PRAISE Program for Childhood Aggression

Overseen By Brooke Paskewich, PsyD

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Disqualifiers: Non-English speakers, Special education, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

1008 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to test a program designed to reduce aggression in schools by training school staff to deliver it, with ongoing coaching from researchers. The trial will compare schools using the PRAISE With Coaching Program to those employing their usual methods for managing aggression. It suits students in grades 3-5 who are enrolled in participating schools and can speak English. School staff working with these students may also participate if they meet the same language criteria.

As an unphased trial, this study offers participants the opportunity to contribute to innovative educational strategies that could benefit schools nationwide.

Do I need to stop my current medications to join the trial?

The trial information does not specify whether participants need to stop taking their current medications.

What prior data suggests that the PRAISE With Coaching Program is safe for children?

Research has shown that the PRAISE With Coaching Program effectively reduces aggression and bullying among children. Studies have found that it improves how kids solve social problems. Designed for students in 3rd to 5th grade, the program aims to prevent relational aggression, reducing unfriendly actions in social situations.

In terms of safety, the program does not have side effects like those associated with medication. Instead, it involves training school staff to guide students, making it easy for participants to manage. Since the program focuses on behavior and learning, it avoids the risks linked to physical or drug-based treatments. Participants typically experience positive changes in behavior without negative effects. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the PRAISE With Coaching Program for childhood aggression because it offers a new way of addressing behavioral issues in schools. Unlike standard methods such as community meetings or restorative circles, this program integrates comprehensive training and personalized coaching directly from the research team. This hands-on approach aims to provide more targeted and effective interventions, potentially leading to more meaningful and lasting changes in student behavior. By focusing on tailored coaching, the program hopes to fill gaps left by existing methods, offering a fresh and potentially more impactful solution to managing childhood aggression.

What evidence suggests that the PRAISE With Coaching Program is effective for preventing childhood aggression?

Research has shown that the PRAISE program, provided to participants in the intervention schools, effectively reduces bullying and aggressive behavior among students. Studies have found that PRAISE helps children improve their social problem-solving skills and reduces negative assumptions about others' intentions. This program is particularly effective for children in grades 3 to 5. By training and coaching school staff to implement the program, it aims to make a lasting difference in reducing aggressive behaviors in schools. Early results suggest that the program is well-received and positively impacts childhood aggression and social behavior issues. ^{1 2 3 4 6}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Brooke S Paskewich, Psy.D

Principal Investigator

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Tracy E Waasdorp, PhD MSEd

Principal Investigator

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for students in grades 3-5 and staff at participating schools. Students must be enrolled at the school, speak English, and be in regular education classrooms. Staff should teach or provide services to these students and also speak English.

Inclusion Criteria

I am a student in 3rd to 5th grade participating in the study.

Student: Enrolled in one of the participating school sites

Staff: Employed by one of the participating school sites

Exclusion Criteria

Student: Do not speak English

Student: Special education students not integrated in a regular education classroom

Teacher: Do not speak English

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Training and Coaching

School staff are trained to facilitate the PRAISE program and receive ongoing coaching from research staff

8 months

Regular coaching sessions

Implementation

Implementation of the PRAISE program in intervention schools, focusing on reducing peer aggression and bullying

8 months

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in peer aggression, bullying, and other social behaviors post-intervention

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• PRAISE With Coaching Program

Trial Overview The PRAISE Program aims to prevent bullying and aggression in schools. It's been adapted so that school staff can run it with coaching from researchers. The study will test how effective the program is when facilitated by trained in-school personnel.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Intervention Schools Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

These schools will receive the PRAISE program which includes training and coaching from the research team.

Group II: Comparison Schools Active Control 1 Intervention

These schools do not receive the PRAISE intervention. These schools can have their standard aggression and bullying practices such as community meeting, restorative circles, Second Step program, and the Olweus program. We will measure what classrooms in the comparison condition are doing, but we will not intervene.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Lead Sponsor

Trials

749

Recruited

11,400,000+

The School District of Philadelphia

Collaborator

Trials

5

Recruited

3,400+

Citations

1. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07191782

Examining the Efficacy of the PRAISE With Coaching ... Aim 1: Examine the efficacy of PRAISE at reducing students' peer aggression and bullying and improving social problem-solving skills, positive ...

2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9743486/

The Preventing Relational Aggression in Schools Everyday ... This study provides promising evidence that PRAISE is effective for reducing relational aggression and hostile attributions in provocative situations.

3. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-childhood-aggression-9-2025-30677

PRAISE Program for Childhood Aggression ... PRAISE With Coaching Program will have tolerable side effects & efficacy for patients with Childhood Aggression, Social Behavior, Bullying ...

4. patlynk.com patlynk.com/trial/NCT07191782

PRAISE Program for Reducing Peer Aggression and ... The study is designed to test a program called PRAISE, which aims to prevent bullying and aggression among children in 3rd to 5th grade.

5. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949732924000176

Review: Evidence-Based Psychosocial Treatments for ... This review examines well-established interventions for childhood irritability and aggression as well as newer interventions with a growing evidence base.

6. ichgcp.net ichgcp.net/clinical-trials-registry/NCT07191782

Examining the Efficacy of the PRAISE With Coaching Program Aim 1: Examine the efficacy of PRAISE at reducing students' peer aggression and bullying and improving social problem-solving skills, positive ...