with Middle School Transitions, carried out through parent meetings and teacher input meetings in order to promote home school participation, address parents’ concerns about the upcoming transition to middle school, and discuss the four identified predictors of substance use.