Researcher Giel Ton's work aids evaluation of development impact.
This implies research to detect outcomes that change in response to a project or a programme, and explore for the conditions that contributed to the realisation of these effects. However, these projects and programmes are always context-dependent. Each ‘effectiveness’ study, has specific characteristics that make their impact ‘unique’, which limits the usefulness of findings to the outside world – the so-called ‘external validity’.
Video presenting policy brief about sentencing
Howard White tells how our policy brief can help inform policymakers who want to reduce crime, and reform criminals. Up-to-date evidence from meta-analyses shows which criminal justice programs are effective in reducing crime. Formal processing of young offenders and pre-court disposals managed by the police, which divert offenders from the criminal justice system rather than prosecuting them, can lead to reduced re-offending. Read our policy brief called "The effects of sentencing policy on re-offending."
Support Knowledge Translation and Implementation
John Westbrook was a leading disability researcher who was active in promoting the use of evidence. His bequest to the Campbell Collaboration to support our work in the area of knowledge translation has been used to create the John Westbrook Memorial Fund.This fund will support the John Westbrook Prize which is awarded annually in recognition of outstanding contributions to knowledge translation (KT), and the dissemination and implementation of evidence.
Global Evidence and Implementation Summit 2018
Submitting your abstract provides an opportunity to profile experience from across Australasia and worldwide. GEIS 2018 is a global, cross-sector event, and we invite submissions from around the world, and from a broad range of sectors. Join us in Melbourne, 22-24 October. Need a bursary? Nationals of a developing country, who live and work in that country and have their abstract accepted can apply for a bursary from June 15.
Mindfulness training improves health and quality of life for adults Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction is a group-based health promotion intervention to improve health and the way people deal with stress and life’s challenges. The core ingredient is mindfulness training through physical and mental exercises practiced daily for eight weeks. The mindful non-judgmental attitude of being present with what arises is practiced in the formal exercises and in everyday situations. This review assesses the effect of MBSR programs on outcome measures of mental and physical health, quality of life and social functioning in adults.
Treatment of sexual offenders reduces reoffending, but more research needed to identify effective interventions Sexual offender treatment programs to reduce reoffending have been implemented in many countries as part of a strategy in managing this offender group. However, there are still controversies regarding their effectiveness. This review integrates findings from six experimental and 21 quasi-experimental studies that compare groups of treated sexual offenders with equivalent control groups. These studies tested whether treated sexual offenders differed from the control groups in sexual and other reoffending.
Cash-based humanitarian assistance approaches can increase food security and are more cost effective than in-kind food transfers Cash-based approaches have become an increasingly common strategy for the provision of humanitarian assistance. This review assesses the effects of cash-based approaches on individual and household outcomes in humanitarian emergencies. It also assesses the efficiency of different cash-based approaches and identifies factors that hinder and facilitate programme implementation.
Later school start times may produce benefits for students but more evidence is needed Later school start times have been implemented around the world as a means of avoiding the potentially negative impacts that early morning schedules can have on adolescent students. Even mild sleep deprivation has been associated with significant health and educational concerns: increased risk for accidents and injuries, impaired learning, aggression, memory loss, poor selfesteem, and changes in metabolism. This review examines the effects of later start times on these outcomes.
School-based interventions for reducing disciplinary school exclusion by Sara Valdebenito, Manuel Eisner, David P. Farrington, Maria M. Ttofi, Alex Sutherland.
School exclusion, also known as suspension in some countries, is a disciplinary sanction imposed by a responsible school authority, in reaction to students’ misbehaviour. Exclusion entails the removal of pupils from regular teaching for a period during which they are not allowed to be present in the classroom (in-school) or on school premises (out-of-school). In some extreme cases the student is not allowed to come back to the same school (expulsion).
School exclusion is associated with undesirable effects on developmental outcomes. It increases the likelihood of poor academic performance, antisocial behavior, and poor employment prospects. This school sanction disproportionally affects males, ethnic minorities, those who come from disadvantaged economic backgrounds, and those with special educational needs. Interventions to reduce school exclusion are intended to mitigate the adverse effects of this school sanction. Some approaches, namely those involving enhancement of academic skills, counselling, mentoring/monitoring and those targeting skills training for teachers, have a temporary effect in reducing exclusion. More evaluations are needed to identify the most effective types of intervention; and whether similar effects are also found in different countries.
What is this review about?
This Campbell systematic review examines the impact of interventions to reduce exclusion from school. The review summarises findings from 37 reports covering nine different types of intervention. Most studies were from the USA, and the remainder from the UK.