We employed principles from a nationally recognized prevention model on family support to investigate whether connecting vulnerable children to community-based programs and services through a statewide intervention system, the "Help Me Grow" program, strengthens parents' perceptions of protective factors. We used a parent survey modeled…

Within the realm of obesity prevention research, there have been many promising interventions to improve physical activity and nutrition among diverse target populations. However, very little information is known about the dissemination and replication of these interventions. In 2007 and 2008 as part of a larger obesity prevention initiative,…

Objective: This study assessed the effectiveness of mutual aid groups for high school students. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was applied to 242 adolescents, where every other adolescent was assigned to the intervention or the control condition. The study evaluated the influence of implementing mutual aid groups in decreasing perceived risk…

Demands on community-based prevention programs for performance accountability and positive outcomes are ever increasing in the face of constrained resources. Relatively little is known about how technical assistance (TA) should be structured to benefit community-based organizations and to lead to better outcomes. In this study, data from multiple…

Translational research (Pentz, Jasuja, Rohrbach, Sussman, & Bardo, 2006; Woolf, 2008) is concerned with moving advances in prevention science into everyday practice in communities, yet there are few models for ensuring this transfer of knowledge. Communities That Care (CTC) provides a planned, structured, and data-driven system that trains…

Out-of-school time programs provide intervention and prevention services to young people who are deemed "at-risk" with the goal of improving their social, emotional, and academic development. However, research indicates that children and youth who are most "at-risk" are less likely to participate in out-of-school time programs, and do so less…

Community coalitions (CCs) have labored with some difficulty to demonstrate empirical evidence of effectiveness in preventing a wide range of adolescent problem behaviors. Training and technical assistance (TA) have been identified as important elements in promoting improved functioning of CCs. A reliable, valid, and inexpensive method to assess…

The article describes the potential impact of a prevention model on reducing unintentional childhood injuries. Following a review of major childhood injuries and related risk factors, the model, which borrows from prevention, behavioral, and community psychology frameworks, is elucidated. An example using fire emergency skills is offered.…

Describes a regional substance abuse prevention coalition in Southeast Alaska that has thoroughly integrated a youth/adult partnership model. The principles and key components of the partnership model are described, followed by an overview of how this model has been incorporated at the community level, and some of the lessons learned. (Contains 41…

This article describes the child protection team model emerging in rural Newfoundland and Labrador (Canada). Child protection teams encourage a community-based response to child abuse involving first, a community-wide focus on prevention through public education and awareness, advocacy, and professional development, and second, case conferences by…

Prevention science is moving from a narrow emphasis on cataloging success to a broader research agenda that takes aim at the difficult gap between research-based efficacy and community-based effectiveness. This article analyzes the preceding articles in this volume which demonstrate "lessons learned" from youth violence prevention programs that…

Focuses on efforts in Connecticut to combat teenage pregnancy. Describes a model program that emphasizes a collaborative venture between a state-funded community-based pregnancy prevention program and a regional vocational-technical high school located in a rural setting. Describes Northeast Connecticut Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program and the…

Both the organizational studies literature and the community psychology literature discuss the importance of readiness when implementing change. Although each area emphasizes different characteristics, several common themes are present within the literature. The current study integrates and applies organizational and community psychology…

The paper presents a community model for reducing the risk of coronary heart disease in children and youth. The model addresses the individual, the family, social groups, and the larger social and physical environments. Exemplary programs are described and recommendations are made for additional research and program development. (Author/DB)

This bulletin is intended to inform juvenile justice practitioners and other youth service providers about the work of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) in developing and demonstrating a Community Assessment Center (CAC) model, and to increase awareness about some of the challenges associated with its…