Methodological strategies for evaluating youth gang prevention programs

Joshua Brisson, Igor Pekelny and Michael Ungar

Evaluation and Program Planning, 2020, vol. 79, issue C

Abstract: This article reflects on common challenges and lessons learned during the evaluation of gang prevention programs based on case studies of three federally funded Canadian programs. Elements of evaluation design, implementation, data analysis and reporting of results are discussed. More specifically, the article highlights issues that occur when evaluating community projects focused on preventing extreme risks for violence and the complexity of working in potentially dangerous and/or unstable work environments. Topics covered include the problem with quasi-experimental designs, model fidelity adherence, program documentation, client recruitment and retention, and data collection. Recommendations are provided to improve evaluations of youth gang prevention programs and similar community-based interventions that focus on the prevention of youth violence.

Keywords: Evaluation; Evaluation challenges; Quasi-experimental design; Most significant change; Comparative case studies; Youth gang prevention; Youth violence prevention; Model fidelity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014971891830260X
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:epplan:v:79:y:2020:i:c:s014971891830260x

DOI: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2019.101747

Access Statistics for this article

Evaluation and Program Planning is currently edited by Jonathan A. Morell

More articles in Evaluation and Program Planning from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().