Um Compasso Para Aprender: A Randomized Trial of a Social‐Emotional Learning Program in Homicide‐Affected Communities in Brazil. Issue 5 (16th May 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: McCoy, Dana C.; Hanno, Emily C.; Ponczek, Vladimir; Pinto, Cristine; Fonseca, Gabriela; Marchi, Natália
• Is Part Of: Child development. Volume 92:Issue 5(2021)
• Page Start: 1951
• Page End: 1968
• Publication Date: 2021-05-16
• Subjects: Child development -- Periodicals; Child psychology -- Periodicals; Child Development -- Periodicals; Child Development; Pediatrics -- Periodicals; Pedicatrics; 305.231
• DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13579
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0009-3920

Abstract

Abstract : Despite global demand, the large‐scale effects of social‐emotional learning (SEL) programming in developing countries remain underexplored. Using a randomized control trial, this study examined the effectiveness of a school‐wide SEL intervention— Programa Compasso (PC)—among 3, 018 sociodemographically diverse, Portuguese‐speaking children ( M age = 9.85 years) attending 90 public primary schools across Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2017. Average impacts of PC on children's executive function, emotion knowledge, and behavior problems after one school year were null. Moderation analyses did, however, reveal evidence for positive impacts of PC on children's labeling of emotional expressions and inhibitory control within low‐homicide communities ( d = 0.15 SD s), and null effects on these same outcomes in high‐violence areas. Implementation and cultural considerations are discussed.