Youth-led prevention

Many primary prevention programs target youth as the intended audience.  But do those programs identify youth only as the audience, or do they find ways to support youth as the agents of change in their communities?

The newest issue of Partners in Social Change, a publication from the Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, highlights youth led efforts including Youth 360 from the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center and STAND & SERVE from Phoenix’s Peer Solutions. (PreventConnect will soon have an interview with Alex Leslie speaking about Youth 360 and check out this interview of Jennifer Rauhouse and Elizabeth Gonzales from STAND & SERVE.)

In Kat Monusky’s opening article, she states

While programs may go by many names (“youth led,” “youth driven,” “peer leadership,” “by and for youth,” etc.), the concepts are the same: creating opportunities for youth to be meaningfully involved and take ownership of prevention in their communities.

How does your prevention program promote youth leaders?

Click here for a link to this publication.