The Safe Start program: Impact of intervention on children's competent and problem behaviors, perceived social support, depression and anxiety ratings

Violence in the community has been a concern for all human communities from time immemorial. The escalating rates of youth violence in American communities, the increasing severity of the incidents and increasing involvement of children, both as victims and perpetrators, have reached chronic levels that have lead to the involvement of multi-level efforts in attempt to bring control to the situation. The study of violence prevention is a young science that is still in its formative stages.; Violence prevention initiatives are plagued with numerous problems. There is inadequate scientific knowledge about violence and an absence of consensus within the scientific community on the theoretical framing of the problem, design of interventions and assessment tools. Scientific proof of intervention efficacy is insufficient, despite large numbers of intervention programs currently in progress. It is unclear whether intervention works, what kinds of intervention work, how they work, with what populations and in what situations.; This study evaluates the efficacy of the Safe Start Program, a violence prevention and intervention program for at risk elementary school children, framed within a risk and resilience model. It is hypothesized that intervention impacts children's risk factors and protective factors by reducing risk and enhancing resilience.; Five major questions form the core of the assessment. The first question explores the efficacy of the Safe Start Program in reducing problem behaviors and the tendency toward interpersonal violence. The second question explores the efficacy of the program in enhancing competence and pro-social behavior and the third question explores the efficacy of the Safe Start Program in enhancing perceived social support. The fourth question explores the efficacy in reducing depression while the fifth and final question explores its efficacy in reducing anxiety.; Significant effects in reducing the escalation of delinquency in the children were realized. Results suggest that slowing or stalling of the developmental trajectory toward maladaptive functioning is an important initial mechanism in intervention impact.