Citizens, youth advocates and policy-makers have called attention to the role that “community” plays in promoting positive outcomes for youth (Clinton, 1996; Gore, 2003;
McLaughlin, 2000; Whitford, 2005). For example, communities can set policies, build facilities, support human services, and develop a positive spirit that may influence community life as well as outcomes such as substance use and crime. One central question is how community-level measures of risks and resources relate to community-level rates of adolescent substance use and other problem behaviors.
Much of the prior research that focuses on explaining adolescent substance use and other problem behaviors has been conducted at the individual-level: examining how individual risk and protective factors influence individual outcomes. This project expands prior work by examining the community context of rural and small towns and combines multiple methodologies: interview, archival reports, and geographic information systems in order to create a comprehensive understanding of the community context.
 To develop a comprehensive dataset of possible community-level risks and resources in rural and small town communities.
 To assess the underlying relations between the possible community-level risks and resources.
 Community Rates of Crime
 Availability of Substances
 Community Norms & Culture
 School Functioning
 Availability of Structured Activities
 The 28 PROSPER communities
 14 in Iowa
 14 In Pennsylvania
 District Population
 Students, M = 2,892
 All Individuals, M = 19,100
 Geographic Area
 M = 142 Square Miles ( SD = 107)
 Income & Race
 Median Household Income, M = $37K


Free/Reduced Lunch, M = 29.45%
Mostly White, M = 95.6%
Correlations Among Selected Community Risks
 Targeted Interview Strategy ( n = 320)
 Prevention Team Members



Directors of Social Service Agencies
Middle School Principals
Recreation “Experts”
 Archival Data Sources


2000 Census
District Demographic Reports


State Police Uniform Crime Reports
State Liquor Control & Dept of Revenue
 Geographic Information Systems
 Geocoded locations of organizations
Free &
Reduced
Lunch
Perceived Substance
Use Norms 0.20
School Problems
Rate of Drug Crimes
Per Person Density of
Tobacco Retailers
Per Person Density of
Alcohol Retailers
With an n = 28, p <= .05 for r = .38
0.46
0.40
0.40
0.57
Substance Use
Norms
School
Problems Drug Crimes
---
0.02
0.11
0.22
0.01
---
0.40
0.28
0.55
---
0.34
0.43
Density of
Tobacco
Retailers
---
0.60
Correlations Among Selected Community Resources
Crime Jurisdiction
County Police (Agency 1)
Square Miles of Jurisdiction
Square Miles within School
District
Percent of Area w/in SD
Number of
Property Crimes
Weighted (by
Percent of Area)
Number of
Property Crimes
836.80
Agency 2
Agency 3
Agency 4
Total Number in District
District Population
Yearly Rate of Property Crimes (Per 100,000)
55.98
3.46
46.43
147.02
55.98
3.46
46.43
17.57%
100.00%
100.00%
100.00%
150.67
52.33
201.00
58.00
26.47
52.33
201.00
58.00
337.80
21772
1551.554426

The income level of communities seems to be somewhat of an "anchor" in rural and small town communities: more impoverished communities had lower functioning schools, higher rates of crimes, and greater access to alcohol and tobacco

As found in prior research in urban settings, the availability of alcohol associated positively with crime rates.

Somewhat surprisingly the perceived community norms of adolescent substance use does not relate to the commercial availability of alcohol or tobacco.

Ratings of school academic success, collective efficacy, and the perceived availability of structured activities for
Middle School Students had strong associations.