Preventing substance use, violent behaviors and sexual activity among elementary-school students through enhancing students' positive development: A mediation analysis of a school-based randomized trial

Background: A positive youth development perspective focuses on the strengths of youth and their positive behaviors, moving away from the negative perspective that has predominated scientific thinking for decades. Recent published research has reported the effects of a comprehensive school-based social-emotional and character development program, Positive Action, on reducing substance use, violent behaviors, and sexual activity among elementary-school students. The purpose of this study was to build upon this research and utilize a positive youth development perspective to examine if positive behavior mediated the intervention effects on reducing substance use, violence, and sexual activity. Methods: We utilized a matched-pair, cluster-randomized, controlled design, with 20 (10 intervention and 10 control) racially/ethnically diverse schools. Fifth-grade students self-reported on positive behaviors and substance use, violence, and voluntary sexual activity; teachers self-reported on students' positive behaviors, substance use, and violence. Results: Structural equation models, with a latent positive-behavior mediator, indicated that students attending intervention schools reported significantly greater positive behavior. Intervention effects on student-reported substance use, violence, and sexual activity were completely mediated by students' positive behavior. Consistent with previous research, students attending intervention schools reported significantly less substance use, violence, and sexual activity. Overall, boys reported more problem behaviors than girls. Teacher reports corroborate these results, with positive behavior partially mediating the effects of the intervention on problem behaviors. Conclusion: Students' positive behavior significantly mediated the intervention effects on students' problem behaviors, providing evidence that supports a positive youth development perspective which posits that a focus on youths' assets can reduce problem behaviors.