Background

In Langley Park, Maryland, and in other similar communities around the country, violence among Latino youth has substantially increased over the past decade. Langley Park is impacted by social and demographic factors, including a lack of resources and the influx of refugees and immigrants from Central America. Community organizations based in the area have discussed that the characteristics of Langley Park that contribute to youth violence include: a pattern of sequential family immigration that has consequences for family cohesion and contributes to a reliance on peer socialization; a lack of language and culturally appropriate services for immigrant youth who face barriers to successful school performance; low awareness and perception of community support; the presence of at least three major Latino gangs, one of which has roots from El Salvador; and the integration of violence into prevalent youth norms related to status and reputation.

The Proposed Intervention and Research

During this four-year program funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), The George Washington University (GWU) Department of Prevention and Community Health, together with two key community partners – the Latino Federation of Greater Washington and the Latin American Youth Center (LAYC), will implement an intervention called SAFER Latinos (Seguridad, Apoyo, Familia, Educación, y Recursos). This is a primary prevention program that seeks to address the kinds of community factors mentioned above through several components:

- Social Promoters who will be available to work with families to improve family communication, family school interaction, and referrals to services;

- Peer Advocates who will conduct outreach and advocacy to Latino youth in middle and high school, and refer them to services;

- a drop-in center located near the community, with academic support, recreation and other youth services; and

- ongoing community events and public information which will include prevention messages and events that aim to increase community contact with support services.

Because this is both an intervention and research, a community survey and focus groups will be conducted before the intervention rollout in December of 2006, and once a year after that (for four years), as well as collecting data on violence from the County and from schools. The survey will be done both door-to-door and in the community, beginning in September, 2006. The research will try to determine if the intervention has made any change in the community factors related to youth violence.

In order to improve the chances for success, collaboration with the community is very important – the project’s goal is to work closely with community groups and individuals to maximize participation in the intervention.