Page 186 - Štremfel, Urška, ed., 2016. Student (Under)achievement: Perspectives, Approaches, Challenges. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut. Digital Library, Documenta 11.
P. 186
adults in developing life-coping skills to be used in everyday challenges; it di-
minishes negative emotions; develops lifelong emotional resilience; supports
establishing and maintaining social support groups and positive role models;
encourages empathy and improves one’s self-confidence; decreases peer vi-
olence and teaches skills in constructive resolution of interpersonal conflicts;
improves academic achievement and provides children, families and teachers
with the necessary life-coping skills.
The FRIENDS programme has been developed on the basis of the cogni-
tive-behavioural approach by Paula Barrett, an internationally renowned ex-
pert in the field of clinical psychology. It is the cognitive-behavioural approach
that has turned out to be most effective in reducing anxiety. Through several
controlled trials (Barret, Dadds and Rapee, 1996; Barret and Farrel, 2009) it has
proven to be efficient in reducing the symptoms of anxiety in both individual
(Barret et al., 1996; Kendall, 1996; King, Hamilton and Ollendick, 1988; all in Bar-
ret and Farrel, 2009) and group conditions (Barret, 1998; Barret and Farrel, 2009;
Flannery-Schroeder and Kendall, 2000; Rapee, 2000; Short, Barret and Fox,
2001) and also as a prevention programme (Dadds, Holland, Barrett, Laurens
186 and Spence, 1999). Cartwright-Hatton, Roberts, Chitsabesan, Fothergill and
Harrington (2004) performed a systematic analysis of the results of ten con-
trolled clinical studies into the impact of the cognitive-behavioural approach
on anxiety in children. It has been established that the cognitive-behaviour-
al approach has a significantly positive effect on anxiety reduction in compar-
ison with control groups. Following the cognitive-behavioural approach the
symptoms were on average reduced in 63.75% of participants.
The programme originates in Australia, however it has also been success-
fully translated and transferred to twelve other countries.3 In comparison with
similar programmes, FRIENDS is an internationally recognised programme, the
effectiveness of which has been confirmed in numerous studies. It is also the
only one of its kind recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO,
2004). Studies (Barret, Dadds and Rapee, 1996; Barret, Duffy, Dadds and Rap-
ee, 2001) indicate that after programme completion, anxiety symptoms are on
average reduced in 80% of participants and, more importantly, the positive
effects last for up to six years after the end of the programme (Barret et al.,
2001). In addition to the positive effects of the FRIENDS programme on indi-
viduals, a positive impact on the school as a whole has been established. Be-
sides improved social and emotional skills, social and emotional learning also
improves students’ views of themselves, others and school, reduces the fre-
quency of aggressive behaviour at a school level, encourages cooperative be-
haviour within the class and, last but not least, improves academic achieve-
ment (Durlak et al., 2011). Different developmentally-sensitive programmes
3 Brazil, Canada, Finland, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South
Africa, Sweden and Great Britain.
student (under)achievement: perspectives, approaches, challenges
minishes negative emotions; develops lifelong emotional resilience; supports
establishing and maintaining social support groups and positive role models;
encourages empathy and improves one’s self-confidence; decreases peer vi-
olence and teaches skills in constructive resolution of interpersonal conflicts;
improves academic achievement and provides children, families and teachers
with the necessary life-coping skills.
The FRIENDS programme has been developed on the basis of the cogni-
tive-behavioural approach by Paula Barrett, an internationally renowned ex-
pert in the field of clinical psychology. It is the cognitive-behavioural approach
that has turned out to be most effective in reducing anxiety. Through several
controlled trials (Barret, Dadds and Rapee, 1996; Barret and Farrel, 2009) it has
proven to be efficient in reducing the symptoms of anxiety in both individual
(Barret et al., 1996; Kendall, 1996; King, Hamilton and Ollendick, 1988; all in Bar-
ret and Farrel, 2009) and group conditions (Barret, 1998; Barret and Farrel, 2009;
Flannery-Schroeder and Kendall, 2000; Rapee, 2000; Short, Barret and Fox,
2001) and also as a prevention programme (Dadds, Holland, Barrett, Laurens
186 and Spence, 1999). Cartwright-Hatton, Roberts, Chitsabesan, Fothergill and
Harrington (2004) performed a systematic analysis of the results of ten con-
trolled clinical studies into the impact of the cognitive-behavioural approach
on anxiety in children. It has been established that the cognitive-behaviour-
al approach has a significantly positive effect on anxiety reduction in compar-
ison with control groups. Following the cognitive-behavioural approach the
symptoms were on average reduced in 63.75% of participants.
The programme originates in Australia, however it has also been success-
fully translated and transferred to twelve other countries.3 In comparison with
similar programmes, FRIENDS is an internationally recognised programme, the
effectiveness of which has been confirmed in numerous studies. It is also the
only one of its kind recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO,
2004). Studies (Barret, Dadds and Rapee, 1996; Barret, Duffy, Dadds and Rap-
ee, 2001) indicate that after programme completion, anxiety symptoms are on
average reduced in 80% of participants and, more importantly, the positive
effects last for up to six years after the end of the programme (Barret et al.,
2001). In addition to the positive effects of the FRIENDS programme on indi-
viduals, a positive impact on the school as a whole has been established. Be-
sides improved social and emotional skills, social and emotional learning also
improves students’ views of themselves, others and school, reduces the fre-
quency of aggressive behaviour at a school level, encourages cooperative be-
haviour within the class and, last but not least, improves academic achieve-
ment (Durlak et al., 2011). Different developmentally-sensitive programmes
3 Brazil, Canada, Finland, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South
Africa, Sweden and Great Britain.
student (under)achievement: perspectives, approaches, challenges
