School-Based Interventions for Children with Behavioral Difficulties: The Lack of Implementation of Evidence- Based Practices

Abstract

Children with behavioral difficulties and their teachers frequently experience challenges at school, which may be the reason for a school-based intervention. Here, we evaluated the utilization of 22 school-based interventions for behavioral difficulties at Dutch schools and their evidence-base. We also explored some potential factors associated with evidence-based practice at schools. We conducted a survey among 115 school mental health professionals from different schools and asked about their utilization of 22 available Dutch school-based interventions, whereafter we systematically evaluated the evidence-base of these interventions. In addition, we gathered information on professionals’ attitudes towards evidence-based practice, knowledge about behavioral problems, and their educational specialization, in order to analyze associations between these factors and the use of evidence-based interventions for children with behavioral difficulties. We found that most school-based interventions for children with behavioral difficulties currently utilized lack robust empirical support. Professionals’ attitudes towards evidence-based practice, knowledge about behavioral difficulties, as well as their educational specialization, were not related to the use of evidence-based interventions for children with behavioral difficulties. Given the lack of empirical support, we underscore the need for implementation of effective school-based interventions for children with behavioral difficulties. This would require a multifaceted approach encompassing research into promising interventions, de-implementation of interventions that lack evidence of effectiveness, more insight into which factors facilitate the implementation of evidence-based interventions, and more rigorous support for implementing evidence-based interventions in schools.