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OBJECTIVES: Community-based organizations (CBOs) are important stakeholders in the health system, providing many valuable community-based programs and services. However, limited efforts have been made to encourage CBOs to incorporate research evidence into service provision, and their capacity to do so is not well understood. Therefore, the primary goal of this research was to examine CBOs' perceptions of: 1) the frequency of using research and other forms of evidence related to youth violence prevention, and 2) their capacity to acquire, assess, adapt and apply research evidence. METHODS: CBOs involved in youth violence prevention completed a survey (n = 35) and/or attended a focus group (n=16). Survey questions were adapted from the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation's 'Is Research Working for You?' tool. RESULTS: CBOs' reported use of and capacity to acquire research evidence was high. CBOs reported possessing the structures, processes, and organizational culture needed to apply research evidence in decision-making. Assessing research evidence was a challenge for CBO staff, although many have external experts who can effectively do so. Generally, CBOs reported adequate capacity to adapt (i.e., synthesize, contextualize, and present) research evidence. Adapting research evidence for use in particular populations or geographical areas presented a considerable challenge. CONCLUSION: Although many barriers and socio-political complexities make linking research to action challenging, we found that CBOs generally feel competent and well equipped. Our findings support the viability of extending the push for evidence-based health care to community contexts so that the most effective programs and services for Canadians can be offered. KEY WORDS: Translational medical research; evidence-based practice; health services; needs assessment; community-based participatory research; violence OBJECTIFS : Les organismes communautaires sont d'importants acteurs du systeme de sante et offrent de nombreux programmes et services communautaires tres utiles. Cependant, on fait peu d'efforts pour inciter ces organismes a integrer les donnees probantes issues de la recherche dans la prestation de services, et leur capacite de le faire est mal comprise. C'est pourquoi notre objectif principal etait d'examiner les perceptions des organismes communautaires a l'egard de : 1) la frequence de l'utilisation de la recherche et d'autres formes de donnees probantes liees a la prevention de la violence chez les jeunes et 2) la capacite de ces organismes d'acquerir, d'evaluer, d'adapter et d'appliquer les donnees probantes issues de la recherche. METHODE : Des organismes communautaires faisant de la prevention de la violence chez les jeunes ont repondu a un sondage (n = 35) et/ou assiste a un groupe de discussion (n = 16). Les questions du sondage etaient adaptees de l'outil << La recherche vous reussit-elle? >> de la Fondation canadienne de la recherche sur les services de sante. RESULTATS : L'utilisation declaree des donnees probantes issues de la recherche par les organismes communautaires et leur capacite d'acquerir ces donnees etaient elevees. Ces organismes ont declare posseder les structures, les processus et la culture organisationnelle necessaires pour appliquer les donnees probantes issues de la recherche a la prise de decisions. L'evaluation de ces donnees de recherche etait difficile pour le personnel des organismes communautaires, bien que beaucoup fassent appel a des experts independants pour faire ce travail efficacement. Dans l'ensemble, les organismes communautaires ont dit avoir une capacite suffisante pour adapter (resumer, mettre en contexte et presenter) des donnees de recherche. L'adaptation des donnees de recherche pour les utiliser aupres de populations ou dans des zones geographiques particulieres presentait cependant des difficultes considerables. CONCLUSION : De nombreux obstacles et complications sociopolitiques font qu'il est difficile de lier la recherche a l'action, mais nous constatons que les organismes communautaires se sentent generalement competents et bien equipes. Nos constatations confirment qu'il est viable de militer pour que l'on etende la prestation de soins de sante fondes sur les preuves au milieu communautaire, afin que les programmes et services les plus efficaces puissent etre offerts a la population canadienne. MOTS CLES : recherche translationnelle; pratique fondee sur des elements probants; services de sante; evaluation besoins; recherche participative communautaire; violence, The field of Knowledge Transfer and Exchange (KTE) has grown rapidly in the last decade. (1,2) Increasingly, researchers are examining how best to move findings from health research into the [...]

'On March 27, [2007], an 11-year-old boy walked into the John P. Holland elementary school in Boston with a.44 caliber magnum handgun. The gun was taken out of his prepubescent [...]

A study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of brief interventions in reducing violence and alcohol misuse among adolescents in an urban emergency department (ED). Results indicated that such interventions did result in a decreased in the prevention of violence and related consequences.

In 1983, sociologist Donald Black proposed the theory of 'Crime as Social Control,' in which he argued that for the socially disadvantaged, crime is commonly moralistic and can be characterized as self-help in the pursuit of justice when legal protection fails. This article uses Black's theory as a framework to assess the role of violence among African American male youth in disadvantaged urban communities in New York City. Using in-depth interview data for 416 young violent male offenders, the authors analyze youths' perspectives on their personal safety; access to legal, governmental, and communal protection from violence; the effectiveness of the criminal justice system and police in addressing crime and violence in their neighborhoods; and the need to rely on self- and group/gang-protection as a means of social control. The implications for self-help theory are discussed. Keywords: African American; youth violence; self-help; social control; marginalization; racialized groups; police protection

Metaphors can both inspire and mislead the public. Current metaphors for youth violence are inconsistent with scientific evidence about how chronic violence develops and evoke inaccurate or harmful reactions. Popular, problematic metaphors include superpredator, quarantining the contagious, corrective surgery, man as computer, vaccine, and chronic disease. Four new metaphors that more accurately reflect the science of child development are proposed to shape the field. Preventive dentistry offers a lifelong system of universal, selected, and indicated intervention policies. Cardiovascular disease offers concepts of distal risk factors, proximal processes, equifinality and multifinality, and long-term prevention. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's public health model focuses on injury and the victim to elicit popular support. Public education for illiteracy offers concepts of long-term universal education coupled with specialized help for high-risk youths and goes beyond metaphor to represent a truly applicable framework. Research is proposed to test the scientific merit for and public receptivity to these metaphors. Keywords: aggressive behavior, frame analysis, prevention, public policy

Objectives. We sought to identify neighborhood-level resources associated with lower levels of aggression and delinquency among youths aged 9-15 years at baseline after accounting for risk factors and other types of resources. Methods. Data were derived from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, which focused on 2226 ethnically diverse, urban youths, their caregivers, and the 80 neighborhoods in which they resided at baseline. Results. Living in a neighborhood with a higher concentration of organizations or services serving young people and adults was associated with lower levels of aggression (odds ratio [OR]=0.9; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.8, 1.0); living in such a neighborhood also moderated family, peer, and mentor resources. For example, the presence of well-behaved peers was associated with lower levels of aggression among youths living in neighborhoods where the concentration of organizations and services was at least 1 standard deviation above the mean; the association was less strong among youths living in neighborhoods with organizations and services 1 standard deviation below the mean or less. Conclusions. Certain family, peer, and mentoring resources may confer benefits only in the presence of neighborhood resources. Increasing neighborhood resources should be considered in interventions designed to reduce urban youths' involvement in violence.

Considerable progress has been made in the past decade in identifying which factors contribute to youth violence. The purpose of this article is to illuminate the issues and group factors that underlie youth violence, assessment and profiling, and prevention programs. Guidelines for predicting youth violence are presented and critiqued. School violence prevention programs, the role of SAMHSA, and interpersonal-cognitive problem-solving are presented. KEYWORDS. Adolescence, group work, youth violence prevention, school violence prevention, interpersonal-cognitive problem-solving, social learning theory

Youth violence, including bullying and other serious violent behaviors, has received increased political and scientific attention over the past several decades. Although violent behavior among youth and in the schools has declined over the past decade, the victimization of children by other children in school settings remains a major issue of concern. In response, a number of prevention and intervention programs have been developed to reduce the incidence of bullying and violence in schools. This meta-analysis attempted to examine the effect of school-based anti-bullying programs. Results suggested a significant effect for anti-bullying programs (r =. 12). However, this result seemed to be slightly influenced by publication bias and did not meet the adopted threshold for 'practical significance.' The effect for programs targeted specifically at at-risk youth was slightly better, but overall, anti-bullying programs produce little discernible effect on youth participants. Reasons that anti-bullying programs may produce little effective change are discussed. Keywords: bullying; school-based programs; violence prevention interventions; violence: prevention; program evaluation

Latino male youth in the United States are disproportionately affected by violence. This study explores the experiences that young Latino males in a long-term correctional treatment center have had with violence. An iterative qualitative research design was used to guide sequential periods of data collection and analysis. Data was gathered through the use of open-ended, semi-structured group and individual interviews. The information that these young men shared about their lives both in and out of the facility highlight the importance of healing wounded relationships. Long-term interventions that locus on healing, strengthening, and building the relationships that high-risk Latino youth have with caring adults will help to decrease their risk of suffering further violence-related morbidity and mortality. Keywords: adolescent; violence; Latino; male; juvenile justice

Objective: To explore aspects of aggression, in particular fighting and weapon carrying, among high school students. This was in response to an earlier survey of Dunedin young people and will assist in the development of a broader quantitative study on aggression among high schools students. Methods: A qualitative investigation using eight focus groups of 41 participants was conducted in Otago, New Zealand, between November 2004 and February 2005. The focus groups were analysed to identify common themes and critical issues. Results: Results suggest there are different levels of fighting, but participants agreed that a fight should be defined as serious as opposed to a play fight. Fights often begin as verbal and escalate to physical. Differences were found in fighting at school and outside of school. Whether an item was considered a weapon or not depended on the intended use of the item. Participants suggested that some items may be reported as weapons, even though they are not being carried for such purposes. If so, the estimates provided in the prior Dunedin survey may be unduly high. Conclusions: Surveys such as the Youth Risk Behaviour Survey provide a snapshot of youth aggression, but may hide significant differences in the nature of the aggression being reported. Implications: Prevention should concentrate on changing the social environment of our schools and communities. Further research should include more in-depth questions on fighting and weapon carrying, both at school and outside of school, to better estimate the prevalence of these behaviours and the context in which they occur. Key words: Focus groups, adolescent, violence, aggression, perception, prevention.

The concept of street efficacy, defined as the perceived ability to avoid violent confrontations and to be safe in one's neighborhood, is proposed as a mechanism connecting aspects of adolescents' 'imposed' environments to the choices they make in creating their own ''selected'' environments that minimize the potential for violent confrontations. Empirical models using data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods suggest that street efficacy is substantially influenced by various aspects of the social context surrounding adolescents. Adolescents who live in neighborhoods with concentrated disadvantage and low collective efficacy, respectively, are found to have less confidence in their ability to avoid violence after controlling for an extensive set of individual- and family-level factors. Exposure to violence also reduces street efficacy, although it does not explain the association between collective efficacy and individual street efficacy. Adolescents 'confidence in their ability to avoid violence is shown to be an important predictor of the types of environments they select for themselves. In particular, adolescents with high levels of street efficacy are less likely to resort to violence themselves or to associate with delinquent peers.

Objectives. This study determined 4-year postintervention effects of Safe Dates on dating violence, booster effects, and moderators of the program effects. Methods. We gathered baseline data in 10 schools that were randomly allocated to a treatment condition. We collected follow-up data 1 month after the program and then yearly thereafter for 4 years. Between the 2- and 3-year follow-ups, a randomly selected half of treatment adolescents received a booster. Results. Compared with controls, adolescents receiving Safe Dates reported significantly less physical, serious physical, and sexual dating violence perpetration and victimization 4 years after the program. The booster did not improve the effectiveness of Safe Dates. Conclusions. Safe Dates shows promise for preventing dating violence but the booster should not be used. (Am J Public Health. 2004;94:619-624)

The prevalence of pregnancy, substance abuse, violence, and delinquency among young people is unacceptably high. Interventions for preventing problems in large numbers of youth require more than individual psychological interventions. Successful interventions include the involvement of prevention practitioners and community residents in community-level interventions. The potential of community-level interventions is illustrated by a number of successful studies. However, more inclusive reviews and multisite comparisons show that although there have been successes, many interventions did not demonstrate results. The road to greater success includes prevention science and newer community-centered models of accountability and technical assistance systems for prevention.

Objective. Toy gun play has been associated with aggressive behavior, and it has been suggested that child health professionals counsel families on limiting exposure. Effective violence prevention counseling requires an understanding of norms regarding parental attitudes, practices, and influencing factors. Both theories of reasoned action and planned behavior emphasize that subjective norms and attitudes affect people&apos;s perceptions and intended behavior. Few normative data exist on this issue from a cross-section of families. By establishing behavioral norms and understanding the spectrum of parental attitudes, community-sensitive and community-specific interventions for violence prevention can be developed. The objective of this study was to assess community norms on the topic of toy gun play from the perspective of parents. Methods. An anonymous self-report assisted survey was administered to a convenience sample of parents/ guardians who visited child health providers at 3 sites: an urban children&apos;s hospital clinic, an urban managed care clinic, and a suburban private practice. The parent questionnaire included questions on child rearing attitudes, practice, and sociodemographic information. Results. A total of 1004 eligible participants were recruited for the study; 922 surveys were completed (participation rate 92%). The 830 (90%) respondents who were parents and had complete child data were the focus of additional analysis. Regarding toy guns, 67% of parents believed that it was never "OK for a child to play with toy guns," and 66% stated that they never let their children play with toy guns. Parents who thought that it was okay for children to play with toy guns and allowed them to play with toy guns were more likely to be male parents, have male children, and be white. Conclusions. There is variability in norms regarding toy gun play among parents, with most discouraging toy gun play. Norms varied based on gender of the child, gender of the parent, and race. Understanding norms is a first step in designing effective community-sensitive interventions. Pediatrics 2003;111:75-79; toy gun play, violence prevention, anticipatory guidance, parental norms., The American Academy of Pediatrics has encouraged child health professionals to be proactive in addressing violence prevention in child health supervision. The policy statement entitled "The Role of the Pediatrician [...]

This investigation identifies demographic, media, and social correlates of verbally aggressive communication in adolescence. Mail surveys were completed and returned by 2,300 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 15. These adolescents were asked about the prevalence of verbal and physical aggression, the context in which it occurred, demographics, and the interpersonal and media influences in their lives. The results indicate that verbal aggression is widespread, that committing and experiencing verbal aggression is largely reciprocal, that there is a strong relationship between committing verbal and physical aggression, and that peer social influence and listening to violently oriented music are mildly related to verbal aggression in adolescents. These findings suggest more resources should be allocated to teaching adolescents to understand and control verbal aggression. Further, they provide important answers to many prevention and intervention programmatic questions, including context, content, and targeting concerns. Since the negative consequences of verbal aggression are severe and long lasting, decreasing this destructive communication behavior should significantly improve the lives of many adolescents. These and other practical implications are expanded upon and discussed. KEY WORDS: Verbal aggression, physical aggression, prevention of aggression, adolescent, peer social influence, violently oriented music.

This article describes how the joint American Psychological Association (APA)-Music Television 'Warning Signs' initiative evolved, its nationwide impact, and the history of APA's 4-year 'Talk to Someone Who Can Help' effort that provided the basis for it. 'Warning Signs,' aimed at helping the nation's youth to identify the warning signs of violent behavior and to recognize the need to seek professional help, has brought new levels of visibility to APA's public education campaign. It has greatly energized and mobilized psychologists nationwide for expanded practitioner involvement at both the national and community levels. Not only has the project responded to the call for national prevention efforts to curb youth violence, but it also has served as an effective medium for educating youth, adults, and their communities about the value of psychology.