Using community-based participatory research to develop the PARTNERS youth violence prevention program.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Community Psychology
• Youth Development

Background:

• School-based violence prevention programs show effectiveness in reducing aggression and promoting prosocial behaviors.
• Urban after-school programs offer a unique setting for collaborative violence prevention initiatives between researchers and community stakeholders.
• Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is a valuable model for developing sustainable interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development of a collaborative youth violence prevention and leadership program (PARTNERS Program) for urban adolescents.
• To outline the application of a CBPR model in addressing the needs of urban youth, families, and communities.
• To detail the process of engaging community members in program design and implementation.

Main Methods:

• Utilized focus groups to gather community input on program development.
• Pilot tested the PARTNERS Program in an after-school setting.
• Conducted organizational assessments of after-school sites to evaluate intervention feasibility.

Main Results:

• Successful collaboration between community members and academic researchers throughout all project stages.
• Community feedback led to a redesigned implementation and evaluation plan for the PARTNERS Program.
• The revised design enhances the potential for building community capacity and ensuring program sustainability.

Conclusions:

• Community-based participatory research (CBPR) presents challenges but fosters strong researcher-community relationships and trust.
• Balancing systematic intervention implementation with responsiveness to community needs is crucial for successful CBPR.
• Lessons learned emphasize the importance of trust and collaboration in developing effective community-based interventions.