This page describes the early and ongoing work done with the Safety 7 youth researchers to build a strong foundation for our project. We used activities and guided discussions to introduce members to the project, discuss roles, establish shared norms and expectations, and develop meaningful relationships with one another. Together, Child Trends, Sasha Bruce Youthwork, and the youth researchers developed a project based on mutual trust, respect, and communication.
Project introduction
In our very first meeting, we began by discussing the question, “why are we here?” to which we focused on the long-term negative implications of community violence on youth (e.g., lower academic achievement, more experiences of depression) and their communities (e.g., stigmatization among residents, less access to community supports, healthcare costs). Importantly, we made sure to acknowledge why the youth researchers were asked to join this research. Reasons included:
- Research is typically conducted by trained researchers on or for a group of people (e.g., communities experiencing violence).
- We believe research conducted with people (e.g., communities experiencing violence) better reflects and meets their needs.
- We are asking you to partner with us to conduct this research project.
By focusing on the values of their participation, we began to set the foundation for a power shift central in this youth participatory action research (YPAR) project. Once we presented this information, we made sure to introduce Child Trends and Sasha Bruce Youthwork as partner organizations, as well as clarify the roles for all members of the YPAR project. This transparency ensured youth researchers learned about all partners and fostered a sense of collective ownership.
In the next meeting, we dug deeper into the project logistics, specifically YPAR. We engaged in conversations and activities about YPAR, ensuring everyone understood the process. To make the process feel more approachable, we incorporated games:
- After a brief introductory video, we asked the youth researchers to step forward or back if they believed a series of scenarios was describing a YPAR project.
- After another video focusing on the steps of a YPAR process, ranging from identifying the issues to action planning, we played a matching game in which youth researchers were randomly given a card with words or phrases describing a YPAR step and had to match their card with the related YPAR process step.
Engaging in fun activities encouraged youth researchers to ask questions and supported their understanding of the process as well as its value.
Finally, given the focus of this project on community violence, we took time at the beginning of the project to discuss mental health. The discussion focused on the following:
- Understanding the effects of community violence
- Understanding trauma and triggers
- Developing coping skills and techniques
- Creating a self-wellness plan
There were several activities throughout the mental health discussion inviting everyone to practice different coping techniques. Framing this discussion in the introduction was important to ensure well-being was prioritized throughout the project.
Example facilitation guides, activities, and other resources
- Launching Our Work as a Team Facilitator Guide – This facilitation guide focuses on establishing the project, the partners and their roles, and the structure of the group. It includes the Coat of Arms Activity.
- Understanding Youth Participatory Action Research Facilitator Guide – This facilitation guide supports youth researchers as they learn about YPAR. It includes the Human Bingo Activity and the YPAR Process Activity.
- Managing Self and Trauma Presentation - This presentation explains the impacts of community violence and trauma to support the development of coping skills and techniques.
Group norms and expectations
It was vital to develop group norms and expectations in the first meeting. Through facilitated discussion, everyone reflected on successful collaborations they have been part of before. We talked about transparent communication, commitment, and positivity. As we engaged in this conversation, we collectively worked to a final list of group norms and expectations including being open minded, respectful, present, and engaged. We called on these norms and expectations whenever needed by a team member. Through establishing and maintaining our group norms and expectations, we were able to work through heavy topics and research challenges, all while staying committed to each other and our collective work.
Team-building exercises
To build trust throughout the project, we began each research group meeting with interactive team-building exercises. Designed to be engaging, the activities encouraged a sense of community and invited meaningful participation from the very beginning of each meeting. The activities varied from meeting to meeting, particularly from the start of the project, which focused on getting to know each other, to the end of the project, which focused more on reflection. Our activities included:
- Icebreaker-type activities to build initial rapport.
- Connection activities to deepen trust, invite reflection, and help everyone connect to each other and the work.
- Content engagement activities to help integrate research learning and reinforce core concepts in a fun, active way.
- Collaborative visioning activities to codevelop certain project values, intentions, and outcomes.
We share detailed instructions for team-building activities at the start of every facilitation guide.
The Safety 7 includes seven youth researchers (Zionnah Garnett, Elijah Jones, London Mclean, Jermese Perkins, Ife Tobechi, Ike Tobechi, and Meagan Tutt) who make all key research decisions in partnership with staff from Child Trends and Sasha Bruce Youthwork. The Safety 7 is supported by Quiana Lewis Wallace and Deja Logan from Child Trends, Courtney Gibbs, and Bianca Faccio from Sasha Bruce Youthwork. Principal investigators for the study are Samantha Holquist and Quiana Lewis Wallace (Child Trends) with support from Kelly Murphy. Jennifer Widstrand (Child Trends) served as the Project Director. Additional contributions came from Ja’Chelle Ball, Kenya Downing, Jessica Conway, Olivia Reyes, and Alyssa Scott (Child Trends), and Deborah Shore, Donnell Potts, Ivana Gutierrez, and Jane McGhee (Sasha Bruce Youthwork).
If you have questions about the Centering Youth Experiences to Address Community Violence project, please contact Principal Investigator Quiana Lewis Wallace at qlewiswallace@childtrends.org.
This project was supported by Award No. 15PNIJ-22-GG-01420-RESS, awarded by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Justice.