title: "Love Your Love Life": Disadvantaged African American Adolescents Cocreate Psychoeducational Romantic and Sexual Health Resources.
abstract: Sexually transmitted disease transmission, dating violence, trafficking, and unplanned pregnancy disproportionately afflict disadvantaged African American adolescents, and social services to effectively remedy this crisis need improvement. Moreover, disadvantaged African American adolescents have been significantly underrepresented in mental health, social services, and best practices research, so existing evidence-based practice models are insufficiently inclusive of these adolescents' perspectives. As a remedy, this study describes a formative evaluation of a youth-led, participatory action-based summer and after-school program, Love Your Love Life. Over eight successive semesters, 155 African American adolescents authored instructional materials including a guide to dating, a documentary, a workbook, a PowerPoint presentation, social media messages, and skits, and then led seminars for their peers. The highly engaged adolescents contributed valuable information about their strengths, challenges, and preferences, and suggested improvements to make sexual and romantic health curricula more relevant for their peers.
authors.affiliation: Hayley Stokar, PhD, is assistant professor, Purdue University Northwest, Westville, IN. Lauren Davis, MSW, and Bidisha Sinha, MPH, are doctoral students, School of Social Work, Loyola University of Chicago. Lauren LaMarca, MSW,MA, is a Peace Corps volunteer for youth and family community development, Dominican Republic. Alexander Harris, MSW, is treatment recreational coordinator, Larimer County Community Corrections, Fort Collins, CO. Kenyatti Hellum is a candidate for bachelor's degree, Western Illinois University, Macomb. Katherine Tyson McCrea, PhD, MDiv, LCSW, is professor, School of Social Work, Loyola University of Chicago, 820 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611.
authors.forename: Hayley
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Stokar
authors.affiliation: Hayley Stokar, PhD, is assistant professor, Purdue University Northwest, Westville, IN. Lauren Davis, MSW, and Bidisha Sinha, MPH, are doctoral students, School of Social Work, Loyola University of Chicago. Lauren LaMarca, MSW,MA, is a Peace Corps volunteer for youth and family community development, Dominican Republic. Alexander Harris, MSW, is treatment recreational coordinator, Larimer County Community Corrections, Fort Collins, CO. Kenyatti Hellum is a candidate for bachelor's degree, Western Illinois University, Macomb. Katherine Tyson McCrea, PhD, MDiv, LCSW, is professor, School of Social Work, Loyola University of Chicago, 820 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611.
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: Hayley Stokar, PhD, is assistant professor, Purdue University Northwest, Westville, IN. Lauren Davis, MSW, and Bidisha Sinha, MPH, are doctoral students, School of Social Work, Loyola University of Chicago. Lauren LaMarca, MSW,MA, is a Peace Corps volunteer for youth and family community development, Dominican Republic. Alexander Harris, MSW, is treatment recreational coordinator, Larimer County Community Corrections, Fort Collins, CO. Kenyatti Hellum is a candidate for bachelor's degree, Western Illinois University, Macomb. Katherine Tyson McCrea, PhD, MDiv, LCSW, is professor, School of Social Work, Loyola University of Chicago, 820 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611.
authors.forename: Bidisha
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sinha
authors.affiliation: Hayley Stokar, PhD, is assistant professor, Purdue University Northwest, Westville, IN. Lauren Davis, MSW, and Bidisha Sinha, MPH, are doctoral students, School of Social Work, Loyola University of Chicago. Lauren LaMarca, MSW,MA, is a Peace Corps volunteer for youth and family community development, Dominican Republic. Alexander Harris, MSW, is treatment recreational coordinator, Larimer County Community Corrections, Fort Collins, CO. Kenyatti Hellum is a candidate for bachelor's degree, Western Illinois University, Macomb. Katherine Tyson McCrea, PhD, MDiv, LCSW, is professor, School of Social Work, Loyola University of Chicago, 820 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611.
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: LaMarca
authors.affiliation: Hayley Stokar, PhD, is assistant professor, Purdue University Northwest, Westville, IN. Lauren Davis, MSW, and Bidisha Sinha, MPH, are doctoral students, School of Social Work, Loyola University of Chicago. Lauren LaMarca, MSW,MA, is a Peace Corps volunteer for youth and family community development, Dominican Republic. Alexander Harris, MSW, is treatment recreational coordinator, Larimer County Community Corrections, Fort Collins, CO. Kenyatti Hellum is a candidate for bachelor's degree, Western Illinois University, Macomb. Katherine Tyson McCrea, PhD, MDiv, LCSW, is professor, School of Social Work, Loyola University of Chicago, 820 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.affiliation: Hayley Stokar, PhD, is assistant professor, Purdue University Northwest, Westville, IN. Lauren Davis, MSW, and Bidisha Sinha, MPH, are doctoral students, School of Social Work, Loyola University of Chicago. Lauren LaMarca, MSW,MA, is a Peace Corps volunteer for youth and family community development, Dominican Republic. Alexander Harris, MSW, is treatment recreational coordinator, Larimer County Community Corrections, Fort Collins, CO. Kenyatti Hellum is a candidate for bachelor's degree, Western Illinois University, Macomb. Katherine Tyson McCrea, PhD, MDiv, LCSW, is professor, School of Social Work, Loyola University of Chicago, 820 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611.
authors.forename: Kenyatti
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hellum
authors.affiliation: Hayley Stokar, PhD, is assistant professor, Purdue University Northwest, Westville, IN. Lauren Davis, MSW, and Bidisha Sinha, MPH, are doctoral students, School of Social Work, Loyola University of Chicago. Lauren LaMarca, MSW,MA, is a Peace Corps volunteer for youth and family community development, Dominican Republic. Alexander Harris, MSW, is treatment recreational coordinator, Larimer County Community Corrections, Fort Collins, CO. Kenyatti Hellum is a candidate for bachelor's degree, Western Illinois University, Macomb. Katherine Tyson McCrea, PhD, MDiv, LCSW, is professor, School of Social Work, Loyola University of Chicago, 820 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611.
authors.forename: Katherine Tyson
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: McCrea
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D012736:Sex Education; D000074384:Sexual Health; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: African American adolescents; disadvantaged teenagers; group work; participatory action research; sex education