An Effective Approach to Violence Prevention: Traditional Martial Arts in Middle School

Adolescence, Fall, 2001 by Gail Zivin, Nimr R. Hassan, Geraldine F. DePaula, Daniel A. Monti, Carmen Harlan, Kashfia D. Hossain, Ksai Patterson

Piers-Harris Children's Self Concept Scale. This is a well-known, well-standardized, long-used instrument (Piers & Harris, 1964, 1969). The present study used 5 of the 6 factors that compose the full scale: Behavior (18 conduct items), Work (18 schoolwork items), Calm (13 anxiety items), Popular (12 popularity items), and Happy (9 happiness items). The scale was administered as part of an interview battery of seven instruments (totaling about 35 minutes), which was conducted by a psychiatrist or psychologist.

Intermediate Visual and Auditory Continuous Performance Test (IVA). This well-respected, well-standardized computerized test (Sanford & Turner, 1995) measures aspects of attentional self-control through a 15-minute presentation of auditory and visual targets sequenced to lull and to distract. This study used standardized scores generated by the test program: Prudence (delaying reaction to check target meaning and respond accordingly) and Vigilance (staying alert to target changes despite lulling repetition). Both Prudence and Vigilance were measured for auditory and visual stimuli, yielding four scores. Low Prudence is a characteristic of impulsivity. Low Vigilance is a characteristic of "tuning-out" or "spacing-out." A psychologist administered this test.

Permanent expulsion from school. Certain behaviors or behavior repetitions were sufficiently extreme to result in permanent expulsion from school. Relative rates of permanent expulsion enabled a real-world comparison of intolerable behavior between boys who had taken the course and those who were waiting.

Treatment

Traditional (meditative) martial arts course. The treatment condition was a course in Koga Ha Kosho Shorei Ryu Kempo, an 800-year-old form of martial arts training designed for the full life education of young Buddhist monks. As with other traditional martial arts, it emphasizes nonviolent self-defense and respect for all living things. The course met three times a week for 30 sessions, during the last period (45 minutes) of the school day, in a large classroom with moveable seats. The martial arts master and his adult assistant wore traditional attire and gently but firmly insisted on respectful language and behavior. There was a focusing, moving meditation at the beginning of class ("The Energy Gathering Meditation") and a pattern (kata) composed of 35 movements. The kata was the major activity for developing concentration, for learning graceful, strong movement execution, and for experiencing mastery. When executed continuously, a kata can promote a meditative state. The boys mostly achieved strong concent ration, a requisite for meditation, during kata practice.

RESULTS

Most statistical analyses used t tests to compare the difference-from-baseline scores of Groups A and B for Semester 1. Several of these comparisons reached statistical significance. However, it must be emphasized that there was a consistent pattern of improvement for the boys who had taken the course. This pattern is shown in a series of bar graphs comparing Group A ("students") and Group B ("controls") at the end of the first semester (see Figures 2-4). The comparison was of the "difference scores" created by subtracting baseline scores (Time 1) from scores at the end of the first semester (Time 2).