Addressing US Youth Violence and Central American Migration through Fortifying Children, Families, and Educators in Central America: A Collaborative Approach to the Development and Testing of a Youth Violence Preventive Intervention
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Date
2022-10-14
Authors
McClure, Heather H.
Eddy, J. Mark
Martinez, Charles R., Jr.
Esmail, Rubeena
Figueroa, Ana Lucila
Batz, Ruby
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
IntechOpen
Abstract
Youth violence is a pressing problem in the United States (US) with multiple
contributors. Some violence involving US youth can be linked to a larger global
epidemic of youth violence in Latin America and in Central America, specifically.
Hemispheric histories of violence fueled by a century of US resource extraction
and intervention, and other factors such as internal economic and political strain,
contribute to present-day migration from Central America to the US. Addressing
the intricate problems of US youth violence and migration requires multi-systemic
prevention programs to address youth violence in families, schools, and communities
in Central America. One such example is Miles de Manos (MdM; “Thousands of
Hands”). MdM is intended to target risk and protective factors related to migration
from Central America to the US. It is a multi-modal, culturally-specified and community-
based violence prevention intervention for elementary-school aged children,
their families, and children’s teachers and school staff. Data collected during pilot trials
indicate promise in terms of MdM increasing positive teacher and parent behaviors
that promote prosocial behaviors and reduce problem behaviors in youth. Outcomes
due to MdM for youth, parents and other caregivers, and teachers are currently being
examined in a randomized controlled trial in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
Description
15 pages
Keywords
United States, Youth violence, Central American migration, Preventative intervention, Program development, Community-based, Cultural adaptation
Citation
H. McClure, H., Mark Eddy, J., R. Martinez Jr., C., Esmail, R., Lucila Figueroa, A., & Batz, R. (2022). Addressing US Youth Violence and Central American Migration through Fortifying Children, Families, and Educators in Central America: A Collaborative Approach to the Development and Testing of a Youth Violence Preventive Intervention. IntechOpen. doi: 10.5772/intechopen.108189