The authors report on their evaluation of the Coping Power Program’s efficacy for at-risk preadolescent boys during their transition from elementary school to middle school; they discuss their research methodology and outcomes.
This study evaluates the effects of the Coping Power Program for at-risk preadolescent boys at the time of transition from elementary school to middle school. Aggressive boys were randomly assigned to receive one of three conditions: only the Coping Power child component; the full Coping Power Program with parent and child components; or a control condition. Results indicated that the Coping Power intervention produced lower rates of covert delinquent behavior and of parent-rated substance use at the one-year follow-up than did the control cell, and these intervention effects were most apparent for the full Coping Power Program with parent and child components. Boys also displayed teacher-rated behavioral improvements in school during the follow-up year, and these effects appeared to be primarily influenced by the Coping Power child component. Publisher Abstract Provided