Bullying was a pervasive issue affecting high schools in the United States despite anti-bullying programs. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of former high school bullying victims about why anti-bullying programs have not reduced incidents of bullying. The conceptual framework that supported this study was…

Background: Despite recent tobacco control efforts, adolescent vaping remains an epidemic in the United States. The purpose of our study was to understand high school student vaping behaviors using the perceptions of Massachusetts school personnel during the critical window from when the Massachusetts statewide flavor ban legislation was passed in…

Adolescent suicide is a growing public health concern. This research explores adolescent perceptions of suicide to identify potential focus areas for future prevention programming. This qualitative study utilized focus groups with 14 high school students. Thematic analysis was used to capture key concepts. Salient themes included: "Deciding…

Bullying and peer victimization are increasingly recognized as a detriment to the well-being of students. While the past two decades have seen the development of several effective approaches to prevention at the elementary and middle school levels, very little research has documented effective strategies for students in high schools. The current…

This article follows the early-stage planning, implementation, and evaluation of a university--school-based partnership (USBP) between a large Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2) and local high schools in Georgia. The purpose of the partnership was to implement suicide and substance use prevention efforts over 3 years. USBPs are…

Objective: Despite evidence-based interventions for the psychiatric disorders that often precede suicidality, suicide remains a leading cause of death among youth. There has been increased interest in whether preventive interventions targeting early risk factors lead to decreased distal risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB). We examined…

Electronic cigarette use during middle school and high school has become an alarming public health concern. Educating youth about the risks of using e-cigarettes through a prevention program can be instrumental in curbing the growing numbers. Our Extension team implemented a prevention program, Escape Vapes, which adapted three Stanford University…

In this article, we investigate how a process drama can be used in efforts against school bullying in a new digitalised society, specifically, what kinds of initiatives Norwegian adolescents make use of in process drama as anti-bullying prevention and what kinds of attitudes towards this kind of prevention work they emphasise. In the project Drama…

Background: School-based, comprehensive sexual health education is an important strategy for addressing the needs of youth in rural communities. However, few evidence-based programs have been developed specifically for or with rural youth, thus raising questions of their applicability and acceptability. Methods: From September 2021 to January…

Background: Adolescent suicide is a public health issue, and school is an ideal setting for prevention activities. LEARN is a peer-led gatekeeper training for high school personnel, parents, and students. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of LEARN as a gatekeeper training. Methods: Paired t tests were used to compare pre-…

Background: To contribute to a reduction in teenage pregnancy among in-school adolescents in Rwanda, a sexual and reproductive health peer education programme (SRHPEP) was developed and implemented. Reflecting on the unique characteristics of this newly implemented programme, and understanding peer educators' (PEs) and facilitators' perspectives,…

Sexual violence among adolescents is a major concern. This study examined the impact of the peer-led "Sources of Strength" program on gender-based violence and attitudes dismissive of sexual harassment. Twenty high schools in Colorado were randomized to intervention (n = 11) or waitlist control (n = 9); students (N = 6461; 9th-11th…

This paper describes the development and impact of an underage drinking reduction program designed and implemented by a South Carolina county sheriff's office with assistance from the county coalition. In December 2017, high school surveys identified family and friends as the alcohol source 82.2% of the time. In Summer 2018, sheriff deputies began…

In Japan, many high school students have severe depression. Preventive interventions for school-based cognitive-behavioral depression are effective countermeasures against depressive problems among high school students. However, since high school curriculums are time-consuming, such interventions are less common among high school students.…

This study examined the program effectiveness of Health Rocks!, a youth substance use prevention program. Merging data from 128,544 youth participants in 21 states between 2009 and 2021, this study compared self-reported levels of knowledge, skills, and internal and external assets before and after the program. Youth reported significant increases…