Implementation of an empirically based drug and violence prevention and intervention program in public school settings

Describes the implementation of a collaborative preventive intervention pro ject (Healthy Schools) designed to reduce levels of bullying and related an tisocial behaviors in children attending two urban middle schools serving p rimarily African American students. These schools have high rates of juveni le violence, as reflected by suspensions and expulsions for behavioral prob lems. Using a quasi-experimental design, empirically based drug and violenc e prevention programs, Bullying Prevention and Project ALERT are being impl emented at each middle school. In addition, an intensive evidence-based int ervention, multisystemic therapy: is being used to target students at high risk of expulsion and court referral. Hence. the proposed project integrate s both universal approaches to prevention and a model that focuses on indic ated cases. Targeted outcomes, by which the effectiveness of this comprehen sive school-based program will be measured are reduced youth violence, redu ced drug use. and improved psychosocial functioning of participating youth.