Using Research to Understand Youth in High-Risk Urban Communities

Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that nearly 1.5 million high school students a year are affected by dating violence and that youth who are physically hurt by a boyfriend/girlfriend are more likely to report binge drinking, suicide attempts, and other harmful behaviors. Dating violence may be more prevalent in economically and socially disadvantaged communities, especially in urban areas. Targeting youth with prevention messages before they start dating may avert teen dating violence and subsequent adult intimate partner violence; however, there is a dearth of materials available for youth in high-risk urban communities. This article reports on secondary analyses of market research databases and other sources, as well as on primary research (e.g., focus groups) conducted with youth in high-risk urban communities. This research is exploratory in nature and is limited by the fact that the qualitative findings cannot be generalized to the overall population of high-risk youth. While the focus groups included youth from various races/ethnicities and geographical areas, CDC is aware that the study samples were not representative of the entire parent population in the United States. This exploratory research was conducted to inform the development of a communication campaign designed to reach youth in high-risk urban communities. Key findings for high-risk youth are provided across a variety of constructs including demographics, media and technology usage and impact, daily life and time spent in relationships, peer relationships, and attitudes and approaches to relationships. Implications for reaching this audience are discussed. These include reaching youth in urban settings and using approaches that focus on their peers, the Internet, cell phones, television, and music venues. Communication approaches that utilize print media or organized sports and other youth-oriented clubs and groups as channels to reach high-risk youth may be less impactful.