Barriers to the use of evidence-supported programs to address school violence

Researchers have argued that there is a research-practice gap in the delivery of prevention and mental health services in the school setting. This national survey addresses that gap by identifying the barriers confronted by school social workers in implementing evidence-supported programs to address interpersonal violence in the school context. A cross-sectional, Web-based survey was completed by 250 members of the School Social Work Association of America, the majority having an MSW as their highest degree. Social workers responded to questions related to practitioner capabilities, evidence-supported programs addressing violence, violence in their school, barriers to addressing school violence, practitioner characteristics, school characteristics, and school climate. This article reports the barriers data. Barriers that social workers identified were nearly exclusively focused on the preeminence of academic subject areas and lack of time to implement interventions. Recommendations and resources for overcoming barriers are also discussed. The findings have implications for university and school district training programs, can inform national and state policy regarding the dissemination and use of evidence-supported programs, and can be used by organizations of school social workers to address the implementation of evidence-supported programs to prevent student-perpetrated school violence.