ABOUT THE SOURCEBOOK
WELCOME
to the Violence Institute of New Jersey at UMDNJ's SourceBook.
The SourceBook is intended to serve as a tool and source
of ideas for schools, agencies, and community members who are searching
for strategies to help their young people live physically and emotionally
healthy and safe lives. The SourceBook includes brief summaries
of a wide variety of promising and effective programs that are available
for adoption or adaptation.
The SourceBook database was prepared by the Violence Institute of New Jersey with grant support from the United States Department of Education, Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program. The research and reviews were written by project staff members Connie Hassett-Walker, Lesley Hirsch, and Dorothy Nixon. The concept was originated by Dr. Michael Greene, and the website was developed and designed by Chia-Cherng Cheng and Marie Birthwright. This resource could not have been developed without the help of numerous others, including the developers and evaluators of the prevention programs.
What programs are included in the SourceBook?
The Violence Institute consulted several expert sources to identify effective and promising drug and violence prevention programs, focusing primarily on those with a significant school-based component. We included some other types of programs, including family-strengthening programs, therapeutic interventions, and programs that are most commonly implemented in our own state of New Jersey. The programs range from traditional, single-component interventions to multi-component initiatives.
Many effective and promising programs are not included in the SourceBook. Programs may not appear here for a variety of reasons: they have not been evaluated, we have not reviewed them yet, or they are undergoing revisions that could render current research results meaningless.
What do the program reviews contain?
The summaries on this website contain the following information:
Program description: This section also contains general information about the program's goals and how the program developers sought to accomplish them. Also includes the theoretical basis of the program; the target population; targeted behaviors; and special recognitions received by program developers. Decision makers can use this information to assess the compatibility of the program developer's approach with approaches currently used in a given community.
Grade level: Indicates the appropriate grades for which the program is intended. For non-school-based interventions, age-grade equivalencies may be estimated as follows: PreK, three to four years of age; Kindergarten, five to six; 1st grade, six to seven; 2nd grade, seven to eight; 3rd grade, eight to nine; and so on..
Prevention level: As per the Institute of Medicine's classification system. Universal programs are intended for the general population within a specified age range to prevent the onset of one or more risk behaviors; Selective programs are intended for individuals with characteristics or experiences that put them at risk for engaging in one or more risk behaviors; Indicated programs are intended for individuals who have already engaged in one or more risk behaviors.
Targeted behaviors: Indicates whether the program is intended to enhance social competencies or life skills; and/or to prevent or reduce tobacco use, alcohol or other drug use, and/or violent or aggressive behaviors.
Significant effects: Behaviors and/or other relevant factors that have been affected by the intervention, as demonstrated through evaluation research.
Contact information: Name, address, phone number, and e-mail address (where available) for program developer and/or the program vendor/distributor.
If you would like to read a comprehensive review of the programs you see on this site, we invite you to order the printed version, The SourceBook of Drug and Violence Prevention Programs for Children and Adolescents.
If you have comments or questions about the SourceBook reviews, please e-mail us at hassetco@umdnj.edu
The SourceBook on the web will be updated months, so come visit us again soon!