School-Based Interventions for Children with Behavioral Difficulties: The Lack of Implementation of Evidence- Based Practices

Children with behavioral difficulties and their teachers frequently experience challenges at school, which may be the reason for a school-based intervention. Here, we evaluated the utilization of school-based interventions for behavioral difficulties at Dutch schools and their evidence-base. We also explored some potential factors associated with evidence-based practices at schools. We conducted a survey among 102 school mental health professionals from different schools and asked about their utilization of 22 available Dutch school-based interventions, whereafter we systematically evaluated the evidence-base of these interventions. In addition, we gathered information on professionals’ attitudes towards evidence-based practice, knowledge about behavioral problems, and their educational specialization, in order to analyze associations between these factors and the use of evidence-based interventions for children with behavioral difficulties. We found that most school-based interventions for children with behavioral difficulties currently utilized lack robust empirical support, and that interventions that are specifically developed for children with behavioral difficulties are hardly used. None of our potential predictors were related to the use of evidence-based interventions for children with behavioral difficulties. Given the lack of empirical support, we underscore the need for implementation of effective school-based interventions for children with behavioral difficulties. This would require a multifaceted approach encompassing research into promising interventions, de-implementation of interventions that lack evidence of effectiveness, more insight into which factors facilitate the implementation of evidence-based interventions, and more rigorous support for implementing evidence-based interventions in schools.