title: Using community-based participatory research to develop the PARTNERS youth violence prevention program.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  School-based violence prevention programs have shown promise for reducing aggression and increasing children's prosocial behaviors. Prevention interventions within the context of urban after-school programs provide a unique opportunity for academic researchers and community stakeholders to collaborate in the creation of meaningful and sustainable violence prevention initiatives.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This paper describes the development of a collaborative between academic researchers and community leaders to design a youth violence prevention/leadership promotion program (PARTNERS Program) for urban adolescents. Employing a community-based participatory research (CBPR) model, this project addresses the needs of urban youth, their families, and their community.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multiple strategies were used to engage community members in the development and implementation of the PARTNERS Program. These included focus groups, pilot testing the program in an after-school venue, and conducting organizational assessments of after-school sites as potential locations for the intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Community members and academic researchers successfully worked together in all stages of the project development. Community feedback helped the PARTNERS team redesign the proposed implementation and evaluation of the PARTNERS Program such that the revised study design allows for all sites to obtain the intervention over time and increases the possibility of building community capacity and sustainability of programs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite several challenges inherent to CBPR, the current study provides a number of lessons learned for the continued development of relationships and trust among researchers and community members, with particular attention to balancing the demand for systematic implementation of community-based interventions while being responsive to the immediate needs of the community.
authors: The Philadelphia Collaborative Violence Prevention Center, USA.
authors: Stephen S
authors: SS
authors: Leff
authors: Duane E
authors: DE
authors: Thomas
authors: Nicole A
authors: NA
authors: Vaughn
authors: Nicole A
authors: NA
authors: Thomas
authors: Julie Paquette
authors: JP
authors: MacEvoy
authors: Melanie A
authors: MA
authors: Freedman
authors: Saburah
authors: S
authors: Abdul-Kabir
authors: Joseph
authors: J
authors: Woodlock
authors: Terry
authors: T
authors: Guerra
authors: Ayana S
authors: AS
authors: Bradshaw
authors: Elizabeth M
authors: EM
authors: Woodburn
authors: Rachel K
authors: RK
authors: Myers
authors: Joel A
authors: JA
authors: Fein
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D019058:Community Networks / Q000458:organization & administration*; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D015143:Philadelphia; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods*; D014504:Urban Health; D014754:Violence / Q000517:prevention & control*