keepin’ it REAL (kiR) is a scientifically proven, effective substance use prevention and social and emotional competency enhancing program designed to focus on the competencies linked to preventing substance use and abuse. Featured as a cost-effective and powerful program by the U.S. Surgeon General in 2016, this program is based on the real stories of young adolescents, and program videos serve to provide social modeling of effective strategies. Youth have opportunities to create their own media as part of the program. There are three versions of the program: multicultural, rural, and Spanish. The lessons are designed to promote interaction among the students as well as between the students and teachers so that students are involved in their own learning. Students also learn how to assess risk, value their perceptions and feelings, and communicate effectively.
keepin’ it REAL consists of ten 45-minutes lessons including five videos. kiR enhances social, psychological, and emotional competencies that serve to protect youth from substance use, provides visual behavioral models, and practice opportunities for the application of skills. Utilizing a “from kids…through kids…to kids” approach, all lessons, including role-play scenarios and decision-making applications, are based on real teens’ stories. An optional booster intervention includes three 40-minute lessons teaching youth to develop their own prevention media such as posters and videos. The topics of the lessons include: Options and Choices, Risks, Communication and Conflict, Refuse, Explain, Avoid, Leave, Norms, Dealing with Feelings, Support Networks.
Results:
When the curriculum was delivered with higher levels of teacher and student engagement, students showed positive outcomes compared to students receiving a poorly implemented program, which might only meet curriculum objectives. When the engagement was high, students reported:
- Less overall drug use
- Less personal acceptability of substance use
- A reduction in alcohol use
- A reduction in smoking and chewing tobacco use
- A reduction in marijuana use
- Conservative perceptions of peer prevalence
Efficacy and peer acceptability were not significantly altered. However, since kiR presents substance use as a risk with potentially negative consequences and not as an inherent wrong, it follows that the program would have little effect on this variable.
A 2008 cost-benefit analysis from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Prevention suggests that kiR returns $28 for every dollar spent.
Population: Children and Adolescents
Links to Resources:
- Learn more about the keepin’ it REAL program
- Purchase the keepin’ it REAL program
- Read the study, Adherence and Delivery: Implementation Quality and Program Outcomes for the 7th Grade keepin’ it REAL Program
- Read the report, U.S. Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health
- Watch a video highlighting the development of the keepin’ it REAL prevention curriculum