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The Hexagon: An Exploration Tool
The Hexagon can be used as a planning tool to guide selection and evaluate potential programs and practice for use.
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Core Components
Rock and Water is a universal programme for children and young people aged 5 to 18 years. The programme aims to improve skills such as self-regulation, communication and empathy by taking children on a journey of self-awareness, learning about responding to life with either a symbolic ‘rock’ or ‘water’ approach (the rock representing a strong and uncompromising attitude, and the water symbolising flexibility, communication and cooperation) reducing the likelihood of aggressive or violent responses in times of conflict. The programme is group based, although can be delivered on a one to one basis and is delivered by trained practitioners over 6 to 10, 1-1.5 hr sessions in a variety of settings, such as schools, youth clubs and residential care.
The intervention is designed to enhance children’s resilience skills, monitor and identify their reactive behaviour patterns when placed in times of stress, develop their capacity to work effectively in a group situation by analysing how relationships are strengthened and to stand with focus and determination as an individual. The programme’s emphasis is on kinaesthetic learning patterns and combines learning through experience and action and learning through self-expression and conversation. It is underpinned by a framework of exercises and topics which assist young people to become aware of purpose and motivation in their life, introducing games, simple martial arts-based self-defence, boundary and communication exercises to develop self-confidence and social functioning. Children and young people are taught setting boundaries, simple self-defence and communication skills, practical anti-bullying strategies, ability to be in control through grounding, centredness and mental focus and skills to identify and monitor reactive behaviour patterns.
The intervention is manualised with clear guidance for teachers which is included in a training manual which includes 175 exercises in 24 lesson plans of approximately 90 minutes each or 48 lesson plans of approximately 50 minutes each lesson. A USB flash drive is also provided with training which contains video scenarios relating to themes relevant to the Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) and Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) curriculum.
Age-appropriate topics include confidence, being a member of a group, emotional control, body awareness, working together, body language, intuition and listening, non-verbal cues, boundaries and mastering your emotions underpinned by themed lessons including coping in the playground, dealing with a threatening group, personal contact, breathing strength, body language, sexuality. The topics are connected by four red threads (1) Learning how to ground, centre and focus yourself (2) Development of the psychophysical triangle: body– emotional– self-awareness (3) Development of physical communication (4) the Rock and Water concept.
Fidelity
In order to maintain fidelity to the intervention, the following are provided for implementing agencies/schools:
Standardised face to face training
One day introductory workshop
Training manual and printable and on-line materials
Video/DVD training materials
Practitioner Forum for sharing best practice (optional)
Modifiable Components
Upon completion of training, the programme can be implemented immediately as described in the manual however practitioners are encouraged to shape their delivery to best suit the needs of their young people and focus upon specific outcomes (e.g. social skills, bullying, class cohesion, anti-violence, confidence development, goal setting) or to cover all of these over time.
The programme has been delivered in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, England, Germany, Kenya, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Scotland, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey and Wales.
Rock and Water (UK) Ltd provides all support for UK based implementing agencies.
Support for Organisation / Practice
Implementation Support
Rock and Water (UK) Ltd provides implementation support to schools/organisations and teachers/youth workers that includes:
Training to deliver the intervention;
A one-day workshop for all school/organisation staff to introduce the intervention;
Classroom materials to support teachers as they implement the programme in their classrooms;
Assistance by phone, email or virtual meeting during delivery from the UK training base.
Licence Requirements
Rock and Water (UK) Ltd is the contracted provider of Rock and Water training courses in the United Kingdom. To deliver Rock and Water with young people, practitioners must be accredited to deliver the programme however they may not train other professionals.
Start-up Costs
To deliver Rock and Water requires the purchase of Three-Day Foundation training at a cost of £675 per person.
The cost of a whole school/organisation training approach, requiring at least two staff attend Foundation training followed by a one-day whole staff workshop, can be negotiated directly with the training provider.
Building Staff Competency
Qualifications Required
Practitioners delivering Rock and Water should be experienced in teaching and supporting children and young people. Preferably, those delivering the programme should be trained teachers, youth workers or health-related professionals.
Training Requirements
Foundation training to deliver the programme is a requirement and is three days in total. The training comprises four hours learning the philosophy and theory and 20 hours learning games, exercises, and best practice strategies.
Whole-school/organisation implementation recommends at least two staff members complete the three-day training in order to support one another in its implementation. This is followed by a One-Day Introductory Workshop (90 minutes of theory and six hours of practical experience focusing on the first six lessons) for up to 50 participants to support the embedding of the programme.
Supervision Requirements
Supervision is not required for this programme. Coaching and mentoring is available and can be accessed via a virtual platform.
Evidence - Rating: 1+ - 4+
Theory of Change
Rock and Water promotes the theory that when children and young people develop strong abilities to self-regulate their emotions and behaviours, they are less likely to act in violent and aggressive ways in times of conflict. The Rock and Water programme teaches self-regulation skills such as grounding, centring, effective breathing, verbal and non-verbal communication, self-reflection and empathy. In the short term, young people will be more aware of themselves and others, have improved communication skills, and understand social behaviours that are deemed appropriate, acceptable and safe. In the longer term, young people will have greater ability to develop and sustain relationships as they move into adulthood and will be less likely to act in violent or aggressive ways in times of conflict.
Preschool: 3 to 5 years - Rating: 1+
Research Design & Number of Studies
No research was identified which included children aged 3 to 5 years old.
Primary school: 6 to 12 years - Rating: 4+
Research Design & Number of Studies
The best evidence identified for children in the 6-12 age range, comes from one RCT, undertaken externally to the programme developer (Reitz et al., 2019). The trial population included children between the ages of 7 and 14 years, across 17 schools in the Netherlands (n=1203 children).
Outcomes Achieved
Child Outcomes
Statistically significant impact on decreased depressive feelings (Reitz et al., 2019).
Statistically significant impact on increased self-esteem (Reitz et al., 2019).
Statistically significant reduction in bullying (Reitz et al., 2019).
Parent Outcomes
Key References
Reitz, E., Mertens, E., van Londen, M., & Dekovic, M. (2019). Changes in social safety, feelings of competence, and depressive feelings of primary school children who have participated in the intervention program Rock and Water: A comparison study. Journal of Clinical Psychology , 2019, 49(1), pp. 38-57.
Adolescents: 13 to 18 years - Rating: 4+
Research Design & Number of Studies
The best evidence identified for Rock and Water, for children and young people aged 13-18 years comes from 1 RCT and 1 QED trial conducted externally to the programme developers. The trial populations of these studies included children between the ages of 7 and 14 years old, across 17 schools in the Netherlands (n=1203 children) (Reitz et al., 2019) and boys aged 14-17 years in the Netherlands (n=521) (de Graff et al., 2016). Evidence outcomes for the age range 13-18 years is the same as for the 6-12 years evidence above with the addition of the outcomes below.
Child Outcomes
Significant reduction at follow-up in coercive strategies particularly verbal manipulation (de Graaf et al., 2016).
Significant improvement in self-regulation and general self-efficacy at follow-up (de Graaf et al., 2016).
Parent Outcomes
Key References
de Graaf, I., de Haas, S., Zaagsma, M., & Wijsen, C. (2016). Effects of Rock and Water: an intervention to prevent sexual aggression. Journal of Sexual Aggression , 22(1), pp. 4-19.
Reitz, E., Mertens, E., van Londen, M., & Dekovic, M. (2019). Changes in social safety, feelings of competence, and depressive feelings of primary school children who have participated in the intervention program Rock and Water: A comparison study. Journal of Clinical Psychology , 2019, 49(1), pp. 38-57.
Need
Comparable Population
Rock and Water is designed as a universal programme for all primary and secondary school children aged 5 to 18 years across the full range of socio-economic levels. Evidence of its effectiveness includes children aged 7 to 14 years of age in the Netherlands.
Is this comparable to the population you serve? Does your organisation have existing contacts with this population?
Desired Outcome
Rock and Water aims to improve children and young people’s self-esteem, self-efficacy and social competency and to improve their body, emotional and self-awareness. This in turn improves their ability to regulate their emotions and behaviours and are less likely to respond in an aggressive or violent way in times of conflict. Programme delivery is associated with significant reductions in the use of coercive strategies, improvements in self-regulation, self-efficacy and a reduction in bullying.
Is improving improve children/young people’s self-esteem, self-efficacy and social competency a desired outcome for your organisation? Is reducing children/young people’s aggressive or violent responses in times of conflict a desired outcome for your organisation? Do you have other existing initiatives that would be supportive of addressing this need and achieving these outcomes?
Need Score
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Fit
Values
Rock and Water values providing children and young people with opportunities to experience secure attachment relationships with key adult figures, to experience and understand social well-being, supporting children to implement adaptive social and problem-solving skills, achieving success and for this to be used as a positive narrative building the foundation for future positive outcomes.
Does this approach align with the key values of your organisation?
Priorities
Rock and Water seeks to develop a greater sense of connection, purpose and meaning in the lives of young people and those that teach and support them. The programme prioritises the provision of intentional social-emotional learning opportunities for children and young people, so they are better equipped to establish and maintain positive meaningful relationships throughout their lives, as well as reducing the potential of violent/aggressive behaviour later in life.
Is supporting children in a prevention approach to develop and maintain positive relationships in life a priority for your organisation? Is supporting children to reduce early risk factors that can lead to problems later in life a current priority for your organisation?
Existing Initiatives
Does your service already provide psychophysical prevention programmes aiming to improve children and young peoples’ development and mental health outcomes? Does your organisation already have staff trained in delivering Rock and Water? Do you have links with CAMHS, Adult Mental Health Services and Child Protection Services to refer onto if required?
Fit Score
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Capacity
Workforce
To deliver Rock and Water trained teaching or care professionals are required to complete the three-day training programme.
Do you have enough qualified professionals available to commit to undertake training? Do you have enough qualified professionals available to commit to delivering the full extent of this programme?
Technology Support
To implement Rock and Water requires minimal access to technology. A device (with a USB port) to play videos which support the lessons and internet to access the online practitioner’s forum.
Do you have access to adequate technology for staff to effectively deliver the technological components of the programme?
Administrative Support
Minimal administrative support is required to deliver the Rock and Water however, some support may be required to print off materials.
Do you have enough administrative capacity and systems to meet these administrative needs?
Financial Support
To deliver Rock and Water requires the purchase of training per £675 per person. Training two staff members to enable a whole school/organisation implementation by completing the three-day training followed by a one-day Introductory workshop is negotiated directly with the training provider.
Do you have the finances to purchase training?
Capacity Score
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