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Botvin LifeSkills Training Middle School

lifeskillstraining.com
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Practice Summary

Botvin LifeSkills Training (LST) Middle School is a 30-session curriculum focused on developing personal self-management (goal-setting, decision-making, stress reduction), social skills (communication, assertiveness) and drug resistance skills. Sessions are interactive, blending group discussions, role-plays, and discussions of real-world skill application. The program is structured to be delivered at the classroom level by teachers, prevention specialists or counselors.

Cost Over $500
Prevention Category Universal Direct
Practice Focus SU
Practice Focus MH
Substance Use Prevention Category
  • Universal Direct
Practice Level
  • Individual
  • Relationship
Substance Use Prevention Strategy
  • Education
Practice Components
Individual
  • Assertiveness Training
  • Cognitive Behavioral Strategies
  • Goal Setting
  • Problem Solving
  • Psychoeducation
  • Relaxation
  • Self-Efficacy or Self-Esteem Enhancement
  • Skills Training
Relationship
  • Peer Norm Development
Community/Society
  • None
Population Age
  • Age 6-12
  • Age 13-17
Populations of Focus
  • General Population
  • Hispanic or Latino
Settings
  • School (K-12)
Parent/Caregiver Involvement
  • No parent or caregiver involvement
Recommended Staffing
  • Community members
  • Health or social work counselor, therapist or professional (licensed)
  • Health or social work counselor, therapist or professional (unlicensed)
  • Law enforcement
  • Mentors
  • Peers
  • Prevention staff
  • Teachers or educators
Prevention Focus
Substance Use Prevention Focus
  • Substance Use - General
Mental Health Wellness and Promotion Focus
  • Behavioral and Conduct Disorders
  • Mental Health - General
Training and Technical Assistance

Formal training is highly recommended to ensure program fidelity. The developer offers free implementation resources to support program planning, fidelity tracking, and identify potential funding opportunities. Staff also provide standard technical assistance, as well as more intensive and customized training and technical assistance for a fee.
Program Costs Over $500. Please visit the developer's website listed above for updated information about implementation costs.
Adaptations

Botvin LST has been implemented with youth in all 50 states and in 32 countries. However, the developer advises that to achieve optimal results, Botvin LST should be implemented carefully and completely.

Risk and Protective Factors

Youth Substance Use Risk and Protective Factors

Level Risk Factors Protective Factors
Individual
  • Conduct Disorder
  • Early and persistent antisocial behavior
  • Early initiation of substance use
  • Favorable attitudes towards substance use
  • Rebelliousness
  • Negative emotional state
  • Poor coping skills and behaviors
  • Positive social orientation (e.g. engaging in healthy activities, accepting rules and community values, positive social engagement)
  • Emotional self-regulation
  • High self-esteem
  • Strong coping skills (e.g., problem-solving skills, ability to stand up for beliefs and values)
Family and Relationships
  • None
  • None
School, Peer, and Community
  • Accessibility or availability of substances
  • Lack of plans or ambitions for the future
  • Norms favorable towards substance use
  • Substance use among peers
  • Positive social norms

Youth Mental Health Risk and Protective Factors

Level Risk Factors Protective Factors
Individual
  • Low self-esteem
  • Negative emotional state
  • Poor coping skills and behaviors
  • Emotional self-regulation
  • High self-esteem
  • Strong coping skills (e.g., problem-solving skills, ability to stand up for beliefs and values)
Family and Relationships
  • None
  • None
School, Peer, and Community
  • Aggression towards peers
  • School violence
  • Norms favorable towards substance use
  • Substance use among peers
  • Ability to make friends and get along well with others
  • Clear expectations for behavior
  • Positive social norms

Shared Substance Use and Mental Health Risk and Protective Factors

Level Risk Factors Protective Factors
Individual
  • Negative emotional state
  • Poor coping skills and behaviors
  • Emotional self-regulation
  • High self-esteem
  • Strong coping skills (e.g., problem-solving skills, ability to stand up for beliefs and values)
Family and Relationships
  • None
  • None
School, Peer, and Community
  • Norms favorable towards substance use
  • Substance use among peers
  • Positive social norms

Empirical Evidence of Impact
Prevention Focus Outcome Population Age Evidence Strength and Study Populations of Focus
Alcohol Reduced Use or Delayed Initiation MIddle School Strong (White)1–5
Tobacco Reduced Use or Delayed Initiation Middle School Strong (White)1–7
Cannabis Reduced Use or Delayed Initiation Middle School Strong (White)1–5
Prescription Opioids Reduced Use or Delayed Initiation Middle School Strong (White)8–10
Substance Use (General) Reduced Use or Delayed Initiation Middle School Strong (White)5, 11–12
Methamphetamine Reduced Use or Delayed Initiation Middle School Moderate (White)13
Barbiturates Reduced Use or Delayed Initiation Middle School Moderate (White)4, 8
Substance Use (General) Changes in Knowledge, Attitudes, or Beliefs Middle School Strong (White)5, 14
Tobacco Reduced Use or Delayed Initiation Middle School Strong (General Population)15–19
Alcohol Reduced Use or Delayed Initiation Middle School Strong (General Population)16, 18–21
Cannabis Reduced Use or Delayed Initiation Middle School Moderate (General Population)16, 18–19
Inhalants Reduced Use or Delayed Initiation Middle School Moderate (General Population)18, 22
Prescription Drugs Reduced Use or Delayed Initiation Middle School Moderate (General Population)19
Behavioral or Conduct Disorder Symptom Prevention or Improvement Middle School Strong (General Population)23–24

References
1 Botvin, G. J., Baker, E., Dusenbury, L., Tortu, S., & Botvin, E. M. (1990). Preventing adolescent drug abuse through a multimodal cognitive-behavioral approach: results of a 3-year study. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 58(4), 437.
2 Botvin, G. J., Baker, E., Dusenbury, L., Botvin, E. M., & Diaz, T. (1995). Long-term follow-up results of a randomized drug abuse prevention trial in a white middle-class population. Jama, 273(14), 1106-1112.
3 Spoth, R. L., Redmond, C., Trudeau, L., & Shin, C. (2002). Longitudinal substance initiation outcomes for a universal preventive intervention combining family and school programs. Psychology of addictive behaviors, 16(2), 129.
4 Spoth, R. L., Randall, G. K., Trudeau, L., Shin, C., & Redmond, C. (2008). Substance use outcomes 5½ years past baseline for partnership-based, family-school preventive interventions. Drug and alcohol dependence, 96(1-2), 57-68.
5 Spoth, R., Trudeau, L., Redmond, C., & Shin, C. (2014). Replication RCT of early universal prevention effects on young adult substance misuse. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 82(6), 949.
6 Botvin, G. J., Renick, N. L., & Baker, E. (1983). The effects of scheduling format and booster sessions on a broad-spectrum psychosocial approach to smoking prevention. Journal of behavioral medicine, 6(4), 359-379.
7 Botvin, G. J., Baker, E., Renick, N. L., Filazzola, A. D., & Botvin, E. M. (1984). A cognitive-behavioral approach to substance abuse prevention. Addictive behaviors, 9(2), 137-147.
8 Spoth, R., Trudeau, L., Shin, C., & Redmond, C. (2008). Long‐term effects of universal preventive interventions on prescription drug misuse. Addiction, 103(7), 1160-1168.
9 Spoth, R., Trudeau, L., Shin, C., Ralston, E., Redmond, C., Greenberg, M., & Feinberg, M. (2013). Longitudinal effects of universal preventive intervention on prescription drug misuse: three randomized controlled trials with late adolescents and young adults. American journal of public health, 103(4), 665-672.
10 Crowley, D. M., Jones, D. E., Coffman, D. L., & Greenberg, M. T. (2014). Can we build an efficient response to the prescription drug abuse epidemic? Assessing the cost effectiveness of universal prevention in the PROSPER trial. Preventive Medicine, 62, 71-77.
11 Botvin, G. J., Griffin, K. W., Diaz, T., Scheier, L. M., Williams, C., & Epstein, J. A. (2000). Preventing illicit drug use in adolescents: Long-term follow-up data from a randomized control trial of a school population. Addictive behaviors, 25(5), 769-774.
12 Griffin, K. W., Botvin, G. J., Scheier, L. M., & Williams, C. (2023). Long-term behavioral effects of a school-based prevention program on illicit drug use among young adults. Journal of public health research, 12(1), 22799036221146914.
13 Spoth, R. L., Clair, S., Shin, C., & Redmond, C. (2006). Long-term effects of universal preventive interventions on methamphetamine use among adolescents. Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine, 160(9), 876-882.
14 Trudeau, L., Spoth, R., Lillehoj, C., Redmond, C., & Wickrama, K. A. (2003). Effects of a preventive intervention on adolescent substance use initiation, expectancies, and refusal intentions. Prevention Science, 4(2), 109-122.
15 Botvin, G. J., Dusenbury, L., Baker, E., James-Ortiz, S., Botvin, E. M., & Kerner, J. (1992). Smoking prevention among urban minority youth: assessing effects on outcome and mediating variables. Health Psychology, 11(5), 290.
16 Botvin, G. J., Epstein, J. A., Baker, E., Diaz, T., & Ifill-Williams, M. (1998). School-Based Drug Abuse Prevention with Inner-City Minority Youth. Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse, 6(1), 5-19.
17 Botvin, G. J., Griffin, K. W., Diaz, T., Miller, N., & Ifill-Williams, M. (1999). Smoking initiation and escalation in early adolescent girls: one-year follow-up of a school-based prevention intervention for minority youth. Journal-American Medical Womens Association, 54, 139-143.
18 Botvin, G. J., Griffin, K. W., Diaz, T., & Ifill-Williams, M. (2001). Drug abuse prevention among minority adolescents: Posttest and one-year follow-up of a school-based preventive intervention. Prevention Science, 2(1), 1-13.
19 Griffin, K. W., Williams, C., Botvin, C. M., Sousa, S., & Botvin, G. J. (2022). Effectiveness of a hybrid digital substance abuse prevention approach combining e-Learning and in-person class sessions. Frontiers in Digital Health, 4, 931276.
20 Botvin, G. J., Schinke, S. P., Epstein, J. A., Diaz, T., & Botvin, E. M. (1995). Effectiveness of culturally focused and generic skills training approaches to alcohol and drug abuse prevention among minority adolescents: Two-year follow-up results. Psychology of addictive behaviors, 9(3), 183.
21 Botvin, G. J., Griffin, K. W., Diaz, T., & Ifill-Williams, M. (2001). Preventing binge drinking during early adolescence: one-and two-year follow-up of a school-based preventive intervention. Psychology of addictive behaviors, 15(4), 360.
22 Griffin, K. W., Botvin, G. J., Nichols, T. R., & Doyle, M. M. (2003). Effectiveness of a universal drug abuse prevention approach for youth at high risk for substance use initiation. Preventive medicine, 36(1), 1-7.
23 Botvin, G. J., Griffin, K. W., & Nichols, T. D. (2006). Preventing youth violence and delinquency through a universal school-based prevention approach. Prevention science, 7(4), 403-408.
24 Williams, C., Griffin, K. W., Botvin, C. M., Sousa, S., & Botvin, G. J. (2023). Effectiveness of digital health tools to prevent bullying among middle school students. Adolescents, 3(1), 110-130.

What California Providers Are Saying

What They Like About Botvin LifeSkills Training:

  • The program aligns well with other standards and criteria for school programs.
  • The lesson materials provide a solid structure for conducting sessions.
  • Evaluation outcomes demonstrate that the program is effective.
  • The program is efficient, making it a good fit for implementation in classroom settings.
  • The focus on self-esteem, socio-emotional learning, and skill development empower youth and prepare them to handle real-world challenges.

 

Tips and Recommendations for Implementing Botvin LifeSkills Training:

  • Offering incentives and other supports can facilitate follow-up evaluation activities.
  • Ensure that instructors have sufficient time to thoroughly understand the materials and build confidence to deliver the program.
  • Be prepared to answer questions that may arise during sensitive conversations, as these are not always addressed in the curriculum.
  • The program can be adapted to explore topics more deeply as needed and to create opportunities for students to reflect on the materials discussed.
  • Supplementing the materials with information specific to the local population and community trends can make the program more relevant and impactful.
  • Materials for younger students may need to be adapted to be more age and culturally appropriate.
  • Some of the materials may need to be updated.