Without Fists

Impulsive and aggressive behavior, Social skills, Social behavior, school lessons

Transnational Project

Kindergarden, Elementary school, Secondary school

Heidelberger Präventionszentrum (HPZ),
Baden-Württemberg

Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxemberg, Italy

English

Teachers, Young People.

Faustlos (Cieri, 2001) is a curriculum for the prevention of impulsive and aggressive behavior and to promote social-emotional skills, which was specifically designed to work with children in elementary school (and kindergarten). It is based on the "Committee for Children in Seattle developed the U.S. program" Second Step (Beland, 1988). The curriculum is based on developmentally theoretical founded approaches, is applied to a long-term use and is evaluated continuously. Faustlos is used nationwide and also used in Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Italy in more than 8000 institutions.

The Faustlos program is integrated as a curriculum in the classroom. The curriculum for the elementary school consists of 51 lessons and for the kindergarten of 28 lessons. About every two weeks, conducted a lesson in the beginning of the 1st Class and continuing to the 3rd Class. Each lesson includes a large photo card on which a situation is pictured on the topic. Each photo card is a story told, then questions will be asked in the class issues and opinions discussed.
After the main cognitive engagement with the issue the learned is then practiced through role playing, and it will be discussed possibilities of transfer to the daily life of children. Ideally, the curriculum is implemented throughout the whole institution. Before the introduction teachers should be trained in how to teach the children the content of the program effectively.

Disciplinary methods, Classroom management, Teacher training, Peer support, Intensity children (20 h or more).

There are first carried out methodically appropriate evaluation studies for the Faustlos curriculum for primary schools and kindergarten. The effectiveness of Faustlos program in elementary school was evaluated by using a pretest-posttest control group plan over three years (Schick and Cieri, 2003). Positive effects on the children showed up particularly on an emotional level (improved coping with anxiety).
From the perspective of parents reduced anxious-depressive behavior and reduced tendencies of internalization in the behavior of children at home were reported, indicating a transfer of the points in Faustlos-curriculum learning. From the perspective of teachers, the curriculum was generally rated as "good to very good". They reported a positive impact on the social behavior of students, which has a positively impact the classroom and learning environment. The effectiveness of the program Faustlos in kindergarten was examined in a pretest-posttest comparison group plan over a year (Schick and Cieri, 2004). There a significant increase in empathy and emotional basic skills and social-cognitive violence prevention skills came up for the Faustlos-children. From the perspective of parents and educators of the newly acquired social-cognitive skills led to no observable changes in behavior after one year.
The teachers, however, noticed an increase in impulse control skills. The additional measurement of the effectiveness of behavioral observations showed that children responded that Faustlos-children are less verbally aggressive. The recent evaluation results indicate a positive program effect. A review of the long-term stability of the effects found is still pending.
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This summary was created by the Technical University of Dresden in collaboration with the BGAG - Institute for Work and Health of the German accident insurance, Dresden.