NCJ Number
218251
Journal
Journal of Early Adolescence Volume: 27 Issue: 2 Dated: May 2007 Pages: 241-261
Date Published
May 2007
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This study examined the use and effectiveness of Photovoice for engaging early adolescents in critical thinking for social action.
Abstract
The Photovoice approach provides an opportunity for youth to actively engage with their social environment through photography, participate in critical analysis, and take action to respond to the issues or assets they identify as important. The Photovoice process offers a promising prevention approach by affording young adolescents the opportunity to experience participation and self-determination (voice and choice), to learn new skills, and to take action about things that, from their own perspective, affect their health and safety concerns in the community. Photovoice is an approach that incorporates photography with participatory action. This study specifically focuses on the application of Photovoice to an early adolescent population participating in the Youth Empowerment Strategies (YES!) project. The YES! project is an after school empowerment program and research project for underserved early adolescents. YES! is an empowerment intervention that provides early adolescents with opportunities for civic engagement with other youth around issues of shared concern in their schools and neighborhoods. YES! participants were identified as high risk due to attending Title 1 public elementary schools serving low-income communities in West Contra Costa County, CA. Tables, figures, and references