Solid as a rock, flexible as water
Solid as a rock, flexible as water? Improving students’ psychosocial wellbeing in prevocational schools
In this project we aim to examine whether the Rock & Water (R&W) program contributes to increases in socio-emotional adjustment (i.e., psychosocial wellbeing, sexual health, and resilience) and social safety (i.e., perceived social security in the classroom, aggression, and bullying) of prevocational boys and girls with different ethnic backgrounds. An RCT-design will be used to study whether the program is ‘solid as a rock’ (does it work?) and which elements are ‘flexible as water’ (working elements).
The study examines under which condition the program is effective:
- “R&W light” (training core-team);
- “R&W Standard” (training core-team and whole school team); and
- “R&W Plus” (training core-team, whole school team and parent participation).
Characteristics of youth, trainers, and parents are taken into account (moderator effects). It is further examined whether effects of R&W are mediated by increases in self-control, self-reflection, self-esteem, and emotion regulation of youth. In addition, it is investigated whether communication style of youth within the classroom (deviant and prosocial communication) mediates the effects of R&W on social safety.