Impact of Capturing Kids' Hearts on student safety and related school outcomes

• In Event: School Safety Strategies: Findings from WestEd's Health and Justice Program

Abstract

Disruptive aggressive behaviors such as bullying and violence create a hostile school environment that interferes with the academic performance and mental health of students who are victims or witnesses. Students who are exposed to high levels of aggressive behavior and violence at school are more likely to disengage from school and to experience clinical levels of mental and emotional disorders than are students who experience either no or low levels of violence at schools. The Capturing Kids' Hearts Campus by Design (CKH) Program is a promising, widely-used, school-level intervention that is designed to impact student behavior by enhancing school climate through improved relational and conflict management skills. A randomized control trial involving 24 middle schools served by four school districts in South Carolina is used to investigate the impacts of CKH on school safety, students' connectedness to school, bonds with teachers and peers, and personal and social competencies (self-efficacy, empathy). The current paper will present preliminary impact estimates of the program after the first year of implementation.

Authors

• Tom Hanson, WestEd

• Jonathan Nakamoto, WestEd

• Anthony Petrosino, WestEd

• Cindy Zheng, WestEd