Effects of a School-Based Intervention for Preventing Substance Use among Adolescents at Risk of Academic Failure: A Pilot Study of the Reasoning and Rehabilitation V2 Program

Tobacco, alcohol and cannabis use are important health problems that contribute greatly to causes of death in worldwide. Early onset of substance use increases rapidly during adolescence and it has been associated with a wide range of adverse events. Because substance use is associated with dramatic consequences, delaying the initiation of substance use among adolescents remains a major public priority. This study examined the effectiveness of a school-based intervention program based on the application of the Reasoning and Rehabilitation V2 (R&R2) program for preventing substance use among adolescents at risk of academic failure. A sample of 142 participants (aged 13–17 years old) who were studying alternative education provision in Spain were randomly allocated to two conditions (68 experimental group, 74 control group). A pre-test survey assessing past and current substance use was conducted prior the implementation of the program, while a post-test survey was conducted about 12 months after the pre-test. The results showed a significant effect of the R&R program in the reduction of cigarette smoking, episodes of drunkenness, alcohol consumption and cannabis use. However, for daily smoking and episodes of drunkenness such benefits showed a reduction over time. These findings offer additional evidence of the effectiveness of the Reasoning and Rehabilitation V2 program in Spanish adolescent students who are exposed to substance use and suggest areas of future research.

Das „Reasoning-and-Rehabilitation“-Programm im deutschen Strafvollzug – Einstellungs- und Verhaltensveränderungen im Behandlungsverlauf

ZusammenfassungDas „Reasoning-and-Rehabilitation“-Programm (R&R) wird in zahlreichen Einrichtungen des deutschen Straf- und Maßregelvollzugs angewendet und wurde international bereits eingehend evaluiert. Dennoch fehlten bislang Untersuchungen zur Behandlungseffektivität aus dem deutschen Strafvollzug. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wurde die Effektivität des R&R erstmals in diesem Setting anhand eines Messwiederholungsdesigns (Prä‑, Post-, und Follow-up-Messung) in einer Stichprobe von 134 männlichen Inhaftierten im Alter von 17 bis 58 Jahren untersucht. Erhoben wurden Selbstangaben (u. a. Aggression, Impulsivität, moralische Bewertungen und Empathie) sowie Akteninformationen zu Regelverstößen. Letztere wurden mit den Angaben einer parallelisierten Kontrollgruppe (n = 113) verglichen. Im Haftverlauf konnten positive Veränderungen der erfassten Risiko- und Schutzfaktoren der Delinquenz mit Effektstärken im kleinen bis mittleren Bereich ausgemacht werden, die bis zur Follow-up-Messung stabil blieben. Auf der Verhaltensebene zeigten sich bei den Programmteilnehmern im Vergleich zur Kontrollgruppe weniger neue Regelverstöße im Behandlungsverlauf. Die Ergebnisse werden im Hinblick auf die Behandlungspraxis diskutiert.

Effectiveness of the Reasoning and Rehabilitation V2 Programme for Improving Personal and Social Skills in Spanish Adolescent Students

Significant progress has been made in developing intervention programmes for adolescents at high risk of delinquency, school failure and emotional problems. The most effective programmes incorporate behavioural and skills training aimed at changing attitudes and promoting psychosocial and emotional skills in adolescents. This study examined the effectiveness of a school-based intervention programme based on the Reasoning and Rehabilitation V2 (R&R2). R&R2 is a cognitive behavioural programme developed using psychological theories about the aetiology of delinquency, as well as the cognitive, behavioural and socioemotional deficits in high-risk youth populations. A sample of 142 students (aged 13–17 years old) who were attending alternative education provision in Spain were randomly assigned to two experimental conditions (68 experimental group, 74 control group). The results showed that the R&R2 improved participants’ self-esteem, social skills, empathy and rational problem-solving with a medium–large effect size (η2 = 0.08 to 0.26). The effects of the programme were significant after controlling for age and the pre-test scores in baseline. These findings confirm the effectiveness of the Reasoning and Rehabilitation V2 programme in Spanish adolescent students and offer additional evidence regarding the implementation of the R&R2 programme in both alternative educational and mainstream school settings.

Programmatic Moderators of CBT Correctional Treatment for Whites and African Americans

A recent experimental evaluation of a cognitive behavioral intervention ( Reasoning and Rehabilitation) reported significantly greater reductions in recidivism for White male parolees than African American male parolees. These results prompted the present examination of whether specific program conditions may have differentially impacted program outcomes (returns to prison) for White ( n = 141) and African American ( n = 318) participants. Study participants were tracked for up to 33 months on parole. Discrete-time event history analysis tested for race interactions with the following program attributes: facilitator gender, facilitator race, number of facilitators, class size, and the facilitators’ evaluations of parolee participation on measures pertaining to level of participation, enjoyment, understanding, atmosphere and use of skills in the program. The gender of the facilitator, the number of facilitators, and sizes of the classes differentially affected success rates for African Americans compared with Whites. African American participants achieved more favorable outcomes with female facilitators than male facilitators, and when class sizes and the number of facilitators conformed to program guidelines. No statistically significant interaction effects were found for race of the facilitator, or facilitator evaluations of parolee participation.