Internet-Based School Prevention Program Reduced Truancy and Psychological Distress in Teens | Research

The takeaway

An online prevention program designed to reduce teen alcohol and cannabis use also significantly reduced truancy, psychological distress, and moral disengagement for up to 12 months.

Read this if you want to know whether online school prevention programs work for reducing risk behaviors in teens.

Single online program reduced truancy, distress, and moral disengagement for 12 months

What the researchers found

Students who received the Internet-based Climate Schools: Alcohol and Cannabis course showed significant reductions in three key risk factors compared to controls. Truancy (skipping school), psychological distress, and moral disengagement (rationalizing harmful behavior) were all reduced at follow-up assessments conducted up to 12 months after the intervention.

The program had previously been shown to reduce alcohol and cannabis use. This analysis demonstrated that the same program produced broader benefits beyond substance use outcomes, addressing risk factors that are themselves associated with substance use and other problem behaviors.

The intervention consisted of two sets of six online lessons delivered approximately six months apart, making it a relatively low-intensity intervention for the breadth of outcomes affected.

Why it matters

Truancy, psychological distress, and moral disengagement are all risk factors for substance use and other problem behaviors. A single, scalable online program that addresses these upstream factors alongside substance use itself offers an efficient approach to adolescent prevention.

The numbers in context

764 students, 10 schools. Intervention: 12 online lessons delivered in two modules 6 months apart. Significant reductions in truancy, psychological distress, and moral disengagement up to 12 months post-intervention.

How the study worked

A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted across 10 secondary schools in Sydney, Australia (2007-2008). 764 students (mean age 13.1 years) from 5 schools received the Climate Schools program while 5 schools served as controls receiving standard health classes. Assessments occurred at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at 6 and 12 months following the intervention.

What this study cannot tell us

The study was conducted in Australian schools and the program's content may not transfer directly to other cultural contexts. The control condition (usual health classes) varied across schools. Only self-reported outcomes were measured. The 12-month follow-up may not capture whether effects persist into later adolescence.

How to read the evidence

This is a cluster RCT with adequate sample size and 12-month follow-up, providing strong evidence for effectiveness.

When this study was published

Published in 2014. The Climate Schools program has been further tested and adapted for various international settings since.

The bigger picture

Internet-based prevention programs offer scalability advantages over traditional classroom-based approaches. This study demonstrates that well-designed online programs can produce meaningful reductions in risk factors across multiple domains, supporting the case for wider implementation of digital prevention tools in schools.

Questions still open

Do the reductions in risk factors mediate the substance use prevention effects, or are they independent outcomes? Would the program be equally effective in different cultural contexts? Do effects persist beyond 12 months?

Common questions

What is moral disengagement?

Moral disengagement refers to cognitive mechanisms people use to rationalize harmful or antisocial behavior, such as blaming victims, minimizing consequences, or diffusing responsibility. It is a risk factor for both substance use and aggression.

How does the Climate Schools program work?

It uses interactive online cartoon storylines to deliver evidence-based health content to students. The online component is supplemented by classroom activities led by teachers. The program is designed to be easy to implement and engaging for students.

Read the original research

Universal Internet-based prevention for alcohol and cannabis use reduces truancy, psychological distress and moral disengagement: a cluster randomised controlled trial.

Preventive medicine, 65, 109-15

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Newton, Nicola C; Andrews, Gavin; Champion, Katrina E; Teesson, Maree. (2014). Universal Internet-based prevention for alcohol and cannabis use reduces truancy, psychological distress and moral disengagement: a cluster randomised controlled trial.. Preventive medicine, 65, 109-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.05.003