Transporting an Evidence-based Youth Development Program to a New Country: A Narrative Description and Analysis of...

Area of Science:

• * Criminology
• * Developmental Psychology
• * Public Health

Background:

• * Youth crime and violence pose significant societal costs, necessitating effective prevention strategies.
• * Evidence-based interventions exist but require adaptation for successful implementation in new cultural contexts.
• * The Becoming a Man (BAM) program is a proven US-based youth development initiative targeting at-risk adolescent males.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To report on the pre-implementation adaptation process of the BAM program from the US to the UK.
• * To describe the nature and rationale behind the adaptations made to the BAM curriculum and implementation.
• * To identify lessons learned for future cross-cultural adaptation of youth interventions.

Main Methods:

• * A 10-week structured adaptation process involving intervention developers, new providers, and evaluators.
• * Documentary analysis, group discussions, and site visits informed adaptation decisions.
• * A pragmatic, evidence-informed approach was used to modify the BAM program.

Main Results:

• * 27 content changes were made to 17 out of 30 BAM lessons, addressing both surface-level and deep-level adaptations.
• * 15 discrepancies between US and UK contexts were identified and resolved across 28 considered factors.
• * Strengths included a multidisciplinary adaptation team and adherence to the program's theory of change.

Conclusions:

• * The adaptation process successfully modified the BAM program for the UK context, balancing fidelity with local relevance.
• * Key learning points emphasize the need for structured adaptation, consideration of contextual factors, and expert collaboration.
• * Future research should explore stakeholder engagement and conflict resolution during intervention adaptation.