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Although focus groups continue to gain popularity in marketing and social science research, their use in program evaluation has been limited. Here we demonstrate how focus groups can benefit evaluators, program staff, policy makers and administrators by providing an in‐depth understanding of program effectiveness from the perspective of participants as stakeholders in program outcomes. Using data from the Youth Action Program, a prevention program funded by the United States Air Force for military dependent adolescents at risk, our methodology included a narrative approach to data analysis, combining theme analysis with a systematic interpretive approach centering on how group members experienced the program within the contexts of their daily lives. We show that the parents benefited from the program beyond youth outcomes, and this was useful information for program improvement and expansion.

"This handbook provides€an evidence-based approach to child protection-related work, and the provision of assessment and intervention services in order to maximize child well-being. It provides a comprehensive overview of contemporary research and practice that informs theory, assessment, service provision, rehabilitation and therapeutic interventions for children and families undergoing care proceedings, bringing together international knowledge from leading researchers and practitioners who draw on the evidence to inform best practice in complex family and parenting assessments as part of child care proceedings for the courts. Coverage includes the prevalence and effects of child neglect and abuse, theoretical perspectives, assessment, children & rsquo;s services, and interventions with children, victims and families"--

ObjectiveUsing an ecological resilience model, we sought to identify protective factors that buffer against the effects of stressful deployment‐related experiences on symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among active duty U.S. Air Force personnel who were married or in a committed relationship.BackgroundStressful deployment experiences are associated with PTSD symptoms among active duty military personnel. However, certain protective factors may buffer against negative effects of such experiences.MethodAnalyses for the present study were active duty military personnel who completed the 2011 Air Force Community Assessment Survey, were married or in a committed relationship, and had completed at least one deployment at the time of the survey (N = 12,166).ResultsRegression analyses indicated that stressful deployment experiences were statistically related to elevated PTSD symptoms but also that both personal and contextual factors moderated those symptoms. Furthermore, self‐efficacy, family coping, spouse/partner support, financial resources, and religious participation moderated the relation between stressful deployment experiences and PTSD symptoms.ConclusionPTSD symptoms were positively associated with stressful deployment experiences, and symptoms were less likely to occur when service members experienced support from individual, family, and community sources.ImplicationsInterventions that promote self‐efficacy and social support from multiple ecological contexts may help reduce PTSD symptoms among combat‐exposed Air Force personnel.

AbstractThe authors provide examples of sports‐based youth development programs and offer information about program mission and vision, program design and content, evaluation results, and program sustainability. The four sports‐based youth development programs presented are Harlem RBI, Tenacity, Snowsports Outreach Society, and Hoops & Leaders Basketball Camp. These programs serve diverse audiences with diverse missions, but all are focused on using sports to develop life skills and facilitate learning. Harlem RBI serves boys and girls ages seven to eighteen living in East Harlem. The program combines baseball, academic, and enrichment programs with the overall goal that participants who enter the program as vulnerable children graduate as resilient young adults. Tenacity, a nonprofit organization with headquarters in Boston, uses tennis to attract and retain students who particiate in a high‐quality academic support and physical fitness program. The mission of Snowsports Outreach Society, based in Vail, Colorado, is building character in at‐risk and underprivileged youth to develop their decision‐making ability for healthy and successful life experiences. Hoops & Leaders Basketball Camp is a youth mentoring and leadership development program that offers summer camp experiences to improve the lives of at‐risk urban youth in New York City. It uses the game of basketball to provide youth with caring mentors, develop leadership skills, and offer exposure to different educational and career paths.

AbstractThe authors describe intermediary organizations whose aim is to provide technical assistance to sports organizations about infusing a youth development emphasis into their programming. Team‐Up for Youth, Sports PLUS Global, and the National Recreation and Park Association are the three organizations highlighted in this article. Team‐Up for Youth's mission is to pioneer innovative strategies to support the healthy development of youth by strengthening and expanding afterschool sports and physical activity programs. Team‐Up works with youth sports providers, policymakers and public officials, and staff and students at colleges and universities in the San Francisco Bay Area. It concentrates on five areas: training and education, coaching corps, grant making, public policy, and knowledge creating and sharing. Sports PLUS Global is an international organization that delivers educational training to communities using sports to promote human development, social change, and human rights. It uses the Positive Learning Using Sports (PLUS) method to reach children, coaches, and educators in camps and afterschool programs. The PLUS method employs twelve steps that are described in detail in the article. The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) engages national partners and local park and recreation agencies to improve the quality of youth sports nationwide. NRPA, in partnership with Sports Illustrated magazine, developed and manages the Sports Illustrated GOOD SPORTS initiative. Communities are improving youth sports through the following elements: teaching life skills, empowering success among youth, promoting physical activity and healthy lifestyles, and strengthening communities.

AbstractImproving access to and interest in out‐of‐school‐time programs is an important goal. A recent study examined the reasons that youth participated or not in programs, with a focus on the experiences of ethnic minority youth.

Purpose
Digitally delivered, parent-focused interventions (DD-PFIs) are viewed as an important method for supporting child well-being. Few DD-PFIs include health-promotion and general-parenting content, and only some are intended for a universal audience. The purpose of this paper is to focus on a preliminary evaluation of Grow Online, which was designed to address this gap.


Design/methodology/approach
A mixed-methods design, including pretests and posttests and semi-structured interviews, was employed to evaluate program feasibility and demonstrate proof of concept.


Findings
Feasibility findings were favorable, which indicates participants were satisfied with the program, liked the main program features, found the content helpful and had a positive experience using the website. Initial recruitment was strong, and engagement with the sessions was high; however, retention was poor with a 73.5 percent attrition rate. Significant pre- to post-changes were found on measures of over-reactive discipline, parenting efficacy, emotion coaching, coping socialization, child physical activity support, rewarding eating and child externalizing and internalizing behaviors.


Research limitations/implications
Study design and high attrition limit the ability to infer causality and generalize beyond the sample.


Practical implications
Providing support to parents through a universal health-promoting DD-PFI is viable, though issues involving retention need to be given full consideration.


Originality/value
Parents use of technology to access child care information is increasing, but most information online is not evidence-informed. Grow Online fills an important gap in the research and practice of DD-PFIs, and this study's findings suggest a more rigorous evaluation is merited.