Second Step: Student Success Through Prevention Middle School Program (2008 Edition)
Problems addressed
Sexual violence
School violence or bullying
Interpersonal violence or injuries
Effectiveness

No Effect

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No Effect

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Life periods served
Children (4 to 13 years)
Teenagers (14 to 17 years)
Where the program was applied
Education establishment
Country of application
United States
Description

This is a social and emotional education program for elementary school students. The aim is to prevent violence and improve academic performance.
Each grade receives a specific curriculum that addresses the development of social and emotional skills and bullying prevention. The intervention is structured in weekly or fortnightly sessions throughout the school year, including group discussions, counseling, roleplay, didactic exercises, independent work, and homework.

Impact evaluations

An impact assessment showed a statistically significant effect on the reduction of physical aggression, but there was no impact on sexual violence victimization and perpetration, peer victimization, and bullying, cyberbullying, or homophobic aggression victimization and perpetration [1].

Bibliographic reference

[1] Espelage, D. L., Low, S., Polanin, J. R. & Brown, E. C. (2013). The impact of a middle school program to reduce aggression, victimization, and sexual violence. The Journal of Adolescent Health: Official Publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, 53(2), 180–186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2013.02.021

Information source