Research Supporting NCBI’s Practices

U.S. Department of Education

• An evaluation conducted by the U.S. Department of Education through the Safe and Drug Free Schools Program rated NCBI as “Excellent” in Overall Quality for its “…strong foundation in and use of both a peer education and empowerment model…”, and Educational Significance because “…the process it uses builds coalitions between groups and integrates principles of conflict resolution and mediation…”

State of Montana Office of Public Instruction

• The State of Montana Office of Public Instruction’s 2010 report on improving school mental health services establishes nine recommendations for schools across the state of Montana, including the development of Youth Leadership Opportunities.  This report highlights NCBI stating that “Respect Clubs create leaders by virtue of their club structure, where graduates of these programs facilitate groups of earlier grades.” All NCBI youth workshops and programs incorporate elements of Youth Leadership in their design and implementation. 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration

• NCBI youth and schools workshops and programs utilize best practices identified by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMSA), including: interact with pro-social peers in constructive endeavors,  providing positive structures and supervised alternatives to substance use, including peer led components, heterogeneous groups, interactive approaches, mentoring with highly involved mentors, culturally sensitive interventions, social and personal skills building, youth involvement in program development, community service and program rooted in recognition of relationship between substance use and other health problems- including school failure, delinquency, and violence.

Risk and Protective Factor Theory

• Risk and Protective Factor Theory identifies risk factors that increase the likeliness of youth problem behaviors – such as substance use, violence, and pregnancy – along with protective factors that decrease the likeliness of those behaviors.  NCBI workshops and programs acknowledge these factors and use this theory to systematically work to lessen risk factors and strengthen protective factors in the lives of individual young people as well as in the community as a whole.

Developmental Asset Theory

• Developmental Asset Theory identifies forty “building blocks of healthy development that help young people grow up healthy, caring, and responsible.”  Assets are both internal – such as self-esteem, peaceful conflict resolution, and achievement motivation – and external – such as positive adult relationships, positive peer influence, and participation on youth programs. Participation in NCBI youth workshops and programs builds internal and external assets, thereby reducing the likelihood that youth will use substances and/or violence.

Social Identity Development Theory

• Social Identity Development Theory outlines strategies to build esteem in young people targeted by prejudice and mistreatment. Considerable research positively links a positive social identity (how one feels about one’s ethnicity, gender, abilities, etc.) with higher self-esteem and lower levels of prejudice. A central aim of all NCBI youth workshops and programs is to promote the development of healthy identity, particularly for youth who have been targets of mistreatment and prejudice.