Abstract

This study assesses youth community risk and protective factors, five years after a Youth and Family Master Plan, using an integrated conceptual framework which combines community organizing theory and the risk and protective factors (RPF) approach. Results show overall improvements in RPF. Findings reveal positive trends in prosocial involvement through participation in clubs, organizations, activities, community service, and attendance at church or synagogues; reduced community disorganization, such as decreased unsafe feelings in the neighborhood and social disorganization; and lower community transitions and mobility through changes in homes and schools. There were negative trends in the physical environment such as disrepair, permissive substance use, and lower neighborhood attachment, which is the desire to leave the neighborhood. The findings show a convergence of patterns across all methods of analysis for each measure of community youth risk and protective factors, suggesting reliability and a likelihood that the interventions contributed to observed variations between baseline and follow-up. The data patterns in this study align with the assumptions and explanations offered in the two models that make up the integrated conceptual framework. The persistence of some risk factors after five years calls for transformative and sustained social and economic investments in the Pomona community. The patterns also suggest the need to reconsider community organizing models – specifically, the need to go beyond locality development and social planning models and toward social action approaches. This will address complex causes of risk factors, consistent with transformative collective impact initiatives and democracy-driven governance, which grows from the bottom up. A beginning point would be to build on the increased prosocial involvement among youths in Pomona by reconfiguring the Pomona Youth and Family Master Plan (PYFMP) with greater youth and ordinary community members involvement and leadership.

摘要

本研究在青年和家庭总体规划五年后，使用综合概念框架评估青年社区风险和保护因素，该框架结合了社区组织理论和风险和保护因素（RPF）方法。结果显示 RPF 总体有所改善。调查结果显示，通过参加俱乐部、组织、活动、社区服务以及参加教堂或犹太教堂，亲社会参与的积极趋势；减少社区混乱，例如减少邻里的不安全感和社会混乱；通过改变家庭和学校来降低社区转变和流动性。物理环境存在负面趋势，例如年久失修、滥用药物以及邻里依恋感降低（即想要离开邻里）。研究结果显示，针对社区青少年风险和保护因素的每项衡量标准，所有分析方法的模式都有趋同性，这表明干预措施的可靠性以及干预措施导致观察到的基线和随访之间存在差异的可能性。本研究中的数据模式与构成综合概念框架的两个模型中提供的假设和解释一致。五年后一些风险因素的持续存在要求对波莫纳社区进行变革性的、持续的社会和经济投资。这些模式还表明需要重新考虑社区组织模式——具体来说，需要超越地方发展和社会规划模式，转向社会行动方法。这将解决风险因素的复杂原因，与自下而上的变革性集体影响举措和民主驱动的治理相一致。一个起点是通过重新配置波莫纳青年和家庭总体规划（PYFMP），让更多的青年和普通社区成员参与和领导，以增加波莫纳青年的亲社会参与为基础。