The authors provide details of their research methodology and outcomes, discussing the impacts of a multi-component prevention program with first graders in rural schools on school bonding, parenting skills, family relationships, social competency, and behavioral self-regulation.
This paper presents research that tested the effectiveness of a multi-component prevention program, Project SAFE (Strengthening America's Families and Environment), with 655 first graders from 12 rural schools. This sample was randomly assigned to receive the I Can Problem Solve (ICPS) program, alone, or combined with the Strengthening Families (SF) program, or SF parent training only. Nine-month change scores revealed significantly larger improvements and effect sizes on all outcome variables (school bonding, parenting skills, family relationships, social competency, and behavioral self-regulation) for the combined ICPS and SF program compared with ICPS-only or no-treatment controls. Adding parenting-only improved social competency and self-regulations more but negatively impacted family relationships, whereas adding SF improved family relationships, parenting, and school bonding more. Publisher Abstract Provided