Empowering Youth With School Discipline Referrals as Peer Coaches

NCT07515742 | Recruiting

• 2 other identifiers: UP-25-00414MG-203910
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 150
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The study will examine the effects of Peer Coach Training (PCT), a strengths-based behavioral intervention for discipline-referred middle-school youth who might benefit when trained to act as change agents for their peers. Successful completion of this study will provide support for implementing PCT in school communities to empower youth in prosocial peer engagement.

Conditions

Disruptive Behavior

Keywords

Strengths-based interventions; Help-giving; Youth prosociality; Disruptive behaviors; Discipline-referred middle-school youth

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Behavioral Problem Checklist

  12-item self-report questionnaire that assesses youth behavioral problems

  Baseline assessment, 3 months after baseline assessment, 8 months after baseline assessment

• Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire

  25-item self-report questionnaire that assesses youth emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer problems, and prosocial behavior, along with additional questions related to functioning

  Baseline assessment, 3 months after baseline assessment, 8 months after baseline assessment

• Teacher Disruptive Behavior Disorders Rating Scale

  45-item self-report questionnaire that assesses symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and conduct disorder

  Baseline assessment, 3 months after baseline assessment, 8 months after baseline assessment

• School archival data of youth behavior and discipline

  School archival records of behavioral and disciplinary outcomes such as the number of disciplinary referrals and citations, as well as suspensions and exclusions

  Baseline assessment, 3 months after baseline assessment, 8 months after baseline assessment

Secondary Outcomes (11)

• Engagement versus disaffection with learning - student report

  Baseline assessment, 3 months after baseline assessment, 8 months after baseline assessment

• MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status - Youth Version

  Baseline assessment, 3 months after baseline assessment, 8 months after baseline assessmentMacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status - Youth Version

• Moral Identity Internalization Scale

  Baseline assessment, 3 months after baseline assessment, 8 months after baseline assessment

• Personal Efficacy Scale

  Baseline assessment, 3 months after baseline assessment, 8 months after baseline assessment

• Psychological Empowerment Indices - Youth School Belonging and Identification

  Baseline assessment, 3 months after baseline assessment, 8 months after baseline assessment

Study Arms (2)

Peer Coach Training (PCT)

EXPERIMENTAL

Discipline-referred middle-school youth in schools randomized to the experimental arm will be offered immediate PCT delivered by trained research team members

Behavioral: Peer Coach Training (PCT)

Delayed control

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Discipline-referred middle-school youth in schools randomized to the delayed control will be provided behavioral services according to their middle school's standard practice of care. These youth will receive PCT after completion of follow-up assessments.

Behavioral: Delayed control

Interventions

Peer Coach Training (PCT) BEHAVIORAL

Six to seven session strengths-based behavioral intervention focusing on skills development and help-giving practices

Peer Coach Training (PCT)

Delayed control BEHAVIORAL

Services offered by middle schools for students according to their standard practice of care. These youth will then receive PCT after completion of follow-up assessments.

Delayed control

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 10 Years - 15 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Youth who have received at least one disciplinary referral between the first day of school and recruitment

You may not qualify if:

• Youth who have not received any disciplinary referrals between the first day of school and recruitment

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Medical University of South Carolina: collaborator
• University of Southern California: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California, 90007, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Problem Behavior

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior; Child Behavior

Central Study Contacts

Stanley J Huey, Ph.D.

CONTACT

213-740-2033; hueyjr@usc.edu

Janus Wong, B.A.

CONTACT

213-740-2203; januswon@usc.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Outcome assessors will not be given information on what intervention services the participants are receiving.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor of Psychology

Model Details: Cluster randomized controlled trial

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 31, 2026
• First Posted: April 7, 2026
• Study Start: March 24, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 30, 2028
• Last Updated: April 13, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-03

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)