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STEPS TO RESPECT Article Wins Top Honors from National Association of School Psychologists
A bullying prevention program created by Seattle-based Committee for Children is the subject of the National Association of School Psychologists’ (NASP) 2007 “Article of the Year.” The award was presented at the NASP 2008 annual conference in New Orleans.
“Walking the Talk in Bullying Prevention: Teacher Implementation Variables Related to Initial Impact of the Steps to Respect Program” was selected from among 40 full-length manuscripts that appeared in School Psychology Review during 2007. Authors are Miriam Hirschstein, Leihua Van Schoiack Edstrom, Karin Frey, Jennie Snell, and Elizabeth Mackenzie. Committee for Children, a Seattle, WA-based nonprofit organization, funded the study for the program, which it launched in 2000.
School Psychology Review (SPR) is a refereed journal published quarterly by NASP. It is the second largest psychology journal in the world. Its primary purpose is to communicate scholarly advances in research, training, and practice related to psychology and education. The purpose of the “Article of the Year” award is to highlight research that truly advances the knowledge base and contributes to evidence-based practice.
This year’s award-winning article detailed findings based on a year of observing students and teachers who used the STEPS TO RESPECT program. Findings showed that teachers who taught all or most of the STEPS TO RESPECT lessons rated their students more socially skilled than teachers who did not.
Findings also showed that teachers who "walked the talk" by diligently supporting positive behavior and coaching kids involved in bullying had greater success with the program. In fact, their students showed significantly less aggression, victimization, and encouragement of bullying on the playground than students who received less support.
“Although it makes sense that the effectiveness of violence prevention programs depends on how well they are implemented, there is very little research on this topic,” said Tom Power, editor of School Psychology Review.
The published study is one of a few to examine how prevention programs are actually implemented in schools and the relationship of teacher implementation to outcomes, he said, adding: “The research strongly suggests the need for strategies to ensure high levels of teacher implementation when prevention programs are offered in schools.” Power called the article “outstanding.”
“Evaluating the effectiveness of our prevention programs is an important part of the research and development process at Committee for Children,” said Sherry Catron Wong, director of Program Development and Research at Committee for Children. “However, supporting high-quality implementation is equally critical to achieving positive outcomes for children.
The article was subject to a masked peer-review process involving members of the Editorial Advisory Board, ad hoc reviewers, and senior-level researchers in the field of school psychology, according to Power.
“The award feels like a real honor, and validates the quality of our work. More importantly, it brings attention to what teachers can do to help children and prevent bullying,” said Hirschstein, who recently contributed to the development of Committee for Children’s newest program, SECOND STEP: Student Success through Prevention.
The article appeared in School Psychology Review, Vol. 36, No. 1 and can be read online here.
If you have questions regarding the study or article email Sherry Catron Wong