A community-based approach to preventing youth violence: what can we learn from the playground?

BACKGROUND Aggression, bullying, and victimization represent tremendous public health concerns among youth. These behaviors occur frequently in unstructured settings, such as the playground. Direct observations of the playground permit examination of these peer processes and are readily accomplished using community-based participatory research (CBPR). OBJECTIVES To present alternative viewpoints regarding the use of playground observations to evaluate peer aggression, bullying, and victimization. METHODS We used a (1) child-specific observational coding system and (2) naturalistic observation of the playground to examine playground behaviors. RESULTS Peer-child processes have differential associations with conduct disorder (CD) and depression symptoms. Group-based observations suggested a number of strengths and some areas that would be amenable to intervention. CONCLUSION A CBPR framework is useful for identifying youth involved in bullying and victimization; providing immediate support, interventions, and problem-solving strategies; and predicting potential negative outcomes, which can inform violence prevention and intervention efforts.