Risky behaviors and characteristics of American Indian adolescent girls: Outcomes of an HIV prevention initiative

BeLieving In Native Girls (BLING) is an HIV and gang prevention intervention at Riverside Indian School for Native American adolescent girls. The residential school is one of four remaining "off-reservation boarding schools" under the direct jurisdiction of the Bureau of Education. The student population is comprised of reservation and non-reservation American Indian students who are members of any federally recognized tribe. BLING is in its fourth year of program activity and is one of ten sites nationally who are part of a cross-site evaluation, funded through the Office on Women's Health. In Year 2, 116 participants between the ages of 13 and 20 completed a comprehensive baseline survey to identify risk and protective factors to determine the effectiveness of the program. A matched 9-month follow-up included 50 of the original participants. This research reports on the initial findings of the cross-site study, and outcomes at 9-months and one-year post intervention. Topic areas include demographics and general characteristics; academic engagement; home neighborhood characteristics and safety; experience and perceptions about gang involvement; problem solving; measures of self-esteem; measures of depression; bullying, sexual experiences and risk taking behaviors; HIV knowledge; history and experience with substance abuse; and history and experience with dating violence.