Approach

The intervention involves an experimental, theory-driven effort to address a specific connection between structural factors, youth identity development, and violence, where structural factors in some communities may limit adolescent beliefs about potential life-trajectories (“possible selves”), and foreground potential trajectories that include violence as integral. The intervention seeks to counter that dynamic by implementing selected alternative trajectories that offer attributes recognized by community youth and then creating/disseminating multiple media products featuring narratives about these alternative, non-violent identity trajectories. 

 

The goal is to change the calculation of possible selves among community adolescents during the identity development stage, thus reducing violence involvement. To finalize the intervention and its evaluation (Phase One), we are completing formative research to determine intervention elements (e.g., identification of potential non-violent identities/trajectories that offer attributes that can effectively compete with violence-related trajectories, development of a branding identity that captures those attributes, and identification of key community communication channels as well as potential additional community support organizations) and develop/pilot test evaluation instruments and protocols. Phase Two involves implementation and evaluation of different intervention tracks.

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The following two articles provide more information about the theoretical approaches used for the Run It Up intervention: