1. Youth-Centered Participatory Action Research: Creating Spaces of Resistance and Change amid Inherent Inequalities
Helene Berman
Abe Oudshoorn
Jessica Justrabo
Oct 15, 2013
Faculty of Health Sciences

2. Promoting Health Through Collaborative Engagement with Youth: Overcoming, Resisting, and Preventing Structural Violence CIHR Team Grant

4. Our Team
Academics from varied disciplines, at various career stages, from Halifax to Victoria
Students, Post-Doctoral Fellows
National Coordinator
Maria Callaghan
National Youth Coordinators
Alia El-Tayeb
Eugenia Canas
National Youth Advisory Board
Knowledge Users/Community Partners
Nursing, psychology, sociology, social work, criminology, indigenous studies, community health and epidemiology

5. Academic Researchers Nominated Principal Investigator
Helene Berman- Western University
Co-Principal Investigators
Dominique Damant – University of Montreal
Holly Johnson – University of Ottawa
Cathy Richardson – University of Victoria
Billie Thurston – University of Calgary
Marnina Gonick – Mount Saint Vincent University
Co-Investigators
Kendra Nixon- University of Manitoba Cheryl Forchuk – Western University
Mandy Grzyb – Western University Peter Jaffe – Western University
Abe Oudshoorn – Western University Lori Donelle – Western University
Yasmin Jiwani – Concordia University Simon Lapierre – University of Ottawa
Lynda Ashbourne – U of Guelph Myrna Dawson – U of Guelph
Joan Samuels – Dennis – York U Marc Molgat – U of Ottawa

6. Knowledge Users Lead Knowledge Users Knowledge Users
Public Health Agency of Canada – Lindsay Olmstead
mindyourmind – Maria Luisa Contursi
Knowledge Users
Girls’ Action Foundation Boys & Girls Club
York University, Housing and Homelessness Hub
CAMH-CPS
Canadian Counsel of Muslim Women
Relais- Femmes
Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services
YWCA Halifax
City of London
City of Calgary
Ottawa Youth Services Bureau
Alberta Health Services
Sexual Assault Centre London
Native Sexual Health Network
Alliance of Canadian Research Centres on Violence

7. Community Partners Muslim Centre for Social Support and Integration
Ottawa Youth Services Bureau
Urban Aboriginal Youth Services
Calgary Homeless Foundation
Alliance of Research Centres on
Violence
Lowertown Community Resource Centre
One World Arts
Raincity Shelter
Transition House
Watson Lake High school
YWCA Halifax

8. Youth Leaders National Youth Coordinators:
Alia El Tayeb
Eugenia Canas
National Youth Advisory Board:
Amanda Aziz
Curtis Walking Bear Kechego
Michelle Brake
Emanuela Bringi
Julia Tadman
Jayson Tower
Keara Yim

9. Collaborators Linda Dale, Children /Youth as Peace Builders
Collaborators Linda Dale, Children /Youth as Peace Builders Robin Mason, Women’s College Hospital Blake Poland, University of Toronto, Dalla Lana School of Public Health Graduate Student Trainees Kate Elliott, University of Victoria Catherine Flynn, Université de Montréal Nada Nessan, Western University Post Doctoral Fellows Rita Isabel Henderson Kristy Buccieri

10. Overall Purpose
To examine how structural violence is experienced by youth in Canada, how it influences their health, and strategies that can be used to address and prevent violence.
Evaluate how collaborative engagement with youth can promote health by empowering them to address structural violence in their lives.

11. Objectives
Examine how structural forms of violence are defined, understood, and experienced by youth
Examine, from the perspectives of youth, how structural violence shapes their health and well-being

12. Objectives
Examine policies to identify how institutions contribute to the victimization or vulnerability of diverse groups of youth and how these policies influence them.

13. Objectives
Analyse the role of media in the lives of youth paying attention to issues of identity, belonging/exclusion, health and sense of self
Evaluate the use of youth-centered participatory action research as a health promotion strategy

14. Theoretical/Methodological Perspectives
Youth-Centered Participatory Action Research
Intersectionality
Critical Narrative Analysis
Arts-Based Methodologies
Qualitative and Quantitative Methods

15. Rethinking… Research What counts as knowledge Whose knowledge counts
How knowledge is generated
Who owns it

16. Rethinking… Violence Structural Violence
The invisible patterns of inequality that reproduce social relations of exclusion and marginalization through ideologies, stigmas and discourses attendant to gender, race, class and other markers of social identity

17. Rethinking… Health Health is a right for all people, not a privilege.
We can’t achieve this as long as we live in a world with social and structural inequalities
Racism, sexism, homophobia, classism, ableism, colonialism
Civic engagement, social and political action are key components of health

18. “This made me realize how sharing experience is important for us to live a happier life.”

19. “Everyone had a voice, were creating information together, following each other’s leads and ideas.”

20. Youth Opportunities Unlimited Site
Voices Against Violence

21. Purpose
Examine how structural violence is embedded and enacted within different institutional systems.

22. About YOU-YAC Youth Opportunities Unlimited: Youth Action Centre:
Supports youth to build skills, confidence and independence to reach their potential.
Youth Action Centre:
A multi-service hub, where youth can feel welcomed and gain support with a variety of personal challenges that impede their development.

23. Our Methodology
Relationship based recruitment
12 Arts Based Workshops

24. The Youth
9 male, 6 female
Majority had some experience as children/youth with CAS
3 were visible minorities
6 identified as having learning disabilities
4 identified as having mental health challenges 24

25. Process Pieces Structural Violence Timelines Body Mapping
Statement of Change Poetry
Canvas Art

26. Leading to Exploration of…
Justice System
Child Protection
Shelter Services (and Social Assistance)
Education System

27. 26

28. Outcome Data through discussions Art
Experiences with Structural Violence
How to change social structures
How to move on from negative experiences
Art
Personal Canvas
Statements of Change

29. 28

30. Challenges
Acute mental illness
Triggering 29

31. What They Learned Why policies exist What is Structural Violence
Self Reflection
Move on from negative experiences
- Agency/structure dialectic

32. What We Learned Participating, not participants
Stability of the family structure
Listening makes an impact