The study will examine the effects of Peer Coach Training (PCT), a strengths-based behavioral intervention for discipline-referred middle-school youth who might benefit when trained to act as change agents for their peers. Successful completion of this study will provide support for implementing PCT in school communities to empower youth in prosocial peer engagement.
In this proposal, the investigators evaluate the effects of PCT, an approach that deemphasizes existing problems and focuses instead on training youth to help their peers. In urban public school districts across the US, exclusionary discipline (e.g., suspension and expulsion) disproportionally affects Black and Latinx youth. Although many school-based interventions are promising, they overlook the motivational potential of helping others and fail to build on the culturally grounded prosocial orientation of Black and Latinx students. This study evaluates the effectiveness of Peer Coach Training (PCT), a strengths-based intervention that deemphasizes existing problems and focuses instead on empowering youth to help their peers. A cluster randomized trial will be conducted across ten middle schools (n=150 youth), with schools randomized to either PCT or control (i.e., delayed treatment). Youth referred for disruptive behavior at intervention schools will receive PCT immediately, whereas youth at control schools will receive PCT nine months later. Outcomes related to disruptive and prosocial behavior, school engagement, and empowerment will be assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up. Successful completion of this trial will not only provide support for implementing PCT in school communities to empower youth prosocially, but also potentially validate an approach to reducing discipline disparities within school contexts.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
150
Six to seven session strengths-based behavioral intervention focusing on skills development and help-giving practices
Services offered by middle schools for students according to their standard practice of care. These youth will then receive PCT after completion of follow-up assessments.
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California, United States
RECRUITINGBehavioral Problem Checklist
12-item self-report questionnaire that assesses youth behavioral problems
Time frame: Baseline assessment, 3 months after baseline assessment, 8 months after baseline assessment
Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
25-item self-report questionnaire that assesses youth emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer problems, and prosocial behavior, along with additional questions related to functioning
Time frame: Baseline assessment, 3 months after baseline assessment, 8 months after baseline assessment
Teacher Disruptive Behavior Disorders Rating Scale
45-item self-report questionnaire that assesses symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and conduct disorder
Time frame: Baseline assessment, 3 months after baseline assessment, 8 months after baseline assessment
School archival data of youth behavior and discipline
School archival records of behavioral and disciplinary outcomes such as the number of disciplinary referrals and citations, as well as suspensions and exclusions
Time frame: Baseline assessment, 3 months after baseline assessment, 8 months after baseline assessment
Engagement versus disaffection with learning - student report
20-item self-report questionnaire that assesses youth behavioral and emotional engagement in learning
Time frame: Baseline assessment, 3 months after baseline assessment, 8 months after baseline assessment
MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status - Youth Version
2-item self-report measure that assesses youths' perceived social status relative to society and peers in school
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Time frame: Baseline assessment, 3 months after baseline assessment, 8 months after baseline assessmentMacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status - Youth Version
Moral Identity Internalization Scale
5-item self-report measure that assesses the degree to which a list of personal characteristics are important to an individual
Time frame: Baseline assessment, 3 months after baseline assessment, 8 months after baseline assessment
Personal Efficacy Scale
10-item self-report measure that assesses an individual's perceived ability to deal with challenges and influence outcomes
Time frame: Baseline assessment, 3 months after baseline assessment, 8 months after baseline assessment
Psychological Empowerment Indices - Youth School Belonging and Identification
6-item self-report measure that assesses school belonging and identification
Time frame: Baseline assessment, 3 months after baseline assessment, 8 months after baseline assessment
Wentzel Prosocial Peer Goals and Compliance Goals Scales
22-item self-report measure that assesses the frequency youth work towards prosocial, compliance, mastery, and evaluation goals
Time frame: Baseline assessment, 3 months after baseline assessment, 8 months after baseline assessment
Esbensen Gang Involvement Scale
20-item self-report measure that assesses the level of youth gang involvement and behaviors of the youths' friends
Time frame: Baseline assessment, 3 months after baseline assessment, 8 months after baseline assessment
Possible selves survey
Self-report measure that assesses youths' future-oriented self-concept (expected, hoped-for, and feared selves) using open-ended prompts and a rating scale
Time frame: Baseline assessment, 3 months after baseline assessment, 8 months after baseline assessment
Behavioral Problem Checklist - Youth Peer Assessment
12-item self-report questionnaire that assesses behavioral problems of the youths' peers
Time frame: Baseline assessment, 3 months after baseline assessment, 8 months after baseline assessment
Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale (Social Network Interview)
48-item interview that assesses youths' perceived social support from parents, teachers, classmates, and friends
Time frame: Baseline assessment, 3 months after baseline assessment, 8 months after baseline assessment
Teacher Construals Indices
23 self-report items that assesses teacher's commitment and feelings towards their students
Time frame: Baseline assessment, 3 months after baseline assessment, 8 months after baseline assessment