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Glossary

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Key overview details

Classification
  • Universal
Mental Wellbeing Need
  • Supporting Behavioural Challenges
  • Antisocial Behaviour
  • Conduct Problems
  • Substance Misuse
  • Supporting Positive Relationships
  • Parenting
  • Parent-child relationship / Attachment
Target Age
  • Primary school: 6 to 12 years
  • Adolescents: 13 to 18 years
Provision
Usability Rating
3
Supports Rating
2
Evidence Rating
4

Evidence

4

Fit

Capacity

Supports

2

Usability

3

Need

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Guiding Good Choices

Summary

Guiding Good Choices (GGC) is a universally delivered group-based parenting programme designed to reduce risk factors for drug use and associated problem behaviours in children aged 8-14 years. GGC is centred on substance use prevention, but also teaches generalised skills that address other parenting concerns. The programme curriculum is delivered by two trained practitioners in five sessions, each delivered weekly over 2.5 hours. In these sessions, parents are taught skills to enhance family management practices, enhance family cohesion, help children resist peer pressure, reduce family conflict, and strategies to establish and maintain clear and consistent rules that guide child behaviours. Skills are taught using didactic materials, video vignettes, role-play, group discussions, and interactive exercises. Homework exercises are assigned to promote daily use of these skills.

GGC delivery in Scotland and the rest of the UK has not been confirmed.

Website: http://www.sdrg.org/ggc.asp  

Usability - Rating: 3

Core Components

Guiding Good Choices (GGC) (formerly known as Preparing for the Drug-Free Years) is a universally delivered group-based parenting programme designed to reduce risk factors for drug use, and associated problem behaviours in children aged 8-14 years. The programme aims to help parents understand the risk and protective factors for substance abuse and problem behaviours; enhance parenting skills; and promote protective parent-child interactions. The programme is therefore centered on substance use prevention, but also teaches generalised skills that address other parenting concerns.

GGC is delivered in five sessions, each delivered in 2.5 hour interactive weekly sessions. These skills based sessions are delivered by two trained practitioners in school and community settings. Session 1 teaches strategies for preventing drug use in the family; session two focuses on setting guidelines for developing healthy beliefs and clear standards to guide child behaviours; session three teaches parents and their children refusal skills to help children say no to drugs, avoid trouble, and resist peer pressure; session four teaches skills for managing conflict in the family; and session five focuses on strategies to strengthen family bonds. Sessions 1, 2, 4 and 5 are delivered to parents only, while session 3 is delivered to parents with their children in attendance. Skills are taught using didactic materials, video vignettes, role-play, group discussions, and interactive exercises. Homework practice exercises are handed to families after each session to promote daily use of these skills. Families also receive a family guide that contains information on family activities, skills-building exercises, and positive parenting.

Fidelity

Guiding Good Choices (GGC) programme fidelity is ensured by implementation of the following measures:

1. Practitioner training delivered by certified trainer.

Modifiable Components

GGC is available in English and Spanish.

Supports - Rating: 2

Implementation support is provided by programme certified trainers from the Social Development Research Group (SDRG), University of Washington, USA.

Support for Organisation/Practice

Implementation Support

Programme certified trainers deliver practitioner trainings and provide support with programme implementation to ensure its fidelity. Practitioners can access programme materials online (including practitioner guide for session by session delivery, and family guide for families).

Licence Requirements

Licence requirements unable to be confirmed.

Start-up Costs
Programme implementation costs unable to be confirmed.

Building Staff Competency

Qualifications Required

Guiding Good Choices (GGC) is typically delivered by teachers, parent educators or other practitioners who are confident facilitating parent group workshops. Two practitioners deliver the programme to each parent group.

Training Requirements

Practitioner training prior to programme delivery is recommended. Practitioner training is delivered over three full days, and covers the use of the standardised programme curriculum, as well as effective delivery of programme workshops. Organisations can host trainings for practitioner groups, or individual practitioners can attend already scheduled training sessions.

Supervision Requirements

Guiding Good Choices (GGC) programme supervision requirements were unable to be confirmed.

Evidence - Rating: 4

Theory of Change

Guiding Good Choices (GGC) is guided by a social development model. The programme identifies bonding to prosocial others (especially family members) as the key protective factor against substance use. GGC therefore provides information on risks for, and dangers of substance use; aims to enhance the development of family bonds; and aims to promote parenting and parent-child interactional skills. These are expected to reduce risk factors for drug use and associated problem behaviours in children.

Primary school: 6 to 12 years - Rating: 4

Research Design & Number of Studies

The best evidence for Guiding Good Choices (GGC) in children aged 6-12 years comes from two internally conducted cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT). The first study included 429 families with 6th grade children (mean age 11.35 years) from thirty-three rural schools in USA (Mason et al., 2007; Spoth et al., 2004; Mason et al., 2003; Spoth et al., 2001). The second study 209 rural families with 6th and/or 7th grade children (approximately aged 11-13 years) from nine schools (Kosterman et al., 2001; Kosterman et al., 1997; Spoth et al., 1995). These nine schools were in six school districts located in two economically stressed American counties. All schools included in both studies were selected based on their eligibility for a federally supported school lunch programme.

Outcomes Achieved

Compared to the control group who did not receive the intervention, the following outcomes were observed:

Child Outcomes

• Significantly reduced scores on self-reported depressive symptoms at 6 years follow-up (Mason et al., 2007)
• Significantly slower rate of increase in substance use over 3.5 years of follow-up (Mason et al., 2003); and after 6 years of follow-up (Spoth et al., 2004)
• Significantly lower frequency of alcohol use in the last month at four years follow-up (Spoth et al., 2001)
• Significantly slower rate of linear increase in delinquency over 3.5 years of follow-up (Mason et al., 2003)

Parent Outcomes

• Significantly improved parenting behaviours (targeted by specific intervention sessions) (Kosterman et al., 2001), and protective parenting behaviours at post-test (Spoth et al., 1995)
• Significantly improved general child management skills at post-test (Spoth et al., 1995)
• Significantly better parent-child proactive communication at post-test (Kosterman et al., 1997)
• Significantly lower mother-child negative interaction at post-test (Kosterman et al., 1997)
• Significantly higher father-child relationship quality at post-test (Kosterman et al., 1997)

Key References

Mason, W. A., Kosterman, R., Hawkins, J. D., Haggerty, K. P., Spoth, R. L., & Redmond, C. (2007). Influence of a family-focused substance use preventive intervention on growth in adolescent depressive symptoms. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 17(3), 541-564

Spoth, R., Redmond, C., Shin, C., & Azevedo, K. (2004). Brief family intervention effects on adolescent substance initiation: School-level curvilinear growth curve analyses 6 years following baseline. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 72(3), 535-542.

Mason, W. A., Kosterman, R., Hawkins, J. D., Haggerty, K. P., & Spoth, R. L. (2003). Reducing adolescents' growth in substance use and delinquency: Randomized trial effects of a preventive parent-training intervention. Prevention Science, 4(3), 203-212.

Kosterman, R., Hawkins, J. D., Haggerty, K. P., Spoth, R., & Redmond, C. (2001). Preparing for the Drug Free Years: Session-specific effects of a universal parent-training intervention with rural families. Journal of Drug Education, 31(1), 47-68.

Spoth, R., Redmond, C., Shin, C. (2001). Randomized trial of brief family interventions for general populations: adolescent substance use outcomes 4 years following baseline. J Consult Clin Psychology, 69(4), 627-42.

Kosterman, R., Hawkins, J. D., Spoth, R., Haggerty, K., & Zhu, K. (1997). Effects of a preventive parent training intervention on observed family interactions: Proximal outcomes from Preparing for the Drug Free Years. Journal of Community Psychology, 25(3), 277-292.

Spoth, R., Redmond, C., Haggerty, K., & Ward, T. (1995). A controlled parenting skills outcome study examining individual difference and attendance effects. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 57(2), 449-464.

Adolescents: 13 to 18 years - Rating: 4

Research Design & Number of Studies

The best evidence for Guiding Good Choices (GGC) in children aged 13-18 years comes from one internally conducted cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT). The study included 209 rural families with 6th and/or 7th grade children (approximately aged 11-13 years) from nine schools (Kosterman et al., 2001; Kosterman et al., 1997; Spoth et al., 1995). These nine schools were in six school districts located in two economically stressed American counties. All schools included in the study were selected based on their eligibility for a federally supported school lunch programme.

Outcomes Achieved

Compared to the control group who did not receive the intervention, the following outcomes were observed:

Child Outcomes

None

Parent Outcomes

• Significantly improved parenting behaviours (targeted by specific intervention sessions) (Kosterman et al., 2001), and protective parenting behaviours at post-test (Spoth et al., 1995)
• Significantly improved general child management skills at post-test (Spoth et al, 1995)
• Significantly better parent-child proactive communication at post-test (Kosterman et al., 1997)
• Significantly lower mother-child negative interaction at post-test (Kosterman et al., 1997)
• Significantly higher father-child relationship quality at post-test (Kosterman et al., 1997)

Key References

Kosterman, R., Hawkins, J. D., Haggerty, K. P., Spoth, R., & Redmond, C. (2001). Preparing for the Drug Free Years: Session-specific effects of a universal parent-training intervention with rural families. Journal of Drug Education, 31(1), 47-68.

Kosterman, R., Hawkins, J. D., Spoth, R., Haggerty, K., & Zhu, K. (1997). Effects of a preventive parent training intervention on observed family interactions: Proximal outcomes from Preparing for the Drug Free Years. Journal of Community Psychology, 25(3), 277-292.

Spoth, R., Redmond, C., Haggerty, K., & Ward, T. (1995). A controlled parenting skills outcome study examining individual difference and attendance effects. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 57(2), 449-464.

 

Fit

Values

Guiding Good Choices (GGC) is a universally delivered group-based parenting programme designed to reduce risk factors for drug use and associated problem behaviours in children aged 8-14 years. GGC is guided by social development model as it identifies bonding to prosocial others (especially family members) as the key protective factor against substance use. It therefore provides information on risks for, and dangers of substance use; aims to enhance the development of family bonds; and aims to promote parenting and parent-child interactional skills.

  • Does this approach align with the key values of your organisation?

Priorities

Guiding Good Choices (GGC) is centred on substance use prevention, but it also teaches generalised skills that address other parenting concerns. The programme aims to help parents understand the risk and protective factors for substance abuse and problem behaviours; enhance parenting skills; and promote protective parent-child interactions.

  • Is your service looking to deliver a universal programme that is focused on substance use prevention?
  • Is your service looking to deliver a parenting programme, or is a programme that is primarily delivered to children/ adolescents a priority for your service?

Existing Initiatives

  • Does your organisation have existing substance use prevention programmes?
  • Are there components addressed by Guiding Good Choices (GGC) that are not met by existing programmes?
  • Are the existing initiatives effective?
  • Do they fit your current and anticipated future requirements?
Capacity

Workforce

Guiding Good Choices (GGC) is typically delivered by teachers, parent educators or other practitioners who are confident facilitating parent group workshops. Two practitioners deliver the programme to each parent group in five sessions, each delivered weekly over 2.5 hours. Three days of practitioner training is recommended prior to programme delivery.

  • Does your organisation have practitioners who are interested in learning and delivering this programme?
  • Can your organisation support the time commitment required for practitioner training, and programme delivery?

Technology Support

Programme materials are available for online order. Video vignettes are used to teach some GGC skills.

  • Does your organisation have technology to access online resources, and support delivery of programme sessions?

Administrative Support

Guiding Good Choices (GGC) is delivered in five sessions, each delivered in 2.5 hour weekly sessions. Programme sessions are typically delivered in school and community settings

  • In what setting will GGC be delivered?
  • Is there a venue/space within this setting for programme delivery?
  • Does your organisation have administrative capacity and systems to support delivery of this programme?

Financial Support

Programme implementation costs not confirmed.

Need

Comparable Population

Guiding Good Choices (GGC) is a universally delivered group-based parenting programme designed to reduce risk factors for drug use and associated problem behaviours in children aged 8-14 years. Evidence of effectiveness comes from studies conducted in families with children in 6th and/ or 7th grade (approximately aged between 11-13 years). Students were recruited from schools that were in economically stressed counties, and were eligible for a federally supported school lunch programme.

  • Is this comparable to the population your organisation would like to serve?

Desired Outcome

Guiding Good Choices (GGC) aims to help parents understand the risk and protective factors for substance abuse and problem behaviours; enhance parenting skills; and promote protective parent-child interactions. Programme delivery is associated with significant improvements across several parent outcomes including improved parenting behaviours, increased parent-child communication, decreased mother-child negative interaction, increased father-child relationship quality, and increased general child management skills. Programme delivery is also associated with significant improvements in child outcomes including reduced depressive symptoms, substance use and general delinquency.

  • Is delivering a programme that is centered on substance use prevention, and also teaches generalised parenting skills a priority for your service?
  • Does your organisation have other initiatives in place that effectively and efficiency address the above outcomes?
Developer Details

Kevin Haggerty, Ph.D.
01-206-685-1997
Ctr4ctc@uw.edu  
http://www.sdrg.org/ggc.asp