Study Process
This study has four stages. Currently, we are in Stage 3:
- Stage 1: Literature Review (Complete). In stage 1, we conducted a comprehensive literature review to identify the topics that would be covered by our measure.
- Stage 2: Expert Panel (Complete). In stage 2, we asked researchers and practitioners to review the measure. We made many changes based on their feedback.
- Stage 3: Youth interviews (Current). In this step, we are asking teens in Philadelphia to participate in an interview where they will give us feedback on the measure. As they complete the measure, we will ask them questions to assess the clarity of the questions. We will ask the teens to identify items that are more or less relevant to them, and anything else they think should be added to the measure. We will interview about 18 (between 12-30) teenagers throughout Philadelphia in this stage.
- Stage 4: Youth Surveys (Upcoming). After we revise the measure based on the youth feedback in stage 3, we will ask four hundred youths (400) to complete the measure to further test its accuracy.
Future Directions
After the measure is developed, we can use it to assess the extent to which essential teen needs are, and are not, being met. The measure can help us understand what contributes to unmet needs and the consequences of unmet needs for teens wellbeing and healthy development. Information gained from the measure will help guide prevention and intervention to help teens stay safe and healthy, and thrive.
Background
This project is inspired by scientific research about child and adolescent neglect, which is a common and harmful problem. Usually, neglect is defined as critical unmet needs that are caused by lack of caregiving. However, there are many factors other than caregiving that lead to children’s needs not being met. This is especially true for teens as they become more mature and independent. In developing the Essential Teen Needs measure, we want to improve how “neglect” is understood and defined by focusing on teens’ needs (rather than caregiving). We envision a world where it is everyone’s shared responsibility to make sure that teens are getting what they need to thrive. We believe that this focus will improve social justice and the effectiveness of our systems.