SHIFTING THE FOCUS: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO ADVANCING VIOLENCE PREVENTION

Advancing a Strengths-Based Approach:
Enhancing Protective Factors in Communities, Schools, Families & Individuals

Youth agenda development is in, at least at the state level. There are a growing number of states that are looking for better ways to take stock of their investments in youth, and define and track desired outcomes, coordinate services, strengthen infrastructure and/or assess policies. Sometimes these efforts have a specific focus (e.g. after school programming prevention). Increasing, however, is the desire to get beyond a single topic and create a frame to guide state and local efforts to help young people prevent problems and become productive.

Reducing Risk or Building Strengths? It's Both!

Efforts to ensure safe, healthy, sustainable communities must go beyond addressing risk factors. It is also critical to build the factors that help communities and individuals thrive when faced with the negative impact of risk factors. This requires an approach that acknowledges assets and focuses on further strengthening them in addition to reducing risk factors.

Many studies that document a relationship between risk exposure and problem behaviors have found evidence of protective factors that decrease the likelihood of these behaviors among those at risk.^{1, 2} One study shows the effects of protective factors increase as levels of risk increase; in effect, protective factors moderated the negative effects of exposure to risk.³ This study also found that only focusing on strengthening assets or protective factors without attending to risk exposure is an incomplete strategy for reducing the prevalence of problem behavior. Attention needs to be spent on both. The researchers call for prevention programs and activities that seek to prevent multiple problem behaviors by reducing shared risk factors and increasing shared protective factors for these problems.

Given a preponderance of attention to the elimination of risk factors, this document serves as an introduction and guide to strengths-based approaches in violence prevention efforts.

What is a Strengths-Based Approach?

In a strengths-based approach, individuals, families, schools and communities are engaged in purposeful strategies, activities, and relationships to foster resiliency and building of strengths. This approach depends on a variety of community partners and can be advanced at the program, policy and funding levels through the efforts and support of State government. It is often described using different terminology, including: The family strengths perspective, youth development, asset building, community development, resiliency, and protective factors. Several of these terms are often used interchangeably. (See glossary for definitions of terms.)

Advancing Strengths

Protective buffers make a more profound impact on the life course of individuals who grow up and overcome adversity than do specific risk factors.
Dr. Emmy Werner

Studies show what is intuitively clear: Protective, or resiliency, factors can counteract the negative impact of risk factors.^{4, 5} Researchers have noted that many children grow up to become healthy, caring adults despite poverty, inadequate parenting, parental alcohol or drug abuse, racism, and discrimination. Clearly risk factors alone are not the sole predictors of individual health, safety, and well being.

All children have the capacity to develop in a healthy and positive manner. Building existing strengths in young children has been shown to significantly improve academic, emotional, social, and cognitive outcomes, and reduce violence later in life.^{6, 7} In order to ensure healthy child development, it is therefore essential that we build assets as well as reduce risks.

Further, communities and schools have an enormous capacity to contribute to the resolution of the health and social issues that affect them. Effective strengths-based models reflect the needs, strengths, and character of a community, with individual members playing a role in developing concrete activities tailored to specific needs. By implementing strengths-based approaches, groups can address several issues simultaneously. As protective factors are better identified and more emphasis is put on strengthening them, multiple positive outcomes can occur. For example, high social capital has been shown to significantly promote physical and mental health, while corresponding with lower incidences of homicide, suicide, and alcohol and drug abuse.⁸

Examples of other community resiliency factors include: Leadership, financial capital and community investment, education and human capital, facility capital, community stability, opportunities for participation and civic engagement, access to reliable and relevant information, systems that support physical, mental, cognitive and spiritual health, and effective linkages between systems and people.

A Strengths-Based Approach in Action

Strengths-based approaches can be implemented at individual, family, and school/community levels. Here are some examples:

Early Childhood: Children's only job in their first years of life is to grow and develop. Because of the important developmental period for young children, it is not enough to just remove the risk factors that may surround a young child and his/her family. Rather, it is necessary that young children have positive experiences such as nurturing, a stimulating environment, opportunities for play, and the chance to form relationships. These experiences embody a strengths-based approach in many ways. Experiences during the early years shape brain structure (by determining which connections get strengthened or ignored) and contribute to determining the functional capacity of the brain. As such, young children need to be engaged and stimulated- by physically having safe spaces to explore emotionally and cognitively (exposure to a variety of activities such as music, arts, sports, puzzles, etc. that engage different parts of the brain).

Youth Development: Youth Development is an approach that helps youth become socially, morally, emotionally, physically, and cognitively competent. Youth development strategies build internal and external assets in youth, helping them to develop resilience and strengths that are necessary to prevent serious problems such as teen pregnancy, violence, and dropping out of school. When youth receive the support and opportunities for growth in a caring environment, they show significant improvements in academic achievement and school success. The three influences mostly closely associated with eliciting positive youth outcomes are:

• Caring Adult Relationships. Youth cite a strong relationship with a caring adult, such as a parent, grandparent, aunt/uncle, or teacher, as a major factor in their ongoing development.
• High Expectations. Youth also cite consistently high expectations for achievement from adults in their life as a major factor for positive development.
• Meaningful Participation. Also known as "Voice and Choice." Youth need to be able to provide meaningful input into work that they do and have this input valued and acted upon.

Family Strengths Perspective: A family strengths perspective focuses on what is working in families and helps to further develop capabilities and resources. Instead of asking, "What problems do families have?" the emphasis is on "What strengths do these families have that allow them to remain resilient despite the challenges they face?" If energy is spent to identify and build on these capabilities, families are likely to develop increased competency and independence in dealing with future challenges.

School & Community Asset Development: There are many ways that educators and community members can work together to foster resiliency in schools and communities. These activities include: Community or service learning, apprenticeships, peer support programs, intergenerational mentoring, restorative interventions, recreation/outdoor experiences, and arts and other creative activities. Many of these approaches work in conjunction with each other. For example, community/service learning provides opportunities for high expectations, caring relationships, and opportunities for input and participation, while also creating opportunities for job training, increasing connections among community members, as well as the possibility to create gardens/parks/recreational facilities.

Advancing a Strengths-Based Approach in State Government

As one of its Common Prevention Principles, Shifting the Focus is committed to advancing a strengths-based approach. Key elements of a State government approach include: policy, data indicators, government practices, and training. The following activities within each element were generated by Shifting the Focus members.

Policy:

• Build political support for strengths-based approach within local communities and among State policy-makers

Data/Indicators:

• Continue inclusion of resiliency measures in California Student Survey
• Ensure that indicators reflect strengths and positive outcomes

Governmental Practices:

• Conduct a strengths-based needs assessment for each Shifting department
• Incorporate a strengths-based approach into RFPs
• Work toward a public/private strengths-based partnership
• Commit resources to move Shifting Common Prevention Principles forward
• Utilize Shifting Common Prevention Principles in legislative analysis
• Document and publicize current strengths-based work
• Talk with supervisors about the benefits of implementing a strengths-based approach
• Publicly endorse a strengths-based approach which includes incorporating this approach into department websites
• Incorporate a strengths-based approach into departmental discussions
• Link with key resilience leaders
• Integrate successful resilience approaches into Shifting framework
• Engage youth in Shifting planning where appropriate

Training:

• Provide strengths-based training to local advisory boards
• Provide a strengths-based training for youth
• Provide consistent inter-departmental training on Shifting principles
• Develop tools to implement the strengths-based approach in a practical, user-friendly method
• Take strengths-based principles back to locals
• Conduct training on fostering meaningful youth participation
• Spread the word about strengths-based approach through conferences

Shifting the Focus members recognize that examples of strengths-based approaches already exist in the practices of State government. These include asset mapping, meaningful youth participation in advisory or leadership groups, and mentoring initiatives. Important next steps include documenting these and their impact, as well as advancing this approach in the context of Shifting the Focus.

Glossary of Terms

Asset: Positive experiences, relationships, opportunities, and personal qualities that an individual needs to grow up to be healthy, caring, and responsible. Internal assets nurture the internal qualities that guide choices and create a sense of centeredness, purpose, and focus and encourage wise, responsible, and compassionate judgments. External assets are positive experiences that people receive from the people and institutions in their lives.⁹

Asset building: An approach that aims to increase the number or improve the quality of assets in an individual.

Community development: Fostering a community through supporting various aspects that are integral to the health and well-being of its members, including, but not limited to, community infrastructure, schools, playgrounds, and assistance programs.

Family-strengths perspective: An approach that focuses on what is working in families and further develops these capabilities and resources.

Intergenerational mentoring: Mentoring, which means providing people with support, counsel, friendship, reinforcement and constructive example, between generations, e.g. between adults and young people.

Protective factor: Circumstances or characteristics that decrease an individual's likelihood of participating in problem behaviors and moderate the negative effects of risk factors.

Resiliency: The capacity to resist adversity and to develop positively despite harmful experiences.

Restorative interventions: Healing the harm done to victims and communities while still holding offenders accountable for their actions.¹⁰

Risk exposure: Exposure to risk factors in a family or community. Exposure to multiple risks results in an accumulation of risk.

Risk factors: Traits or characteristics that increase the relative risk of an individual or community being affected by or engaging in problem behaviors.

Social capital: The amount and strength of community networks producing social cohesion, trust, and a willingness to engage in community activities.

Violence prevention: A comprehensive and multifaceted effort to address the complex and multiple root factors associated with violence. Efforts build on resiliency in individuals, families, and communities. Violence prevention efforts contribute to empowerment, educational and economic progress, and improved life management skills while fostering healthy communities in which people can grow in dignity and safety. Finally, efforts realign institutions to be more inclusive and receptive in responding to community needs.¹¹

Youth development: A youth-inclusive approach that concentrates on fostering socially, morally, emotionally, physically, and cognitively competent young people.

References

¹ Bradley, R.H., Whiteside, L., Mundfrom, D.J., Casey, P.H., Kelleher, K.J., and Pope, S.K. (1994). Early indications of resilience and their relation to experiences in the home environments of low birthweight, premature children living in poverty. Child Development, 65, 346-360.

² Smith, C., Lizotte, A.J., Thornberry, T.P. and Krohn, M.D. (1995). Resilient youth: Identifying factors that prevnt high-risk youth from engaging in delinquency and drug use. In J. Hagan (Ed), Delinquency in the life course (pp 217-247). Grenwich, CT.

³ Pollard, J.A., Hawkins, J.D., and Arthur, M.W. (1999) Risk and protection: Are both necessary to understand diverse behavioral outcomes in adolescence? Social Work Research, Vol 23, No 3, pp 145-158.

⁴ Bradley, R.A.H., Whiteside, L., Mundform, D.J., Casey, P.H., Kelleher, K.J., Pope, S.K. Early indications of resilience and their relation to experience in the home environments of low birthweight, premature children living in poverty. Child Development, 1994; 65; 346-360.

⁵ Smith, C., Lizotte, A.J., Thornberry, T.P., Krohn, M.D. Resilient youth: identifying factors that prevent high-risk youth from engaging in delinquency and drug use. In J. Hagan (Ed). Delinquency in the Life Course. Greenwich, CT; 1995; 217-247.

⁶ Schweinhart, L., Barnes, H., and Wiekart, D. (1993). Significant Benefits: The High/Scope Perry Preschool Study Through Age 27. Ypsilanti, MI: High/Scope Press.

⁷ Schweinhart, L. and Weikart, D. (1997a). Child-initiated learning in preschool: Prevention that works! High/Scope Resource, 16(2), 1, 9-11; Schweinhart, L. and Weikart, D. (1997b). The High/Scope Preschool Curriculum Comparison Study through age 23. Early Childhood Research Quarterly 12, 117-143; Schweinhart, L. and Weikart, D. (1997c). Lasting Differences: The High/Scope Preschool Curriculum Comparison Study Through Age 23. Ypsilanti, MI: High/Scope Press.

⁸ Putnam, R. Social capital measurement and its consequences. ISUMA. 2001; 2(1); ISSN 1492-0611.

⁹ Taken from the Search Institute

¹⁰ Taken from International Institute for Restorative Practices

¹¹ Adapted from SB2097, State of California, February 2000.

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