Integrated Alcohol Use and Sexual Assault Prevention Program for College Men Who Engage in Heavy Drinking: Randomized Pilot Study

BACKGROUND

Sexual assault is prevalent on college campuses and most commonly is perpetrated by men. Problematically, there is a dearth of evidence-based prevention programs targeting men as perpetrators of sexual aggression. The Sexual Assault and Alcohol Feedback and Education (SAFE) program is an integrated alcohol and sexual assault prevention intervention for college men who engage in heavy drinking that aims to address sexual aggression proclivity and alcohol use outcomes by incorporating social norms theory, bystander intervention, and motivational interviewing.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to examine the initial feasibility-, acceptability-, and efficacy-related outcomes of a randomized pilot trial of an integrated alcohol and sexual assault prevention program for college men who engage in heavy drinking.

METHODS

This study included 115 college men who engaged in heavy drinking, who were randomly assigned to the SAFE program or a mindfulness-based control condition (MBCC). The feasibility of implementation, adequacy of participant retention, fidelity and competency of program administration, and satisfaction and utility of the intervention were evaluated. The primary outcomes of alcohol use and sexual aggression were evaluated at 2 and 6 months after baseline. The secondary outcomes of perceived peer norms, risks for sexual aggression, and bystander intervention were also assessed. The extent to which the motivational interviewing session with personalized normative feedback facilitated changes in the proximal outcomes of drinking intentions, motivation to change, and self-efficacy was also examined.

RESULTS

The study procedures resulted in high program completion and retention (>80%), high fidelity to the program manual (>80% of the content included), high competency in program administration, and high ratings of satisfaction and program utility in addressing sexual relationships and alcohol use. Both groups reported declines in the number of drinks per week and number of heavy drinking days. Compared with the MBCC participants, the SAFE participants reported higher motivation to change alcohol use after the program, as well as greater use of alcohol protective behavioral strategies at 6 months. Compared with the MBCC participants, the SAFE participants also reported lower perceived peer engagement in sexual coercion, perceived peer comfort with sexism, and peer drinking norms at 2 and 6 months. However, no group differences were observed in sexual aggression severity, rape myth acceptance, or the labeling of sexual consent. Results regarding bystander intervention intentions were mixed, with the MBCC group showing decreased intentions at 2 months and the SAFE group reporting increased intentions at both 2 and 6 months.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings provide promising evidence for the feasibility, acceptability, utility, and preliminary efficacy of the SAFE program in reducing alcohol use and positively influencing perceived peer norms and intentions for bystander intervention among college men who drink.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05773027; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05773027.

Key factors predicting problem-based learning in online environments: Evidence from multimodal learning analytics

Problem-based learning (PBL) has been used in different domains, and there is overwhelming evidence of its value. As an emerging field with excellent prospects, learning analytics (LA)-especially multimodal learning analytics (MMLA)-has increasingly attracted the attention of researchers in PBL. However, current research on the integration of LA with PBL has not related LA results with specific PBL steps or paid enough attention to the interaction in peer learning, especially for text data generated from peer interaction. This study employed MMLA based on machine learning (ML) to quantify the process engagement of peer learning, identify log behaviors, self-regulation, and other factors, and then predict online PBL performance. Participants were 104 fourth-year students in an online course on social work and problem-solving. The MMLA model contained multimodal data from online discussions, log files, reports, and questionnaires. ML classification models were built to classify text data in online discussions. The results showed that self-regulation, messages post, message words, and peer learning engagement in representation, solution, and evaluation were predictive of online PBL performance. Hierarchical linear regression analyses indicated stronger predictive validity of the process indicators on online PBL performance than other indicators. This study addressed the scarcity of students' process data and the inefficiency of analyzing text data, as well as providing information on targeted learning strategies to scaffold students in online PBL.

"A different environment for success:" a mixed-methods exploration of social participation outcomes among adolescents on the autism spectrum in an inclusive, interest-based school club

Background: Adolescents on the autism spectrum often experience challenges participating socially in inclusive education. The majority of school-based social supports focuses on social skills training, although research shows that students on the spectrum prefer activity-based social groups over social instructions. Thus, activity-based school clubs incorporating student interests may support social participation. Method: This mixed-methods study explored the preliminary social participation outcomes of adolescents on the spectrum in an inclusive Maker Club at three public schools. The quantitative phase examined longitudinal social behavior rates throughout the school club among students (n = 12). The qualitative phase interviewed six teachers in three schools (n = 6) to explore teacher perceptions of student social outcomes compared to general classrooms and program outcomes associated with the programs. Results: Mixed-effects modeling revealed increased social response rates and social reciprocity over time in both students on the spectrum and non-autistic peers without any group differences. Teachers reported that students on the spectrum engaged more socially than in general classrooms and attributed the positive outcomes to activities encouraging shared interests and the flexible social environment. Conclusions: Inclusive school clubs incorporating shared interests and joint activities among students may socially support students on the spectrum in inclusive education.

Exploring interpersonal and environmental factors of autistic adolescents' peer engagement in integrated education

LAY ABSTRACT

Peer engagement is essential but often challenging for autistic students in integrated education, especially for adolescents. Although peer engagement is bidirectional and context-dependent, research has largely focused on individual characteristics rather than the interpersonal and environmental factors affecting peer engagement. This mixed-methods study examined peer interactions over a school year among 17 adolescents (seven were autistic) in an inclusive school club at a public middle school in the Northeastern United States. The study began with a quantitative phase identifying sessions in which each student was socially engaged with peers more or less often than usual for them. We then qualitatively compared the social interactions and contexts between sessions where each participant experienced high and low peer engagement. Thematic analysis revealed four themes regarding contextual supports and barriers to autistic peer engagement: (1) peer engagement is a participatory process where a student and their peer(s) navigate mutual understanding, shaped by both student and peer social characteristics, openness, and involvement; (2) student-peer synchronicity, such as shared interests or compatibility of social styles, was essential to autistic peer engagement; (3) peer engagement can be supported by activities facilitating joint engagement and exploration of mutual interests; (4) classroom interventions emphasizing strengths can support peer engagement, while normative behavioral standards without peer education on individual differences and diversity can perpetuate peers' negative perceptions of autistic difficulties. The findings have implications for better inclusive practice to support autistic social participation by modifying the peer environments, activities, and classroom interventions.

The influence of disclosure of an autism diagnosis on peer engagement and interactions for a child with autism in summer camps: a case study

PURPOSE

Little research has evaluated how disclosure of an autism diagnosis influences peer engagement and understanding of children with autism in community recreation programs. This study describes outcomes of disclosing an autism diagnosis for a child with autism participating in mainstream, community summer camps.

METHODS

This case study includes a 9-year-old boy diagnosed with autism who participated in two camps, one in which he disclosed and one in which he did not disclose. Quantitative data on peer engagement states and reciprocal interactions were coded through structured behavioral observation of video recorded on the first, second, and last day of each program. Qualitative interviews about perceived outcomes of disclosure were completed with the child with autism, camp leaders, and peers in the disclosure camp.

RESULTS

Peer engagement and reciprocal interactions improved following the disclosure protocol and continued to improve on the final day of the camp, which was not observed in the non-disclosure camp. A key qualitative theme revealed that changed behavioral attribution was the main contributor to improved inclusion following disclosure.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides preliminary data to support that disclosure may be a simple intervention to improve peer engagement and understanding of children with autism in community programs.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONChildren with Autism Spectrum Disorder are at high risk of experiencing social exclusion, especially in community programs.A disclosure protocol (disclosure + explanation for behaviors) could be a simple intervention to facilitate peer acceptance and inclusion of children with autism, however this intervention has not been evaluated in a real life context.This study provides preliminary evidence to support the use of a simple disclosure protocol for families who want to disclose, within short-term community programs.

Peer engagement in toddlers with autism: Community implementation of dyadic and individual Joint Attention, Symbolic Play, Engagement, and Regulation intervention

LAY ABSTRACT

Although young children may participate in education and intervention programs that take place in classrooms or groups, there is little information about how toddlers with special needs, and specifically toddlers with autism, are engaging with their peers. This study takes place in a public center-based early intervention program for toddlers with autism. Classrooms of toddlers were randomly assigned to an individual social communication intervention or the same intervention adapted to include a peer. Children in both groups made gains in social communication and play skills. Children who had the peer intervention were more engaged with peers when an adult was present, but not when the children were unsupported. This article adds information about early skills that may be important for children to master so that they have more success when trying to interact with their peers. These skills include understanding language (referred to as "receptive language" at 12 months or more) and play skills including building and stacking (referred to as "combination play"-for example, building with blocks or completing a puzzle) and extending familiar actions to themselves, others, and figures (referred to as "presymbolic play"-for example, putting a bottle to the doll or to themselves). Understanding which skills to target can help practitioners focus their instruction to build children's skills toward connecting with peers through play.