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The Life Skills Program

The Life Skills Program Information + Psychosocial competence = Protection (IPSY) targets students in Year 5. It has two foci:

1) the development of intrapersonal and interpersonal life skills such as communication skills, problem solving, assertiveness and balancing learning with leisure and

2) increasing engagement of students in school-related issues.

The Life Skills Program was evaluated in a three year study with 23 intervention schools and 17 control schools¹. Participation in the Life Skills Program resulted in significantly lower increases in alcohol consumption than what was reported by the control schools*. Further data analysis revealed that the positive effects of the program on alcohol use were partly due to improved student connectedness with school.

* The number of students who consume alcohol increases with age².

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¹Wenzel, V., Weichold, K., Sibereisen, RK. (2009) The life skills program IPSY: Positive influence on school bonding and prevention of substance misuse. Journal of Adolescence Vol 32(6) pp1391-1401.

²White, V., Smith, G. (2009) Australian secondary school students' use of tobacco, alcohol, and over-the-counter and illicit substances in 2008. Accessed at http://www.nationaldrugstrategy.gov.au/internet/drugstrategy/Publishing.nsf/content/2C4E3D846787E47BCA2577E600173CBE/$File/school08.pdf on 18 March 2011.

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This page was last reviewed on 30 Mar 2011 at 03:26PM

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