Minnesota Child Response Initiative (MCRI)

Mission: To break the cycle of violence and help heal the emotional wounds that chronic exposure to violence inflicts on children, families and communities.



Systems Change Intervention Research

Community Needs Assessments

• To date, completed in African American, African immigrant, and European American communities.
• Methodology
  • African American
  • African immigrant
  • European American

African Immigrant Community

Focus Group Report – Main Themes

Survey Responses

Discussion: Your opinion about responses – agree?disagree?

Suggestions for solutions

Working together in the community

Focus Group Questions:

1. What is violence?
2. Where do people learn violence?
3. How do you discipline children/what effective strategies have you used as a parent?
4. Do you think it is violent when children exposed to violence?
5. What is the impact of children exposed to violence?
6. Who do people gop to in order to talk about issues in the family?

Community Needs Assessments: Comparisons

Similarities

• Belief that violence is learned behavior

• Violence has a negative impact on children and families

• Children witnessing violence is a form of violence

• Communicating about violence with their children

Community Needs Assessments: Comparisons

Differences

• Statistical Caveat

• Demographics

• Racism & Feelings of Inclusiveness/Security

• Perceptions of Social Service Workers

• Feelings about Police Intervention

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African Immigrant Survey Responses:

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