david hawkins E N D O W E D S O C I A L W O R K P R O F E S S O R I N P R E V E N T I O N , I M M E D I AT E PA S T D I R E C T O R – S O C I A L D E V E L O P M E N T R E S E A R C H G R O U P When a few students at a middle school in West Seattle recently stepped in to stop some boys from bullying another student, they not only decided to do the right thing, they also demonstrated that well-researched and effective programs implemented by schools, families, and communities working together can solve problems and change behaviors. Research by leading educators at the UW School of Social Work provided the framework for the small but significant changes that the students made that day. David Hawkins is the Director of the Social Development Research Group (SDRG) at the UW School of School Work. He and Richard Catalano, Associate Director of SDRG, developed a youth and family planning system called Communities That Care that was adopted by 22 public schools in Seattle in 2002. The system is designed to mobilize communities to tackle drug use, high dropout rates, teen pregnancy and other problems that undermine children’s prospects and wellbeing with true and tested solutions. The school in West Seattle (where “bullying” had become a serious problem) is a participant in the Communities That Care project. “Communities That Care is really science in the service of better social policies and programs,” David points out. Each school pulled together a planning team of educators, parents, and community members. Six thousand middle-school students filled out anonymous surveys that helped researchers and the planning teams to identify risky behaviors and areas of concern, as well as factors that buffer kids from harm. School teams then implemented “tested and effective programs,” says David, to address the problems. The West Seattle school chose a highlyregarded program from Norway and began working with the kids to stop the bullying. Three years into the program, middle-school staff members from West Seattle say there is no doubt that there is a change in student’s behavior. “It’s the kind of intervention, based on good, effective research and programs, which can lead to positive youth development,” says David.