Summer 1996 Newsletter

Contents

• YRP Funding
• Youth Relationships Manual
• Group Updates
• Research Updates
• Social Action
• YRP Training Seminars

YRP receives funding renewal from Health Canada

The Youth Relationships Project has recently received notice of funding approval and renewal from the National Health Research and Development Program (NHRDP) of Health Canada. Funding in the amount of $560, 480. for a four year period has been awarded. Dr. David Wolfe of the University of Western Ontario and Dr. Christine Wekerle of York University are the Principal Investigators for this research grant.

The study " Promoting Healthy, Non-violent Relationships Among At-Risk Youth" targets the prevention of violence against women, focusing on adolescents with a history of family disruption and violence who are at greatest risk of becoming either a victim or a perpetrator of violence toward others.

An 18 week prevention program, designed by the members of the Youth Relationships Project is the focus of the research. The prevention program is offered to adolescents 14-16 years of age in small co-ed groups. The program addresses the emotional, behavioural and cognitive factors that strengthen positive interactions with dating partners and reduce the probability of power-assertive and violent behaviour.

Funding received from NHRDP will support a longitudinal evaluation of the program. Youths participating in the research program will be followed for a period of two years. During this time we will be monitoring their dating experiences, relationships, kinds of conflict they are experiencing and how they are dealing with conflict. As well, when possible, we will be gathering information from the dating partners of the subjects regarding their dating relationships. Video interactions of the couples trying to solve issues of conflict within their relationship will also be obtained.

Recently a number of Children's Aid Society (CAS) agencies and communities have participated in the program: London/Middlesex, St. Thomas, Oxford County, Huron County, Perth County, and Metropolitan Toronto. As well there has been support for the program through the City of London Board of Education and Middlesex County Board of Education. All of these agencies have either provided referrals of youths to the program, facilitators to lead the program, or space in which the program could be held. We look forward to continuing and developing further working relationships with these agencies and others.

Youth Relationships Manual published

In the Spring of 1995, a workshop was held with members of the YRP, as well as people who had facilitated the group program to review the manual and recommend changes. Many helpful recommendations came out of this workshop including suggestions for organizational change, changes and clarification to exercise instructions. Many thanks to all those who attended the workshop and provided helpful suggestions.

These suggestions and recommendations assisted the YRP team in revising the original manual which was then submitted to Sage Publications. In March of 1996 the manual was published and is now available from Sage ($29.95 US).

Alternatives to Violence

Alternatives to Violence provides a strong empirical and theoretical rationale for efforts designed to promote healthy relationships among youth such as the one described in the Youth Relationships Manual. This book explores how healthy relationships can be formed in a manner that reduces the overall risk to women of being abused or mistreated by their partners, as well as the risk to men of becoming abusive.

Alternatives to Violence will be available from Sage Publications in Fall 1996.

To order your copy of the Youth Relationships Manual or Alternatives to Violence email Sage Publications  mailto:order@sagepub.com 

Group Updates

In the past year we have had four group programs run in area communities: London (2), Stratford, and Toronto.

London Group 1995

A group of nine teenagers met on a weekly basis at the London Children's Aid Society facilitated by John Mediema, formerly a counsellor for Changing Ways (London) Inc. and Nicole Neathway, an employee of London Life in the Fall of 1995.

London Group 1996

Eight teenagers met on a weekly basis at New St. James Presbyterian Church in London facilitated by Katreena Scott, a PhD student at the University of Western Ontario and David Meichenbaum, a Psychology student at the University of Western Ontario.

Stratford 1996

A group of eight youths got together on a weekly basis at the Perth County Children's Aid Society in Stratford facilitated by Tom Komoroni and Kelly Schweitzer, both social workers for the Perth County CAS.

Metro Toronto 1996

A group has recently completed its program in the Toronto area facilitated by Jane Rees, a social worker at Metro Toronto CAS, Mike Nelson of the Pape Adolescent Resource Centre, and Tammi Mark, a psychology student at York University. These youths have developed a poster which promotes and describes the Youth Relationships Group Program.

Thank you

We are grateful to all those who participated in the group programs this year including teens and facilitators

Special thanks go to all the social workers at the CAS agencies for taking time to go through their case files to refer youths to the research project.

We were fortunate to have two students from the University of Western Ontario, Department of Psychology, Research Apprenticeship Training Program assist us this year. Anne-Marie Gallo and Jen Taylor assisted with data collection and coding of audiotapes of the group sessions for treatment fidelity.

We would also like to extend our appreciation to the agencies and organizations who have allowed us to use their space and facilities to conduct the group programs and research including:

• London/Middlesex Children's Aid Society
• Sexual Assault Centre London
• New St. James Presbyterian Church, London
• Perth County Children's Aid Society
• Metropolitan Toronto Children's Aid Society
• St. Thomas Family and Children Services
• Oxford County Children's Aid Society
• Huron County Children's Aid Society
• Pape Adolescent Resource Centre, Toronto
• Changing Ways (London) Inc.
• London Life

Research Update

Clarke Road Secondary School study

In December 1996 we had the opportunity to work with John Thorpe, Principal, and the students of Clarke Road Secondary School in London.

We were looking for an opportunity to do some testing of newly developed measures and to evaluate our research model. For this purpose we required approximately 600 students from grades 9-11 to participate in the study. Mr. Thorpe was very accommodating and assisted us in completing this study with students from his high school.

We assumed that it was possible to predict violent behaviour based on the constructs of:

• Family Background
• Psychological Well-being
• Social Competence.

Analysis of the data collected from this study revealed that these constructs are indeed strongly related. Students who reported more frequent and severe levels of child abuse, neglect, domestic violence and parental alcohol abuse (Family Background factors) were more likely to report higher levels of current emotional and psychological distress. These same students were also more likely to report less positive peer relations and associations, lower levels of their self-perception of their social competence, and more tolerant and accepting attitudes of controlling and violent behaviour of men toward women (Social Competence factors). All of these constructs were strongly related to students' own use of violence in relationships. Students were more likely to be abusive in the context of a dating relationship if they had experienced violence when growing up, if they were currently experiencing psychological turmoil, or if they reported negative peer relationships, lower levels of social competence and tolerance of violence towards women.

We will be returning to Clarke Road Secondary School in Fall 1996 to repeat these questionnaires with the students to evaluate how and if their attitudes, beliefs and ways they behave in relationships has changed over time. As well we look forward to running a YRP prevention program with youths in their school.

YRP study

To date, approximately 100 adolescents have participated in the YRP program as group participants or control subjects. Group participants are those who participate in the 18 week prevention program, control subjects are youths who have agreed to fill out questionnaires and maintain contact with the project for a period of 2 years, without participating in the prevention program.

Approximately 60% of the youths have come from urban areas, and 40 % have come from rural areas. Referrals have come primarily from Children's Aid Society agencies (70%) with the remainder being referred by high schools. These youths have witnessed or experienced family violence in their childhood. Many of the teens are currently living in group homes, foster homes or on their own.

Generally, the teens have been quite willing to participate in the research project when approached by social workers, and research staff. Their participation is absolutely necessary and very valuable. We are very pleased that the youths are willing to give so much of their time and experience to us in collecting data for our research.

Follow-up

Once the youths have completed the 18 week prevention program, members of the YRP staff maintain contact with the youth for a period of 2 years. Youths will be contacted every 2 months for a brief telephone interview, and for a personal interview once every 6 months. When possible, dating partners of the youths are also asked to participate in the study. We have been very fortunate to have a very low drop out rate. Youths have been willing to continue with the research and have been very helpful by maintaining contact with the Field Researchers.

Future Directions

We are continually looking for more communities to become involved in the Youth Relationships Program. The prevention program is very community oriented, providing youths with an opportunity to learn about social agencies in their community. They learn which agencies can provide assistance for specific problems, and they get an opportunity to tour these agencies. Later in the program the teens plan a social action event which can be a fundraising activity for a community agency or an education awareness event.

If your social agency, school or organisation is interested in learning more about the Youth Relationships Project or in offering the program in your community, please contact:

YRP Social action

A YRP group from Stratford CAS wrote a letter to the editor of the Stratford newspaper, which they have graciously allowed us to print here:

Dear Editor:

We are from the Youth Relationships Group. We are writing this letter to inform people what we have learned over the past 18 weeks. Our group has taught us about violence in relationships with our friends and family, love squalls and enemies. It has taught us the right way to treat people and to reach out for help when we need it. We have also learned about the many resources we can turn to when we are in trouble. We learned that we all have a choice when it comes to situations and that many people stereotype people for what sex they are. We also learned that people think that if you are a certain sex that you act a certain way. During the time that we have been in the group we have been informed on different topics, watching videos, having information sheets, role playing, making posters, scenarios and many more things. We feel that we have learned a lot, considering that some people did not know things in some areas when we began. We would like to thank the University of Western Ontario for making this possible and also to the Children's Aid Society for assisting in the group.

Sincerely,
Youth in Control

London 1996 group

The London 1996 group held a car wash at the Petro Canada station on Oxford St. at Adelaide St. in London, Ontario to raise money for the Sexual Assault Centre of London.

The money raised was presented to Feri Esfandiari of the Sexual Assault Centre. This money will be used to purchase books for the resource room of the Sexual Assault Centre.

The Youth Relationships Project team is very pleased and proud of the youths who have dedicated themselves to these efforts.

YRP Program Training Seminars

Training seminars for people interested in facilitating the YRP program will be held in September 1996 and June 1997. Because space is limited to 20 persons, priority will be given to facilitators who are participating in the research project. People interested in attending the training seminar (but not participating in the research program) are encouraged to contact the YRP office to inquire about space availability and cost of the seminar. Additional training seminars for groups of 10-20 persons can be arranged when required. Seminars are conducted over 2 days. Please contact the YRP office for further details.

The training seminar is a very practical and interactive workshop, designed to educate, challenge and stimulate participants to explore new ways of thinking. Topics covered during the seminar mirror the manual outline: we explore the roots of violence in our society, the choices we make when faced with conflict, the contexts of relationship violence, and personal and social options we have available in order to help break a cycle of violence. For the most part, we avoid a lecture format and make extensive use of exercises and small group discussions.

At the end of the training seminars, participants should have a good understanding of the philosophy underlying the Youth Relationships Project, a solid knowledge base from which to make use of the manual in order to run a youth group, and a good understanding of what we see as one of the most exciting, realistic and positive ways of responding to youth at risk for unhealthy and violent relationships.