Family and school are institutions that bear primary responsibility for the intellectual and social training of children. With respect to substance use training, however, many children are at increased risk for substance abuse because they are exposed to non-authoritative parenting accompanied by modeling of substance use in the home. Likewise, school staff of behavioral modeling and school policy enforcement have been found to be positively correlated with student substance use. Increasingly rigorous school-based research efforts, such as the Midwestern Prevention Project STAR (Student Taught awareness and Resistance), have contributed significantly to the understanding of how adolescent alcohol and other substance use can be controlled through interventions delivered in classroom and community settings. However, variables influencing acceptance of such programs (especially by children who are risk because of limited parent interaction and support) and long-term program maintenance are poorly understood. The purpose of the proposed study is to identify the degree to which institutional efficacy training for school staff and parents can increase the effectiveness of an alcohol control classroom program.
Specific aims are: (1) to conduct a randomized field trial to assess the relative impact of training for school staff and parents on adolescent alcohol prevalence; (2) to examine treatment effects on sub-groups defined by moderating variables, such as level of parent/student interaction, parent support for school activities, and student latch key status; (3) to conduct post hoc analyses to explore the data base for effects of differential baseline school and family efficacy levels; and (4) to assess treatment effects on program acceptance and maintenance; (5) to develop institutional efficacy training programs for parents and school staff; and (6) to develop reliable measures of """"""""institutional efficacy"""""""". The research design is a randomized two-by-two assessment of the impact of two experimental manipulations: (1) training for all school staff (yes/no) and (2) training for parents of seventh grade student (yes/no). Primary dependent measures are adolescent alcohol use prevalence and normative beliefs of prevalence of use by peers and significant adults. All conditions will receive a classroom curriculum that has been demonstrated to be effective in significantly reducing the prevalence of adolescent alcohol use (Project STAR). Study results of particular interest will be treatment effects of (1) students who have limited parent monitoring and support in the home; (2) student, parent, and school staff program acceptance; and (3) long-term program maintenance. The proposed project will contribute to refinement of future alcohol control research and demonstration efforts, and results will be applicable to maintenance of effective substance use control programs in general.
