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Youth
Action Research for Prevention (YARP)
Research Method:
Participatory Action Research, Intervention Research
Principal Investigator:
Marlene Berg, M.U.P.
Grant:
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP)
Dates of Study:
2002-2005
Partners:
Walden University |
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Abstract
The Youth Action Research for Prevention (YARP) project
builds on 12 years of prior intervention projects that
utilize the concept of action research for risk prevention,
conducted by the Institute for Community Research (ICR).
This three-year project formally evaluates and documents
this approach for national dissemination. The model reflects
ICR's commitment to conducting, supporting and promoting
youth-led community-based participatory action research
for risk prevention through personal growth, and the development
of positive peer norms, based in construction theory,
cooperative learning and action research. The intervention
curriculum employs an action/ intervention/ education
effort related to a risk prevention issue decided upon
by youth participants. The intervention works with three
cohorts (one each project year) of African American, Caribbean
and Latino (primarily Puerto Rican) youth, ages 14-16,
who reside in high risk neighborhoods of the city of Hartford
and who are exposed to high levels of poverty, drug sales,
drug use, violence, poor schools, sex risk and other stressors.
The intervention components include: a) the Summer Youth
Research Institute (SYRI) which introduces youth to action
research for prevention; b) the year round program that
enables youth to translate their prevention research results
into interventions designed to promote positive peer norms; and c) education/career counseling and mentoring.
As part of the evaluation, participants complete an assessment
instrument at the beginning of the SYRI, at exit, at follow-up
5 months later and then at 11 months. The project also
uses ethnographic observation of training sessions and
staff meetings, interviews, and network data to gather
information related to the project theory and model, its
implementation, the emergence of prevention group norms,
local context and other factors that may influence outcomes.
An evaluation team recruits, tracks and maintains a matched
comparison group of teens who receive the same assessment
survey at the same times as the intervention group. |
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Goals and Objectives |
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Structure a science-based,
theoretically driven, instructionally sound
prevention program so that it can be evaluated
for national dissemination |
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Conduct a three-year
risk prevention intervention for urban minority
youth in Hartford, CT |
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Conduct formal
evaluation of the model for national dissemination |
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Details Intervention Program The
Summer Youth Research Institute (SYRI) begins
the intervention program for each cohort. Up to
40 youth are recruited into the program via the
Summer Youth Employment program of the Capital
Workforce Partners. Youth who participate
in the program are hired as youth researchers for
20 hours per week for a seven week period. The seven-week
program is an intensive action research training
in which youth choose a research issue, learn and
apply social science research methods, and develop
their own community-based action research for prevention
project addressing drug, sex and/or violence prevention.
The training curriculum includes understanding of
social science research methodologies, research
modeling, data collection and analysis, and presentation
of results. Youth from the SYRI are hired during
the subsequent school year (September-May) for four
hours/week to work on constructing action strategies
through which they disseminate prevention messages
that are linked to their research from the summer.
During the summer and school-year programs, youth
explore their own cultural and ethnic identities
through curricular activities, attendance at cultural
events (e.g., museum and gallery exhibits) and
presentations at organization and events.
Adult staff also provide tutoring and college/career
promotion through assistance with school assignments,
resume creation, college visits, advice regarding
PSATs and SATs, and advice regarding college and
scholarship application. |
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Project
Contact:
Marlene Berg, Principal Investigator
Associate Director, Training
Marlene.berg@icrweb.org
Project Staff:
ICR
Marlene Berg, M.U.P., Principal Investigator & Project Director
Associate Director, Training
Marlene.berg@icrweb.org
Gary
Burkholder, Jr., Ph.D.
Evaluation
Director
Gary.Burkholder@waldenu.edu
Chiedza
Rodriguez, BA
Project Coordinator & Prevention Research Educator
Chiedza.Rodriguez@icrweb.org
Damion Sincere Morgan, BS
Prevention Research Educator
Damion.morgan@icrweb.org
Emil Coman, Ph.D.
Darce Costello, M.Ed.
Research
Analysts
emil.coman@icrweb.org
Elsie Vasquez, BA
Research Assistant
Elsie.Vasquez@icrweb.org
Siobhan
Pass, BA
Research Assistant
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Evaluation
This research and demonstration
project hypothesizes that the intervention group, relative
to the comparison group, will: |
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report a decrease
in perceived peer risk behaviors; |
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demonstrate
increases in drug and sexual self-efficacy; |
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demonstrate increases
in school retention, school bonding, and aspirations
to higher education or career development; |
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report a decrease in
ATOD use; report a delay in sexual debut, a decrease
in the number of sexual partners, and an increase
in the regularity of condom use, and a decrease
in having sex while using ATOD; |
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report an increase in
community self-efficacy; |
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demonstrate increases
in group cohesion and interdependence (social bonding);
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exhibit increases in
social competence, self-esteem, and social, decision-making,
and assertiveness skills; |
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report increases in perceived
risk of ATOD use and negative attitudes toward ATOD
use, and report a decrease in intentions to use
ATOD; and |
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demonstrate increases
in personal self-efficacy and locus of control. |
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An anticipated
outcome of the evaluation will be a program manual for
replication and adaptation of the model, that details
the intervention process and research findings, which
will be disseminated nationally and submitted for inclusion
in the National Registry of Effective Programs and Practices (NREPP).
Project Findings
Poster presentation (pdf)
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Link to Research
Methods page
Links to Youth Research Projects
Links to other ICR projects:
Youth Action
Research Institute
External Links:
Center
for Substance Abuse Prevention
Capital Workforce Partners
CT Department of Mental
Health and Addiction Services
Walden University
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