Preventing Conduct Problem in Middle Schoolers: Preliminary Effects of the Early Adolescent Coping Power Program

Introduction: Although indicated prevention programs have been found to be effective with conduct problem children in the elementary school years, there are very few such targeted prevention programs that have demonstrated impacts during the middle school years (Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group, 2010); this may be due in part to adolescents’ sensitivity to peer pressures and confusion about their social goals. Prior randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of the Coping Power program have demonstrated significant impacts on preadolescent children’s behavior in the school setting through three-year follow-ups, but it is not clear if this program would produce similar effects if introduced during the middle school years. The Early Adolescent Coping Power (EACP) program was recently adapted from the earlier program to meet the social and cognitive developmental needs of early adolescents; this indicated prevention program provides developmentally-appropriate intervention and supports to youth, their parents, and teachers to prevent further escalation of conduct and related behavior problems. This presentation explores the impacts of the EACP on adolescents’ behavior at school.

Methods: The current study presents preliminary findings coming from an ongoing RCT testing the EACP across 40 middle schools in Alabama and Maryland. We specifically focus on the first cohort of 120 youth at 20 schools; schools were randomly assigned to EACP or to a control condition. Approximately six children were identified through a teacher screening process for aggressive behavior and enrolled into the project. The EACP was provided over the course of the 7^th grade year. Teacher ratings using the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) were collected in the fall and spring of the 7^th grade year (before and after the EACP program was delivered).

Results: We used ANCOVAs to examine preliminary impacts of EACP on teacher BASC scores at post-intervention, controlling for pre-intervention scores. Relative to students in the control condition, students exposed to EACP experienced significant improvements in Adaptive Skills (Effect Size: .47), with even stronger effects on the adaptive skills subscale scores for Adaptability (ES: .85) and Leadership (ES: .53). Relative to youth in the control condition, EACP youth displayed decreases in the Externalizing Behavior Composite (ES: -.38), with significant reductions on the Hyperactivity subscale score (ES: -.53).

Conclusions: These preliminary results suggest that the structured cognitive-behavioral targeted prevention program, which includes youth, parent, and teacher elements, can be adapted for use with early adolescents. Moreover, the EACP program appears to be producing promising preliminary effects, and thus may fill an important gap in indicated prevention programs among middle schoolers.