REBOUND - a media-based life skills and risk education programme for 14-25 year olds in school settings
At a glance
Country of origin
- Germany
REBOUND is a media-based life skills and risk education programme developed for 14 – 25 year-olds in school, university or youth groups in school settings. The programme is based on cooperative learning; it is facilitated by teachers and other professionals, and supported by peer mentors. It aims to promote risk competence and positive norm-building in social groups.
REBOUND seeks to build positive developmental assets such as cognitive and emotional competence, self-perception of one’s strengths and self-efficacy. Moreover it seeks to strengthen autonomous decision-making, positive group norms, and risk awareness. It aims to intervene at the experimentation phase in users, and to strengthen abstinence values in non-users.
Keywords
No dataLinks to this programme in other registries
Implementation Experiences
Read the experiences of people who have implemented this programme.Contact details
Maximilian von Heyden
Email: maximilian.von-heyden[a]charite.de
Overview of results from the European studies
Studies overview
The programme has been evaluated in one quasi-experimental study in Germany among 9th and 10th graders (n = 723 students in five schools and 46 classes) in academic and vocational high school. A controlled study was conducted with repeated measurement before and after the intervention (4-6 months). The study showed overall significant lower incidence rated of drunkenness, improved knowledge about psychoactive substances, lower personal and general tobacco risk perception among users and lower general tobacco and cannabis risk perception in non-users. In academic high school there was a decrease in 30-day prevalence for alcohol and cannabis, and improved knowledge about psychoactive substances. In vocational high school there was an increase in the relative alcohol risk perception. Concerning the outcomes, some iatrogenic effects were reported (users of tobacco rated their tobacco consumption as less dangerous than tobacco users in the control group, probability for the initiation of the first drunkenness for boys in the intervention group is higher than in the control group).
REBOUND is currently being adjusted in accordance with the results from the first evaluation; a new evaluation RCT is expected to be published in 2019/2020. The new version will include an e-health intervention.
Countries where evaluated
- Germany
Characteristics
Protective factor(s) addressed
- Family: attachment to and support from parents
- Individual and peers: individual/peers other
Risk factor(s) addressed
- Family: parental attitudes favourable to alcohol/drug use
- Individual and peers: favourable attitude towards alcohol/drug use
- School and work: other
Outcomes targeted
- Education
- Academic performance
- Other educational outcomes
- Emotional well-being
- Other mental health outcomes
- Positive relationships
- Relations with parents
- Alcohol use
- Use of illicit drugs
- Smoking (tobacco)
- Substance-related behaviours
- Other behaviour outcomes
Description of programme
REBOUND is a novel media-based life skills and risk education programme developed for 14 – 25 year-olds in school, university or youth groups in school settings. The programme is based on cooperative learning; it is facilitated by teachers and other professionals, and supported by peer mentors. The curriculum is centred on ‘explorative film work’, with short films/videos depicting risk behaviours and life challenges.
REBOUND aims to build positive developmental assets such as cognitive and emotional competence, self-perception of one’s strengths and self-efficacy. Moreover it seeks to strengthen autonomous decision-making, positive group norms, and risk awareness. It aims to intervene at the experimentation phase in users, and to strengthen abstinence values in non-users.
It has been developed to achieve both short- and long-term effects, and includes cognitive, developmental and environmental dimensions. The first objective is strengthening risk competence; it encompasses self-reflection, risk knowledge, the wish to control substance use, and expanded life orientation. The second objective is supporting young people in strength recognition and reflective decision-making; it includes developing critical attitudes towards peer beliefs and media models.
The programme consists of a course with sixteen 90-minute-units, ten of which focus on psychosocial strength (resilience), and six on risks of alcohol and other drugs. It is implemented in the 9th and 10th grades, and delivered over a 4-6 months period. Implementation is supported by a mentoring system, a voluntary eLearning component, and tools for organisational development. REBOUND materials consist of (i) a facilitator’s manual including DVDs with short films, implementation materials and parent’s hand-outs, (ii) a student’s book, and (iii) a card box for film work. All the materials are available at the online tool box on the programme’s website.
REBOUND is a health promotion/prevention programme entirely developed in collaboration with those for whom it is intended, i.e. students, facilitators, and school administrators. The current programme focuses on substance abuse prevention. Future versions are planned, which also address media dependency, including excessive gaming, Internet, television, and mobile phone use.
The evaluated version (0.5) has been adjusted in response to the results of the pilot evaluation. The current version (1.1) places emphasis on normative aspects and environmental prevention. Additionally, an online training programme was developed for professional exchange. A new version (2.0) is planned, with the optional implementation of a positively evaluated evidence-based e-Health intervention. The second RCT will be conducted in 2019/2020.
