Topic: Emotional Competency, Social Competency, Behavioral Problems, Antisocial Behavior, Parenting
Target Population: Middle Childhood, Parents
Sector: Community-Based, Multi-Sector, School-Based
This program is for children, who are 6 to 12 years old who are at high risk for development of conduct problems and substance use, and their parents.
Early Risers "Skills for Success" (Early Risers) is a multi-sector, school-, and community-based program that is designed to prevent or diminish conduct problems among children who could be at high risk for developing antisocial behavior.
Results from one efficacy trial demonstrated positive program effects for academic competence and social competence up to 3 years after the beginning of the intervention. Positive program effects were found for leadership skills, social etiquette, friendship quality (i.e., for girls only), and aggression towards others (i.e., for highly aggressive children only) at the 4-year follow-up. Six-year outcomes demonstrated reductions in oppositional defiant disorder symptoms and greater use of effective discipline practices by parents. Results from a randomized trial in a supportive housing setting indicated improved parenting self-efficacy, reductions in parent-reported child depression, and reduced growth in conduct problems.
Early Risers is designed to decrease risk factors and increase protective factors for participants by fostering a connection between and among families, schools, and community service providers. The program is delivered by a family advocate and includes two components:
*Developers recommend implementing the Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies (PATHS), Second Step, or Incredible Years program as the social-emotional skills training component. Please visit the Clearinghouse Continuum for more information on these programs.
This program was implemented in schools in 1997 and has since been delivered to approximately 1,700 families in Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
This program is implemented by a family advocate who must have a bachelor's degree. A 3-day, on-site training is required. Please use details in the Contact section for more information.
Considerations for implementing this program include hiring family advocates and ensuring they receive training; recruiting summer program teachers and additional staff as needed; acquiring buy-in from school administration and teachers; realizing funds for training costs may be needed; finding suitable locations to hold program activities, such as summer camp venues; and providing meals and transportation for families.
The Clearinghouse can help address these considerations. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu
If you are interested in implementing Early Risers, the Clearinghouse is interested in helping you!
Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu
This program is implemented for 2 to 3 years. The child-focused component includes the summer day camp program, which is offered in 3-hour sessions that are held four times a week for 6 weeks. Small-group sessions are held weekly. Family nights are held five times per year. Meeting time with family advocates varies based on individual and family needs.
Information on implementation costs was not located.
To move Early Risers to the Effective category on the Clearinghouse Continuum of Evidence at least one external evaluation must be conducted that demonstrates positive outcomes. This study must be conducted independently of the program developer.
The Clearinghouse can help you develop an evaluation plan to ensure the program components are meeting your goals. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu
Contact the Clearinghouse with any questions regarding this program.
Phone: 1-877-382-9185 Email: Clearinghouse@psu.edu
You may also contact Dr. Gerald August by mail Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2450 Riverside Avenue, F256/2B West, Minneapolis, MN 55454-1495, phone 1-612-273-9711, fax 1-612-273-9779, or email augus001@umn.edu
https://www.cebc4cw.org/program/early-risers-skills-for-success/; https://innovation.umn.edu/early-risers/; https://www.crimesolutions.gov/ProgramDetails.aspx?ID=140; and August, Bloomquist, Lee, Realmuto, and Hektner (2006).
August, G. J., Egan, E. A., Realmuto, G. M., & Hektner, J. M. (2003). Four years of the Early Risers early-age-targeted preventive intervention: Effects on aggressive children's peer relations. Behavior Therapy, 34(4), 453-470. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7894(03)80030-8
August, G. J., Hektner, J. M., Egan, E. A., Realmuto, G. M., & Bloomquist, M. L. (2002). The Early Risers longitudinal prevention trial: Examination of 3-year outcomes in aggressive children with intent-to-treat and as-intended analyses. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 16(4S), S27-S39. https://doi.org/10.1037/0893-164X.16.4S.S27
August, G. J., Realmuto, G. M., Hektner, J. M., & Bloomquist, M. L. (2001). An integrated components preventive intervention for aggressive elementary school children: The Early Risers program. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 69(4), 614-626. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.69.4.614
Bernat, D. H., August, G. J., Hektner, J. M., & Bloomquist, M. L. (2007). The Early Risers preventive intervention: Testing for six-year outcomes and mediational processes. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 35(4), 605-617. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-007-9116-5
Gewirtz, A. H., DeGarmo, D. S., Lee, S., Morrell, N., & August, G. (2015). Two-year outcomes of the Early Risers prevention trial with formerly homeless families residing in supportive housing. Journal of Family Psychology, 29(2), 242-252. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000066
Hektner, J. M., August, G. J., Bloomquist, M. L., Lee, S., & Klimes-Dougan, B. (2014). A 10-year randomized controlled trial of the Early Risers conduct problems preventive intervention: Effects on externalizing and internalizing in late high school. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 82(2), 355-360. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035678
Piehler, T. F., Bloomquist, M. L., August, G. J., Gewirtz, A. H., Lee, S. S., & Lee, W. S. C. (2014). Executive functioning as a mediator of conduct problems prevention in children of homeless families residing in temporary supportive housing: A parallel process latent growth modeling approach. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 42(5), 681-692. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-013-9816-y
Porta, C. M., Bloomquist, M. L., Garcia-Huidobro, D., Gutiérrez, R., Vega, L., Balch, R., … Cooper, D. K. (2018). Bi-national cross-validation of an evidence-based conduct problem prevention model. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 24(2), 231-241. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000178
Piehler, T. F., Lee, S. S., Bloomquist, M. L., & August, G. J. (2014). Moderating effects of parental well-being on parenting efficacy outcomes by intervention delivery model of the Early Risers conduct problems prevention program. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 35(5), 321-337. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-014-0358-z
Utržan, D. S., Piehler, T. F., Gewirtz, A. H., & August, G. J. (2017). Stressful life events and perceived parental control in formerly homeless families: Impact on child-internalizing symptoms. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 87(3), 317-325. https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000236
August, G. J., Bloomquist, M. L., Lee, S. S., Realmuto, G. M., & Hektner, J. M. (2006). Can evidence-based prevention programs be sustained in community practice settings? The Early Risers' advanced-stage effectiveness trial. Prevention Science, 7(2), 151-165. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-005-0024-z
August, G. J., Egan, E. A., Realmuto, G. M., & Hektner, J. M. (2003). Parceling component effects of a multifaceted prevention program for disruptive elementary school children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 31(5), 515-527. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025401115430
August, G. J., Lee, S. S., Bloomquist, M. L., Realmuto, G. M., & Hektner, J. M. (2003). Dissemination of an evidence-based prevention innovation for aggressive children living in culturally diverse, urban neighborhoods: The Early Risers effectiveness study. Prevention Science, 4(4), 271-286. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026072316380
August, G. J., Lee, S. S., Bloomquist, M. L., Realmuto, G. M., & Hektner, J. M. (2004). Maintenance effects of an evidence-based prevention innovation for aggressive children living in culturally diverse urban neighborhoods: The Early Risers effectiveness study. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 12(4), 194-205. https://doi.org/10.1177/10634266040120040101
Klimes-Dougan, B., Klingbeil, D. A., Houri, A., Cullen, K. R., Gunlicks-Stoessel, M., & August, G. (2018). A pilot study of stress system activation in children enrolled in a targeted prevention program: Implications for personalization. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 19(2), 361. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19020361
Zhang, J., Lee, S., Piehler, T. F., Gewirtz, A. H., & August, G. J. (2020). Bidirectional relations between parenting practices and child externalizing behaviors in formerly homeless families: A random-intercept cross-lagged panel analysis. Parenting: Science and Practice, 20(3), 177-199. https://doi.org/10.1080/15295192.2019.1694833
