Positive Adolescents Choices Training (PACT): Preliminary Findings of the Effects of a School-Based Violence Prevention Program for African American Adolescents

The Positive Adolescents Choices Training (PACT) program is a culturally sensitive social skills training program developed specifically for African American youth to reduce their disproportionate risk for becoming victims or perpetrators of violence. The cognitive-behavioral group training approach equips students with specific social skills to use in situations of interpersonal conflict. The PACT program has been implemented with students between 12 and 15 years of age in cooperation with an urban school system. Participants were selected by teachers on the basis of skill deficiencies in relating to peers, behavior problems (particularly aggression), and/or history of victimization by violence. Twenty-eight students have completed the training and an additional 37 are currently being trained. The PACT project appears to be a viable and effective way to reduce the potential for violence in African American middle school youth. Students who completed the training were rated by both teachers and trainers as showing improvement in the target skill areas as measured by pre-to-post observation of behavior. Also, participants completing the program demonstrated reduced negative behavior such as suspensions or expulsions related to violent behavior in comparison to a closely matched group of untrained students. (Author/NB)