Crime prevention exam 1 Dodge & Mandel — Delinquency Prevention

What is the main argument of Dodge & Mandel?

Simply increasing the use or penetration of evidence-based programs does not necessarily produce population-level improvements in youth outcomes

What is penetration rate?

The percentage or number of eligible people who actually receive an evidence-based program

Why do Dodge & Mandel question penetration rate as the main measure of success?

A program can have high penetration but still have little population-level impact if its effectiveness decreases during large-scale implementation

What is the "scale-up penalty"?

The loss of effectiveness that can occur when a program developed under controlled conditions is implemented on a larger scale in real communities

What causes the scale-up penalty?

Lower funding per case, lower credentialing of interventionists, less supervision, lower fidelity, and greater strain on community resources.

What did Welsh, Sullivan, & Olds estimate about the scale-up penalty?

They estimated the effect at about 50%

What is "lab therapy"?

The version of a program delivered under the controlled conditions of the original research trials

What is "clinic therapy"?

The version of a program delivered in real-world community settings after dissemination

How can clinic therapy differ from lab therapy?

Outcomes from real-world implementation tend to be lower than those found in the original randomized trials

Why can programs lose effectiveness when scaled up?

The communities may not have enough resources to support the program at the same level as the original research setting

What is a "transportation penalty"?

The potential loss of effectiveness that occurs when a program is transported from one community or context to another

How is the transportation penalty different from the scale-up penalty?

The transportation penalty involves moving a program between communities, while the scale-up penalty involves problems that can occur when expanding implementation to a larger scale

What is the community-first approach?

Instead of starting with a specific program and trying to fit it into a community, begin with the community's problem and needs and design or adapt the intervention around that context

Why do Dodge & Mandel favor a community-first approach?

It allows community resources, stakeholder participation, and local circumstances to be considered when designing the intervention

What is the problem with focusing only on program fidelity?

Strictly copying the original program may not account for differences in people, communities, resources, and circumstances

What are Evidence-Based Principles of Change (EBPCs)?

Empirically supported principles or mechanisms of change that can guide interventions rather than requiring strict adherence to one specific program

Why do Dodge & Mandel support EBPCs?

They may allow greater sensitivity to individual and community differences while potentially reducing costs and scale-up problems

What are three possible benefits of EBPCs?

They focus attention on the science of change, allow greater contextual specificity, and may improve cost-effectiveness

What do Dodge & Mandel say about adaptations?

Adaptations may be necessary when programs are implemented in new populations or contexts, but their effects need to be evaluated

Why should outcomes continue to be measured during dissemination?

A program may appear successful based on penetration while actually producing little population-level improvement

What is Dodge & Mandel's overall takeaway?

The goal should be improving population well-being, not simply spreading brand-name programs; implementation and population-level outcomes must also be evaluated