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Increasing protective factors in “at-risk” youth through an after-school program that combines caring adults, physical Activity and Sports, and Initiative Building

Pace, Debra Ann
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1054735051

Abstract Details

2003, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Physical Activity and Educational Services.
Many youth are growing up amidst adversity (National Research Council, 2002) and risk factors such as poerty, violence, single-parent homes, and substance abuse (Anderson-Butcher, 2000; Hawkins, Catalano, & Miller, 1992). Poor economic and family circumstances prove challenging to the positive development of these youth (National Research Council, 2002). They face numerous challenges with few personal and economic resources to buffer them from the negative consequences of such circumstances (National Reserach Council, 2002). However, some research indicates that as youth build protective facotrs, these negative consequences are lessened (Blum et al., 2000). Still, the creation of programs aimed at developing protective factors in youth and empirical examination of programs' effectiveness is an understudied area (Catalano et al., 1999). This study examined an after-school program designed to increase protective factors in youth. A quasi-experimental research design was coupled with qualitative observations and interviews in this study. An after-school sports program focusing on teaching the social skills cooperation and self-control was offered to 4th and 5th graders attending Deuce Elementary School, a low-performing school in the Rabat Public School District. Twelve students received the treatment 20 times over the course of 15 weeks. Eleven students self-selected into the control group that received no treatment. All 23 students were given The Social Skills Rating System, a self-report questionnaire assessing children's social skill behaivors two times throughout the study. A MANCOVA was used to determine if the after-school program was successful in increasing the youths' social skills (cooperation and self-control). Additionally, observations and interviews were analyzed to determine whether the youths demonstrated any behavior changes. Finally, the qualitative data was used to determine which components of the after-school program were effective in attracting and retaining youths as well as bringing about the changes in behavior. Quantitative results showed no significant differences in cooperation and self-control as a result of participation in the after-school program. Qualitative findings, however, demonstrated increases in cooperation and self-control throughout the treatment. Furthermore, these findings showed that a combination of caring adults and physical activity and sports attracted the youths to the program and were most effective in bringing about behavior changes. Future research should be directed at enhancing one-on-one mentoring in youth sports programs.
Janet Fink (Advisor)
306 p.
Education, Physical
at-risk youth; protective factors; mentoring; physical activity

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Pace, D. A. (2003). Increasing protective factors in “at-risk” youth through an after-school program that combines caring adults, physical Activity and Sports, and Initiative Building [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1054735051

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Pace, Debra. Increasing protective factors in “at-risk” youth through an after-school program that combines caring adults, physical Activity and Sports, and Initiative Building. 2003. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1054735051.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Pace, Debra. "Increasing protective factors in “at-risk” youth through an after-school program that combines caring adults, physical Activity and Sports, and Initiative Building." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2003. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1054735051

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.