Effective Methods to Access Exposure to Violence and Victimization Among American Indian and Alaska Native Youth: The Tribal Youth Victimization Study
Date
2021
Journal Title
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Publisher
U.S. Department of Justice
Abstract
Purpose: Violence and victimization compromise the wellbeing of American Indian (AI) and
Alaska Native (AN) youth; however; there is limited information regarding the nature and scope
of these issues. This data lack has implications for justice, social services, and public health
policy and practice. To address this need, the American Indian Development Associates, LLC
was funded by the National Institute of Justice to develop, implement, and pilot test a survey and
protocol for collecting prevalence violence and victimization data of AI and AN youth and
young adults to inform a future national effort. The primary study components were to: 1)
Develop and test a self-report survey instrument, 2) Assess modes of survey implementation, and
3) Test options for survey provision by considering ethical and practical issues for AI and AN
youth who participate.
Methods: The research established clear definitions of the constructs of import through literature
review and stakeholder input, formulated appropriate measures in a self-report survey tool, and
tested the reliability and validity of the tool at multiple levels through stakeholder review and
assessments. Cognitive testing (CT) included 33 participants age 12 -20 at two urban sites, and
Pilot testing (PT) included 359 participants age 13-20 at three sites: two urban and one
reservation. During PT, the effect of incentive awareness was tested. CT data were analyzed with
standard qualitative analysis methods, while the PT data assessments used a mixed methods
approach of qualitative interviewing and quantitative descriptive and factor analyses to test
measure structural issues such as validity and reliability and process indicators.
Results: The developed survey instrument and protocol appear to be effective at collecting selfreport prevalence data. Invaluable assets for the study administration were the partnerships
cultivated throughout the study period. Using the two-parent permission institutional review
board (IRB) requirement for more than minor risk studies was noted as a burden to potential
participants and hindered recruitment efforts. This, combined with the low utilization of the
distress protocol, suggests the study could have been categorized as low risk and used a one
parent permission rule. For survey administration the use of a computerized mode with the
option of audio was the best choice and is recommended. Factor analyses supported the decisions
and inclusions of specific measures, with only a few question deletions or stem question
clarifications. The reliability assessment indicated that all tested domains met moderate to high
reliability except the “perpetrating sexual violence” domain due to a small number of positive
responses. The paradata analysis showed an average time for survey completion of 28 minutes
and a maximum time of 59 minutes for the few with extensive victimization histories. Most of
the respondents (71.7%) found the survey very easy or mostly easy. Less than 3% stated that the
survey was very difficult or mostly difficult. The prior knowledge of the incentive affected faster
time to site enrollment completion. When asked respondents’ motivation for participating, 32.3%
indicated: to help other youth, 28.8% mentioned cash, 24.0% for curiosity, and 15% not sure.
Conclusions: The project unfolded through four phases with time for planning, testing, and reevaluation of focus and methods. The payoff for a large investment in research and development
was a lack of unexpected results and confirmation of the initial assumptions and expertise of the
research team. Even so, there are a few key issues and lessons learned that have implications for
a large-scale study of violence and victimization among AI and AN youth. The end products will
i
This resource was prepared by the author(s) using Federal funds provided by the U.S.
Department of Justice. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not
necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.
help fill critical knowledge gaps and permit comparisons with other U.S. populations of youth
and young adults and across AI and AN communities on a future national scale.
Description
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Keywords
American Indian and Alaska Native youth, victimization, survey, cognitive testing, violence, pilot testing
Citation
Melton, A. P., Chino, M., Martinez, R., & Duclos, C. (2021). Effective Methods to Access Exposure to Violence and Victimization Among American Indian and Alaska Native Youth: The Tribal Youth Victimization Study. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice.