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Climbing the “Ladder of Participation”: Engaging Experiential Youth in a Participatory Research Project

  • Qualitative Research
  • Published:
Canadian Journal of Public Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objectives

Street-involved youth are at high risk for acquiring HIV and hepatitis C infection due to potential engagement in high-risk behaviours, including injection drug use. The Youth Injection Prevention (YIP) Project sought to identify factors that prevented street-involved youth from moving into injection drug use in Vancouver, BC. Our project used a participatory research orientation to study these factors. This paper describes the level of participation observed among the street-involved youth taking part in our project.

Methods

The YIP project employed street-involved youth as co-researchers. To assess the level of participation among the co-researchers, we applied Roger Hart’s “Ladder of Youth Participation”. Each advancing rung in the ladder represents a higher level of participation. We compared the youth’s involvement in the project to the rungs in Roger Hart’s tool.

Results

Throughout the duration of the project, the youth’s participation increased. Initially the youth had low levels of participation as they were hired based on their life experiences and initially consulted and informed. Over the course of the project, team- and skill-building activities took place. This helped the project environment evolve into a safe space where youth felt comfortable to engage at the highest levels of participation.

Conclusion

The YIP Project was successful in being a highly participatory research project. In a safe and open environment, the youth felt comfortable to question and take on initiatives that went beyond the academic researcher’s initial expectations. This project highlights the success of engaging street-involved youth in participatory research.

Résumé

Objectifs

Les jeunes de la rue courent un risque élevé d’attraper des infections à VIH et à l’hépatite C du fait qu’ils peuvent s’adonner à des comportements à haut risque, dont l’utilisation de drogues par injection. Le projet YIP (Youth Injection Prevention) cherche à cerner les facteurs qui empêchent les jeunes de la rue de se tourner vers les drogues par injection à Vancouver, en Colombie-Britannique. Nous utilisons une approche de recherche participative pour étudier ces facteurs. Nous décrivons ici le niveau de participation observé chez les jeunes de la rue ayant pris part au projet.

Méthode

Le projet YIP a employé des jeunes de la rue comme co-chercheurs. Pour évaluer le niveau de participation chez les co-chercheurs, nous avons appliqué «l’échelle de participation des jeunes» de Roger Hart. Chaque barreau de l’échelle représente un niveau de participation plus élevé. Nous avons comparé l’implication des jeunes dans le projet aux barreaux de l’échelle de Hart.

Résultats

Au fil du projet, la participation des jeunes a augmenté. Au départ, leurs niveaux de participation étaient faibles, car ils étaient embauchés en raison de leur vécu et simplement consultés et informés. Au cours du projet, des activités de développement de l’esprit d’équipe et de renforcement des compétences ont eu lieu. Elles ont contribué à faire de l’environnement du projet un espace sûr où les jeunes se sont sentis libres de s’engager aux plus hauts niveaux de participation.

Conclusion

Le projet YIP a atteint un niveau de participation très élevé pour un projet de recherche. Dans un environnement sûr et ouvert, les jeunes se sont sentis libres de poser des questions et d’accepter des initiatives dépassant de loin les attentes initiales de la chercheuse universitaire. Ce projet montre l’efficacité de recruter des jeunes de la rue pour faire de la recherche participative.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Anna Funk MSc, Natasha Van Borek MScPPH, Darlene Taylor BScN, MSc, Despina Tzemis MPH &  Jane A. Buxton MBBS, MHSc, FRCPC

  2. School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, 2206 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada

    Darlene Taylor BScN, MSc, Puneet Grewal &  Jane A. Buxton MBBS, MHSc, FRCPC

Authors
  1. Anna Funk MSc
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  2. Natasha Van Borek MScPPH
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  3. Darlene Taylor BScN, MSc
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  4. Puneet Grewal
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  5. Despina Tzemis MPH
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  6. Jane A. Buxton MBBS, MHSc, FRCPC
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jane A. Buxton MBBS, MHSc, FRCPC.

Additional information

Acknowledgements: The authors thank the youth co-researchers, the participants, partner organizations, Catharine Chambers, Larissa Coser, and Elizabeth Saewyc for their time and contribution to this work. Funding for this project was provided by the Vancouver Foundation. Further information about the process, successes, challenges, and lessons learned throughout the YIP project are available through a link on the BCCDC Harm Reduction website available at: http://www.bccdc.ca/prevention/HarmReduction/YIPProject/default.htm or through communication with the corresponding author, Jane Buxton (jane.buxton@bccdc.ca).

Conflict of Interest: None to declare.

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Funk, A., Van Borek, N., Taylor, D. et al. Climbing the “Ladder of Participation”: Engaging Experiential Youth in a Participatory Research Project. Can J Public Health 103, e288–e292 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03404237

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03404237

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