Taking Care of Friends: The Implementation Evaluation of a Peer-Focused School Program Using First Aid to Reduce Adolescent Risk-Taking and Injury

Lisa Buckley, Mary Sheehan, Kelly Dingli, Bianca Reveruzzi and Veronica Horgan
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Lisa Buckley: School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Herston 4006, Australia
Mary Sheehan: Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety-Queensland, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove 4059, Australia
Kelly Dingli: Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety-Queensland, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove 4059, Australia
Bianca Reveruzzi: Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety-Queensland, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove 4059, Australia
Veronica Horgan: Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety-Queensland, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove 4059, Australia

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 24, 1-14

Abstract: Injury is a leading cause of adolescent deaths, with risk-taking associated with a sizeable proportion of injuries and many of those risks undertaken in the presence of peers or with peers’ knowledge. Novel ways to promote safety are required and using the peer-relationship may be an important mechanism for prevention. This study reports on the implementation evaluation of the Skills for Preventing Injury in Youth (SPIY) program. SPIY is a high-school program designed to reduce injury by encouraging peers to look out for one another and prevent risk-taking, complemented by developing peer helping and first aid skills as well as school connectedness. 152 students and 12 teachers who delivered SPIY participated in separate 30 min focus groups and reported on students’ understanding of peer protective behaviour and the program implementation (adherence, dose, quality of program delivery, and participant responsiveness). Students reported on many approaches to protecting friends and both students and teachers reported they found the program interesting, interactive, and able to be delivered. Peer protection messages were relevant and acceptable to teachers and students in a risk-taking harm reduction program to reduce adolescent injury.

Keywords: intervening; peer protection; protective behaviour; helping; school connectedness; high school; bystander (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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