PUC receives $470,000 to partner in child abuse prevention initiative

Purdue University Calumet’s Institute for Social and Policy Research has partnered with Prevent Child Abuse America and the National Indian Child Welfare Association to study the victimization of children and youth in Indian/Alaska Native communities.

The Institute is receiving approximately $470,000 of a $1.5 million grant over three years, awarded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention of the United States Department of Justice.

“The opportunity to partner with Chicago-based Prevent Child Abuse America provides Purdue University Calumet with a huge opportunity to produce relevant knowledge of critical importance to our native populations,” Purdue Calumet Associate Professor of Psychology Thomas Pavkov said. “While we know that victimization occurs among native youth at alarmingly high rates, we don’t know enough about the factors that contribute to these high levels. The completion of this research promises to provide insight related to these issues.”

According to Pavkov, the grant will be used to complete an analysis of available data on United States Native American populations related to victimized children and youth. Faculty and staff of the Institute for Social and Policy Research will assist in developing survey protocols targeting youth, adults and tribal elders by using focus groups and question testing methodologies.

The Institute also will field the web-based surveys during the data collection phase of the project. During the project’s final phase, faculty and staff will collaborate to present findings at national research conferences and in scholarly journals.

News Release Date: December 10, 2007