An evaluation of the Positive Action program for youth violence prevention: From schools to summer camps.
Patel, M. M., Liddell, J. L., & Ferreira, R. J. (2018). Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 35(5), 519–530. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-018-0536-6.
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examining239Students, grades8-10
Single Study Review
Review Details
Reviewed: February 2022
- Single Study Review (findings for Positive Action Adapted for a Summer Camp)
- Quasi-Experimental Design
- Meets WWC standards with reservations because it uses a cluster quasi-experimental design that provides evidence of effects on individuals by satisfying the baseline equivalence requirement for the individuals in the analytic intervention and comparison groups.
This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Findings
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Peer Self-Esteem Scale |
Positive Action Adapted for a Summer Camp vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
3.28 |
3.26 |
No |
-- | |
|
Normative Beliefs about Aggression Scale |
Positive Action Adapted for a Summer Camp vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
1.64 |
1.62 |
No |
-- | |
|
Bullying Scale |
Positive Action Adapted for a Summer Camp vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
0.30 |
0.39 |
No |
-- |
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Sample Characteristics
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
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Female: 55%
Male: 45% -
Urban
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Louisiana
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Race Black 97% Other or unknown 3%
Study Details
Setting
The study took place in 12 teen career summer camps in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Study sample
A total of 239 youth entering grades 8 through 10 were included in the study. The 239 youth attended 12 summer camps. Approximately 55% of the youth were female. Ninety-seven percent were Black and 3% did not report race. Youth were eligible to participate in the study if they were English-speaking, non-English learners and did not have a cognitive impairment.
Intervention Group
Youth in the intervention condition attended summer camps offering the Positive Action program over 6 weeks. Positive Action aims to prevent problem behaviors as well as promote positive youth development. The content of the program is delivered via six core units: self-concept, positive actions for your body and mind, managing yourself responsibly, treating others the way you want to be treated, telling yourself the truth, and improving yourself continually. Positive Action includes 140 lessons which are estimated to last 15 minutes each. Each lesson includes all materials necessary to teach the lesson, including manuals, posters, puppets, music, games, and other hands-on materials integrated into the lessons. Outside of Positive Action, some camps were already implementing activities to build youth's character development skills, and these activities continued during the study.
Comparison Group
Comparison group summer camps did not offer Positive Action. Youth attending these camps received traditional camp programs over the 6-week study period. At some camps, the traditional camp programs included activities to build youth's character development skills.
Support for implementation
Summer camps which chose to implement the Positive Action intervention were required to send at least one camp teacher to a 1-day training on Positive Action.
An indicator of the effect of the intervention, the improvement index can be interpreted as the expected change in percentile rank for an average comparison group student if that student had received the intervention.
For more, please see the WWC Glossary entry for improvement index.
An outcome is the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are attained as a result of an activity. An outcome measures is an instrument, device, or method that provides data on the outcome.
A finding that is included in the effectiveness rating. Excluded findings may include subgroups and subscales.
The sample on which the analysis was conducted.
The group to which the intervention group is compared, which may include a different intervention, business as usual, or no services.
The timing of the post-intervention outcome measure.
The number of students included in the analysis.
The mean score of students in the intervention group.
The mean score of students in the comparison group.
The WWC considers a finding to be statistically significant if the likelihood that the finding is due to chance alone, rather than a real difference, is less than five percent.
The WWC reviews studies for WWC products, Department of Education grant competitions, and IES performance measures.
The name and version of the document used to guide the review of the study.
The version of the WWC design standards used to guide the review of the study.
The result of the WWC assessment of the study. The rating is based on the strength of evidence of the effectiveness of the intervention. Studies are given a rating of Meets WWC Design Standards without Reservations, Meets WWC Design Standards with Reservations, or >Does Not Meet WWC Design Standards.
A related publication that was reviewed alongside the main study of interest.
Study findings for this report.
Based on the direction, magnitude, and statistical significance of the findings within a domain, the WWC characterizes the findings from a study as one of the following: statistically significant positive effects, substantively important positive effects, indeterminate effects, substantively important negative effects, and statistically significant negative effects. For more, please see the WWC Handbook.
The WWC may review studies for multiple purposes, including different reports and re-reviews using updated standards. Each WWC review of this study is listed in the dropdown. Details on any review may be accessed by making a selection from the drop down list.
Tier 1 Strong indicates strong evidence of effectiveness,
Tier 2 Moderate indicates moderate evidence of effectiveness, and
Tier 3 Promising indicates promising evidence of effectiveness,
as defined in the
non-regulatory guidance for ESSA
and the regulations for ED discretionary grants (EDGAR Part 77).