LIFT Violence Out Of Schools

SOCIAL SKILLS

Could schoolyard bullies be a thing of the past? The inventors of
Linking the Interests of Families and Teachers (LIFT), a new
violence-prevention program for children, say yes.

Developed at the Oregon Social Learning Center (OSLC) in Eugene,
LIFT teaches children the social skills necessary for nonaggressive
interaction. It targets all children, not just those who are aggressive,
and is unique in that it also involves both parents and teachers. Michael
Stoolmiller, Ph.D., developer of LIFT and a research scientist at OSLC,
tested the program--which uses seminars on supervision and noncoercive
disciplinary techniques--at 12 Oregon elementary schools on small groups
of first- and fifth-graders. The students were taught social skills such
as waiting quietly in line and joining a game politely, and were then
observed practicing their new skills on the playground. "Good" students
who followed LIFT's guidelines were rewarded with armbands and toys,
while "bad" students who played too aggressively had their armbands taken
away or lost team points.

The findings, published recently in the Journal of Consulting and
Clinical Psychology, showed no changes among initially nonaggressive
children, but a significant improvement in aggressive children's
behavior. Teaching nonaggressive play skills is important, Stoolmiller
says, as aggressive play leads to physical confrontation more often,
particularly with bigger kids. "Violence has increased in youth, and it's
a problem that needs to be addressed," he said. "These problems can be
dealt with early on, and programs like LIFT can help."

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