Second Step Violence Prevention/Steg for Steg/Faustlos - violence prevention programme with developmentally appropriate curriculum for children
At a glance
Country of origin
- USA
Level(s) of intervention
- Universal prevention
Second Step is a violence prevention programme with developmentally appropriate curriculum for children Pre-K (4 years of age) through 9th grade (14 years of age). The programme addresses attitudes and behaviours that contribute to violence by teaching children impulse control and anger management. Aggressive attitudes and behaviour are replaced with increased empathy, self-awareness, social competence and pro-social responses to conflict.
Links to this programme in other registries
Implementation Experiences
Read the experiences of people who have implemented this programme.
Contact details
Ms. Joan Duffell
2203 Airport Way South, Suite 500
Seattle, WA 98134-2027
USA
Phone: 1 (206) 343-1220
Overview of results from the European studies
Studies overview
The programme has been evaluated in one quasi-experimental in Norway and one randomised controlled trial in Germany. The Norwegian study, testing the adaption called ‘Steg for Steg’, used an age-cohort design and 1153 students from Grade 5 to 7 (10-12 years) from 11 schools participated. The German study, testing the adaption called ‘Faustlos’, randomised 44 classes with 718 children aged 5-6 years.
There were significant effects in the Norwegian study but few in the German evaluation. The programme increased social competence and reduced externalising problems. In the Norwegian study. there was a significant positive effect on social competence among grade 5 students (ES: 0.18) and girls in grade 6 (ES: 0.32). For externalising behaviour, only boys in grade 5 showed a significant improvement (ES: 0.27). There was no effect on internalising behaviour.
In the German study, only 3 of 30 outcome measures had a significant intervention effect. There was a reduction in self-reported fear of loss of control, parent reported anxiety and depression and internalising behaviour. No significant impact was found on any teacher-reported outcome.
Countries where evaluated
- Germany,
- Norway
Characteristics
Protective factor(s) addressed
- Individual and peers: clear morals and standards of behaviour
- Individual and peers: individual/peers other
- Individual and peers: Problem solving skills
- Individual and peers: refusal skills and decision making
- Individual and peers: skills for social interaction
Risk factor(s) addressed
- Individual and peers: anti-social behaviour
- Individual and peers: favourable attitudes towards anti-social behaviour
- Individual and peers: other
Outcomes targeted
- Emotional well-being
- Emotion regulation, coping, resilience
- Other behaviour outcomes
Description of programme
The Second Step curriculum teaches skills to reduce impulsive and aggressive behaviour in children and increase their level of social competence. It uses developmentally appropriate lessons at each grade level Preschool/Kindergarten (4-5 years of age), Grades 1-3 (6 – 8 years of age), Grades 4-5 (9 – 10 years of age) and Middle School/Junior High (11 – 14 years of age), to cover the same three skill units, Empathy, Impulse Control, and Anger Management. Lessons for Pre-K (4 years of age) through fifth grade (10 years of age) consist of assessment of scripted social situations using stories and pictures, discussion of appropriate responses and role-playing. The Middle School/Junior High curriculum uses the same teaching mediums but deals with more difficult issues faced by older children, i.e. gangs, gossip and peer pressure. The more advanced curriculum also introduces the concept of goal setting.
Second Step also offers families a video-based parent programme called A Family Guide to Second Step: Parenting Strategies for a Safer Tomorrow. It is designed to help parents and caregivers of Second Step students apply prosocial skills to parenting situations. The family component familiarizes parents with the Second Step curriculum, assists them with reinforcing the skills at home, and gives families the skills to communicate feelings, solve problems, control anger, and deal with conflict.
Intervention Variation
Steg for Steg is a version of the programme that is translated and adapted for the Norwegian setting. Lessons are taught once a week or every second week.
Faustlos is a German adaptation and uses developmental-psychological theories on the deficits of aggressive children. The units of empathy, impulse control and anger management are taught in 51 lessons. It is taught by trained teachers from Grade 1 (6 years of age) to 3 (8 years of age).
Implementation Experiences
