BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Gun violence is the leading cause of death for youth. This study examined an academic-community partnership to address gun violence through a strength-based approach called Asset-Based Community Development.
METHODS: We used a case study design. Participants were Black youth who encounter frequent gun violence (average age = 16.7 years; 72% male). Our partnership involved survey development/completion and semistructured discussions. We also interviewed community stakeholders to collect data on local assets. We interpreted data through a communitywide forum to guide social action to address gun violence.
RESULTS: The majority of youth (76%) witnessed neighborhood violence in the last year. The top youth concerns related to gun violence included poverty, guns, and gangs. Community stakeholders saw local people and local organizations as primary community assets. A community forum to interpret these data led to social action in the form of an environmental strategy-cleaning up an unused commercial building for the development of a youth tech center. The majority of youth participants (89.5%) agreed or strongly agreed that they had a voice in the research process.
CONCLUSION: Participatory research that takes an asset-based approach can enable relevant inquiry that engages youth and guides social action to address gun violence.