Addressing Violence towards Youth and Young Adults in Indigenous Communities

The first purpose of this planning grant is to create a new tribal-researcher partnership between a university team from USD and UCCS and a large multi-state tribal organization focused on ending violence through the life course—the Native Women’s Society (NWS) of the Great Plains. The partnership also includes capacity building with a centralized team of NWS and their stakeholders (members of their 24-member organizations representing 23 tribes). The second purpose of this project is to develop research questions and study designs using community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles that are focused on two initial questions: What factors make youth and young adults susceptible to violence in Indigenous communities? What factors can increase resilience? Project activities include convening workshops and conducting interviewers with community stakeholders. Data will be coded to identify themes and patterns using a phenomenological analytical strategy and then checked for inter-reliability and trustworthiness before analysis. The products of this capacity-building grant will include 1) a research proposal submitted for funding; 2) a special report detailing the tribal-research partnership that captures the process and substance of the collaboration, lessons learned, challenges and successes experienced, overall reflections, and key issues that can help inform existing or future partnerships of a similar nature; and 3) a research brief, PowerPoint presentations, scientific peer-reviewed manuscript(s), podcast, and other social media (Facebook group, project website). Data archiving will include interview schedules, workshop plans, and other materials as determined by the Partnership.