Valuing Youth Voices: Digital Animation as a Novel Translation of Violence Prevention Research Findings to Effectively Communicate with Youth Audiences

The increasing prevalence of youth violence in Philadelphia is alarming. Using a Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) approach, the CDC-funded Philadelphia Collaborative Violence Prevention Center (PCVPC) conducts research in three neighborhoods where the average annual youth homicide rate is 37/100,000 - 5 times the national annual rate. PCVPC's Research Core in collaboration with its Communication and Dissemination Core translated research findings from a qualitative study conducted with local youth to develop vignettes that displayed evidence-based intervention tips to reduce youth violence. Two focus groups were conducted with Philadelphia youth (ages 10-13 and 14-16) to identify current youth trends in accessing information, uses of technology, and preferences for dissemination platforms. Participants overwhelmingly preferred digital animation that would mirror the realities of the interactions and environments of their neighborhoods. With feedback from the Center's community advisory board, researchers worked with youth (ages 10-17) in focus groups, developing novel animated characters, scripting dialogue, and providing voice talent for the characters. Ultimately, by using the CBPR principles of facilitating partnerships in all phases of the research while balancing research and action, we created a social marketing campaign to include mass transit advertising and social networking that utilizes the two main youth developed characters to brand and market the Center. This presentation will highlight the importance of valuing youth voice in research particularly as it relates to using CBPR principles in youth violence prevention efforts.