Stop Violence | Be the Hope. Stop the Violence.

Second Step 2016 Progress Report

In 2009 Samaritan Behavioral Health received initial funding from Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) for a community wide violence prevention project, United Against Violence of Greater Dayton. (UAVGD) The project is now in its eighth year (8th) and continues to serve children, youth and their families in our community through various programs: Second Step, Male to Men, Female to Women, Family Engagement, and the Young Adult Focus Council.

Samaritan Behavioral Health, Inc. (SBHI) serves in the role of “convener” and program manager for the project.

The overall goal for UAVGD is:

Reduce Part I and Part II Violent Crimes in designated Montgomery County neighborhoods (Westwood, North Riverdale, Harrison Township and Trotwood) thus ultimately reducing group-member (GMI) gun violence.

The Family and Children First Council of Montgomery County believes that prevention is the key to reaching that goal. Therefore, they supported the efforts of UAVGD and their partner agencies in providing Second Step: A Violence Prevention Curriculum, an evidence-based best practice violence-prevention program. During the 2015-2016 school year the program was delivered in the four designated high-violence areas of the Montgomery County. (North Riverdale, Westwood, Trotwood, and Harrison Township) New this year, the project was expanded to serve schools located outside those neighborhoods.

• Dayton Public Schools: Horace Mann, Westwood, World of Wonder, Dayton Boys Prep, Edison, Meadowdale, Cleveland, Kemp, Charity Early Adams, Fairview, and Rosa Parks, Edwin Joel Brown, Ruskin, Wogamon, and Bellehaven
• Charter School: Dayton Leadership Academy
• Trotwood Schools: Westbrook Village, and Trotwood Middle School
• The Montgomery County Sheriff’s department also provided the program to students at Blairwood Elementary in Jefferson Township at no cost to FCFC.

The program was expanded this year to Pre-K through 8th grades. 1433 students received this program one class period a week for 8 weeks throughout the school year.

Outcome measures monitored changes in behavior, attitudes, and knowledge. Measures such as behavioral observation, discipline referrals, surveys/questionnaires, and teacher ratings were used to measure changes in children’s behavior. Pre and post tests were given to measure changes in attitude and knowledge of children regarding approval of aggression and exclusion of other children, empathy skills, consequential thinking skills, confidence in regulating emotion, and social competence. Behavioral observations examined the frequency of physical and verbal aggression, hostile and aggressive comments, need for adult intervention, disruptive behaviors, and friendly behaviors, as described in the Second Step training materials.

The measurements are reflective of students who participated in the program. (Based on teacher observations) The various forms of measurements described took place at various intervals throughout the program period. Outcomes are analyzed and reported by the Wright State University SARDI Program.

Outcomes

Early Education (Pre-K, Kindergarten, 1st-3rd grades)

• Reduce physical violence by Goal 50%, 76.7% Actual
• Discipline referrals decreased by Goal 25%, 76.3% Actual
• Verbal aggression (bullying) will be reduced by 25% Goal, 73% Actual
• Teacher ratings -Students demonstrating an increase in protective factors, social skills. 70% Goal, 75.3% Actual
• External evaluations show an increase in social skills of 78.1%.

Grades 4 and 5

• Reduce physical violence 50% Goal, 85.5% Actual
• Discipline referrals decreased 25% Goal, 78.1% Actual
• Verbal aggression (bullying) was reduced 50% Goal, 77.3% Actual
• Teacher ratings -Students demonstrating an increase in protective factors, social skills.70% Goal, 86.4% Actual
• External evaluations show and increase in social skills of 82.5%.

Grade 6

• Reduce physical violence 50% Goal, 94.7% Actual
• Discipline referrals decreased 25% Goal, 100% Actual
• Verbal aggression (bullying) was reduced 50% Goal, 93.1% Actual
• Teacher ratings -Students demonstrating an increase in protective factors, social skills.70% Goal, 100% Actual
• External evaluations show and increase in social skills of 100%.

Grade 7

• Reduce physical violence 50% Goal, 57.9% Actual
• Discipline referrals decreased 25% Goal, 61.3% Actual
• Verbal aggression (bullying) was reduced 50% Goal, 55.4% Actual
• Teacher ratings -Students demonstrating an increase in protective factors, social skills.70% Goal, 73.1% Actual
• External evaluations show and increase in social skills of 82%.

Grade 8

• Reduce physical violence 50% Goal, 84.6% Actual
• Discipline referrals decreased 25% Goal, 33.3% Actual
• Verbal aggression (bullying) was reduced 50% Goal, 87.9% Actual
• Teacher ratings -Students demonstrating an increase in protective factors, social skills.70% Goal, 86.7% Actual
• External evaluations show and increase in social skills of 92.6%.

The Second Step Program was provided by staff from Samaritan Behavioral Health, National Conference of Community and Justice (NCCJ), and Public Health of Dayton and Montgomery County.

Second Step Instructors provide valuable support to the social and emotional health of students in each school building. They also provide support to teachers by giving them practical Second Step tools for solving classroom problems and challenges. Teachers encourage students to use these skills throughout the week. This empowers children to make better decisions and problem solve with a little “coaching” from their teacher.

One instructor was able to provide information about mental health services provided in the building by Samaritan Behavioral Health. Five students were given referrals the very next day.

In addition to the regular school year classroom instruction, a new program was piloted during the summer. 240 students of various ages were provided the Second Step program at Freedom Schools: Grace United Methodist Church, Dayton Boys Prep, Westwood, and Dakota Center. Children attending the Trotwood Kardio Kids Kamp also participated in Second Step. Due to the fact that kids come and go from week to week at these programs it was impossible to get an accurate outcome measurement. We do know, however, that the summer programs served as a refresher for many children who commented that they had been in Second Step during the school year and were glad to see their teachers over the summer.