Technology-facilitated crimes against children present challenges for law enforcement. To understand the repercussions of these crimes and how they are investigated, WestEd researcher Ashley Boal led the publication of a chapter, “Technology-Facilitated Crimes Against Children: The Scope of the Problem and Interventions,” published in Interpersonal Violence Against Children and Youth. Boal presents an overview of technology-facilitated crimes against children, discusses interventions, and summarizes knowledge about training for law enforcement. The chapter builds on our U.S. Department of Justice evaluation of training provided to investigators assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Public Health
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Teen Pregnancy Program Evaluation with Justice-Involved Youth
The JPRC is a partner with Urban Strategies LLC, which was selected for one of four nationwide awards to rigorously evaluate promising interventions that can contribute to adolescent optimal health, prevent teen pregnancy, and/or reduce sexually transmitted infection rates monitored by the Office of Population Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Urban Strategies and the JPRC are implementing and evaluating a sexual health program using a quasi-experimental design. The project is being implemented with justice-involved youth in Southern California is collaborating with the LA County Probation and group homes.
Montgomery County Drug and Alcohol Prevention Evaluation
WestEd has been funded by the Office of Drug and Alcohol, Department of Health and Human Services, in Montgomery County (PA) since 2018 to assist in evaluation planning, program evaluation implementation, and reporting of alcohol and drug prevention programing in the county. We design data collection procedures, train providers on data collection, and provide analysis and reporting for all evidence-based programs provided to schools as well as other prevention programing offered throughout the county. We also provide assistance with a countywide needs assessment process and future evaluation planning and recommendations throughout the project. This second contract is scheduled to end in 2027. Publications and infographics can be found at the Montgomery County Office of Drug and Alcohol Prevention data website.
Evaluating Substance Abuse Programs in Berks County, Pennsylvania
Building on our team’s success and impactful leadership in the state, we are continuing our partnership with the Council on Chemical Abuse (COCA) in Berks County, Pennsylvania, to evaluate programming related to prevention of substance misuse. The goal of the evaluation is to lead improved understanding of the implementation and results of prevention programs in districts, schools, and communities across the county. Our team is designing data collection procedures, training COCA staff on data collection, and providing analysis and reporting for programs provided in schools, as well as other community-based prevention programming. We will also assist the county in its needs assessment process and reporting.