226782 Utilizing participatory action research findings to develop community-based sexual violence primary prevention programs

Monday, November 8, 2010

Laura Fidler, MPH , New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault, New York, NY
Meghan O'Connor, MPH, LMSW , New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault, New York, NY
Background. Project Envision, initiated by the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault (the Alliance), is a sexual violence primary prevention demonstration project underway in three communities in New York City: the South Bronx, the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and Williamsburg, Brooklyn. In 2009, community researchers used participatory action research (PAR) to explore the social norms that promote and permit sexual violence. Methods. Continuing the participatory process, the coalitions then shared the findings with their communities and gathered feedback from residents, politicians and other key stakeholders on how best to incorporate the research into prevention programming. The Alliance provided skill-building workshops to build the capacity of the coalitions to develop prevention programs that reflect the community needs expressed in the research. Results. The coalitions developed prevention programs that build on existing community strengths and that strive to measure changes at multiple levels along the Spectrum of Prevention. Additionally, the participatory research and program planning processes served as important community mobilizing tools, encouraging community input and promoting community investment in primary prevention.

Learning Areas:
Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Program planning

Learning Objectives:
1) To describe lessons learned from implementing a participatory, community-based needs assessment. 2) To describe the role of participatory research in sexual violence prevention program planning. 3) To identify ways in which participatory research can serve as a community-mobilizing tool. 4) To explain how a community mobilization framework can contribute to the primary prevention of sexual violence.

Keywords: Primary Prevention, Community Capacity

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I oversee Project Envision, the primary prevention project described in this presentation, and have been an active participant in the community needs assessment and program planning process.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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