Poster #165 - Implementation of Evidence-Based Practices in After School Programs

• In Event: 1-115 - Poster Session 03
  In Poster Session: PS 03 Section - Prevention and Interventions

Integrative Statement

Juvenile crime in Cleveland, Ohio has reflected the U.S. trend, decreasing in recent years. However, this cannot be entirely credited to effective prevention efforts as individuals aged 18-24 remain the age group with the highest offending rate in Cleveland (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2014). Such crime rates may be explained by ineffective prevention efforts in the area, allowing youth with behavioral risks for offending to continue into adulthood without intervention. During a peak in juvenile crime in the 1990’s, after school programs (ASPs) were introduced to reduce juvenile delinquency. Yet, there has been mixed evidence around the impact of ASPs in reducing risk factors for offending, largely due to the variance in the use of evidence-based practices across program models (Mahatmya & Lohman, 2011). Specifically, four best practices have been empirically proven to reduce delinquency risk factors when employed in ASPs: emphasis on substance use reduction, increasing positive peer relationships, promoting social skills, and building character development (Gottfredson et al., 2004). This project adds to the body of research by investigating not only if after school programs implement evidence-based factors, but also how they do so. The goal is to provide more insight into how such programs are currently being operated and how their methods can be improved to more effectively reduce delinquency.
The current study identified 69 unique ASPs in an urban city using a web search. Inclusion criteria required the program to serve youth ages ten and older in the downtown area and surrounding neighborhoods. Directors of all programs were invited to participate in an interview. Nineteen program directors completed an in-depth interview which specifically asked about implementation of the four evidence-based factors. Interviews were open-coded for themes and then double-coded based on identified themes. Coding was checked for reliability.
All program directors reported that their goals include increasing positive peer relationships, promoting social skills, and building character development. However, only seven programs included substance use reduction as a goal, with five saying it is indirectly addressed. Methods used to implement each factor are reported in Table 2.
The methods programs use to implement best practices vary widely and often appear to lack foundation. For example, methods used to reduce substance use are predominantly indirect approaches (e.g. teach good decisions, diverting attention). The most commonly used methods of promoting positive peer relationships and developing social skills (i.e. group programming; working side-by-side) simply involve putting youth together, rather than teaching them tangible skills. These results indicate the need for more research into specific types of activities that effectively implement evidence-based practices. Additionally, it is concerning that only seven urban ASPs reported a goal of substance use reduction with the increasing U.S. drug-overdose rate (CDC, 2017). Reported reasons for avoiding substance use included focusing on a positive program message, emphasis on healthy behaviors, and program policies forbidding drug use for participation. ASPs must be challenged to address difficult topics such as substance use to effectively protect youth from substance abuse and delinquency.

Authors

• Courtney Dunn, Cleveland State University
  Presenting Author

• Madeline Herman, Cleveland State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Alyssa Williams, Cleveland State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Elizabeth Goncy, Cleveland State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Shereen Naser, Cleveland State University
  Non-Presenting Author