The Effects of Two Community-Based Participatory Action Research Programs on Violence Outside of and in School Among Adolescents and Young Adults in a Latino Community

Abstract

Purpose: Violence is the leading cause of death among adolescents and young adults in the Americas. Community-Based Participatory Action Research engaged youth and parents to develop and implement two interventions. A Violence Prevention Program (VPP) focused on risk factors for violence, and a Positive Youth Development Program (PYDP) focused on protective factors. Program effects on violence outside of and in school were assessed at 6 and 12 months.

Methods: Both interventions included an 8-week internet-based program and an in-person youth summit. Participants were prospectively randomized twice, first to the VPP and a no-VPP control group and again to the PYDP and a no-PYDP control group. Participants self-reported violence outside of and in school through self-administered baseline surveys with repeat assessments at 6 and 12 months. Analysis of covariance models examined VPP and PYDP effects on violence.

Results: The analysis sample was 86% Latino, 56% female, 36% aged 10-13 years, 45% aged 14-18, and 19% aged 19-23 years. Analysis of covariance models of violence outside of school demonstrated small program interaction effects at 6 months (partial eta² = .030; p = .007) and small VPP effects at 12 months (partial eta² = .023; p = .025). Models of violence in school demonstrated small PYDP effects at 6 months (partial eta² = .023; p = .018).

Conclusions: Community-Based Participatory Action Research engaging adolescents, young adults, and parents to address locally relevant health issues can have multiple benefits. In this study, a VPP had positive effects on violence outside of school at 12 months, and a PYDP had positive effects on violence in school at 6 months.

Keywords: Adolescents; Community-based participatory action research; Internet-based programs; Latino; Youth violence prevention.