Violence Prevention and Young Adolescents' Participation in Community Youth Service

Abstract:
This study examined whether participation in a school sponsored community youth service program reduces self-reported violent behaviors among young urban adolescents. A total of 972 seventh and eighth grade students at two large, urban, public middle schools were surveyed at baseline and 6-month follow-up. One school was assigned interventions and the other served as a control. All students at the intervention school received the classroom curriculum that included a 10-lesson unit focusing on violence prevention. In addition, approximately half the students were randomly assigned by classroom to participate in the youth service program. Results comparing students in the curriculum only and curriculum plus service interventions to the control group show that eighth grade students in the curriculum plus service program reported significantly less violence at follow-up than students in the control school. This study suggest that school programs which couple community service with classroom health instruction can have a measurable impact on violent behaviors of a population of young adolescents.

Author(s): L. O'Donnell, A. Stueve, A. San Doval, R. Duran, R. Atnafou, D. Haber, N. Johnson, H. Murray, U. Grant, G. Juhn, J. Tang, J. Bass, P. Piessens

Publication: Journal of Adolescent Health Vol. 24: pp 28-37


Date Published: 1/1/1999

Pages: 10

Location Code: 8376