Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #106915

Stella Gran-O'Donnell, MSW, MPH¹, Ellen Bhang, MSW², Junko Yamazaki, MSW³, Souchinda Viradet-Khampradith, MSW³, and Evelyna Acedilla³. (1) Epidemiology, Planning and Evaluation Unit, Public Health - Seattle & King County, 999 Third Avenue, Suite 1200, Seattle, WA 98104, (206) 296-0241, stella.gran-o'donnell@metrokc.gov, (2) Children, Youth & Family Program, Asian Counseling & Referral Services, 720 - 8th Avenue So, Suite 200, Seattle, WA 98104, (3) Children, Youth & Family, Asian Counseling & Referral Service, 720 - 8th Avenue So, Suite 200, Seattle, WA 98104

Estimates reveal one in three young women have or will be involved in an abusive relationship. This public health problem plagues society with soaring costs plus leaves long-term emotional scars tormenting young women. Furthermore, physical aggression in dating relationships varies among minorities, with Blacks and Hispanics reporting higher rates compared to Caucasians. But little is known about affects among Asians/Pacific Islanders (API) youth. For immigrants, cultural factors, stigma, and shame compound the magnitude of the problem. In 2003, the Eastside API Young Women's Project evolved to reduce and prevent teen dating violence. Focus groups were part of a community assessment designed to identify gaps in services for APIs. These and other community forums involved over 100 key stakeholders including youth, parents, providers, school officials, representatives from faith-based organizations, business, and other sectors. Integration of findings, along with the lead agency's experiences, and best practice models for dating violence prevention resulted in the design of a youth leadership program aimed at raising community awareness, providing education, and advocacy for healthy relationships. The collaborative process also resulted in developing a comprehensive, twenty six week dating violence prevention curriculum incorporating positive cultural, ethnic identity, addressing risks including depression and suicide, highlighting media messages, and identifying characteristics of healthy relationships. Another program feature is a school-based support group for API young women. Curriculum implementations, ongoing assessment of community stakeholder activities, their commitment to violence prevention and sustainability of program efforts, are planned. Lessons learned from program planning, design, and evaluation will be shared.

Learning Objectives:

2. Describe required steps to engage and mobilize a diverse group of community stakeholders, to help build community capacity for, and to actively advocate for the prevention/reduction of community violence.
4. Identify how to incorporate and utilize community assessment findings and evidence-based, best practice models in designing and developing violence prevention programs, evaluating, and disseminating information for community and political advocacy.
6. Describe the significance of and criteria needed to tailor program planning, design and development of curriculum, and evaluation to meet the cultural and linguistic needs of API young women and other immigrant communities and how to engage participants in advocacy activities related to community violence prevention.

Keywords: Advocacy, Community Participation

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.