TAG Research Reviews 

Safe and Secure Places to Live, Learn, and Play 

Office of Adolescent Health | Website: http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/TAG Twitter: @TeenHealthGov Email: TAGTEAM@hhs.gov 

“Schools, neighborhoods, and community settings can foster and support healthy adolescent 

development across the spectrum, including physical and mental health, social interactions, and 

cognitive growth. Adolescents also benefit from safe places to congregate, enjoy social, athletic 

and other recreational activities, and just be with their peers.”1

Adolescent Health: Think, Act, Grow ® (TAG) Research Reviews highlight research, evaluation 

reports, and other publications that inform the field about key issues in, and effective practices 

for, fostering improved health, reducing risky behavior, and improving engagement and healthy 

development in young people. This Research Review focuses on the importance of Safe and 

Secure Places to Live, Learn, and Play for healthy adolescent development, one of TAG’s Five 

Essentials for Healthy Adolescents. 

Creating safe and healthy futures: Michigan Youth Violence Prevention Center.2

Youth violence in the United States has decreased over the last decade, yet it continues at high levels in 

communities dealing with unemployment, population loss, and neglected neighborhoods. For youth, the 

highest rate of gun violence in the nation is in Flint, MI. Based at the University of Michigan, School of Public 

Health and funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Michigan Youth Violence 

Prevention Center (MI-YVPC) works with community groups to strengthen connections among neighbors 

and address conditions that lead to conflicts. The MI-YVPC uses a multi-level strategy involving youth, 

families, neighborhood groups, law enforcement, child-serving organizations, and health care providers to

address community needs to promote healthy youth outcomes. The authors recommend assessing the MIYVPC model in other communities with the hypothesis that the intervention will lead to fewer police 

incidents (especially those involving youth), fewer cases of youth-violent injury, and less fear of crime. Read 

more

Creating spaces to support transgender youth.3

Research has shown that over 80% of transgender students report some form of harassment at school, 

including at the hands of school personnel. Strategies to support lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender 

(LGBT) students, such as teacher interventions in harassment, providing information about gender issues, 

and addressing sexual minority issues in the curriculum have been associated with safer environments for 

transgender students. For this study, the authors conducted focus groups at LGBT youth centers during the 

time of their weekly transgender youth support groups. Transgender youth were asked to reflect on the 

needs they have, the ways that the sexual minority youth centers had supported them, and specific 

experiences within the community centers. The transgender youth in this study noted the value of sexual 

minority community centers for connecting them to other resources such as housing assistance, medical 

care, and work opportunities. By providing support for transgender youth in community settings, the 

authors note that the other stressors that these youth may be facing at home or in school can be reduced.

Read more
Office of Adolescent Health | Website: http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/TAG Twitter: @TeenHealthGov Email: TAGTEAM@hhs.gov 

Evaluating a safe space training for school counselors and trainees using 

randomized control group design.4

School counselors play an important role in advocating for all students and need the proper training to 

facilitate competency for working with and serving LGBTQ youth. Research has shown that LGBTQ youth are 

at a disproportionate risk for depression, suicide, psychiatric care and hospitalization, poor school 

performance, truancy, running away, substance abuse, and sexually risky behaviors. This study sought to 

evaluate the GLSEN Safe Space: A How-to-Guide for starting an Allies Program. The authors found a 

significant relationship between individuals who received the training and higher levels of LGBTQ 

knowledge, awareness, and skills. As a result, practicing school counselors and those in training, as well as 

guidance directors, and school counselor educators now have an evidence-based training for use in 

professional development for increasing LGBTQ competency and awareness of providing safer schools for 

their students. Read more

Intergenerational connections and neighborhood disorganization among urban and 

rural African American youth.5

Disorganized neighborhoods, characterized by high crime rates, reduced employment opportunities, family 

disruption, and poor economic conditions is a significant barrier to positive social and behavioral outcomes 

among youth. For this study, the authors were interested in the perception of disorganized neighborhoods, 

as perceptions can serve as indicators of social problems. Specifically, they examined intergenerational 

connections, a cultural attribute found among some racial and ethnic groups, to see if the connections 

moderated the relationship between neighborhood type and adolescents’ perceptions of the safety of their 

communities. The findings demonstrated that higher levels of intergenerational connections were 

associated with perceptions of less disorganized neighborhoods, particularly in urban neighborhoods. Future 

research is needed to more comprehensively address the topic intergenerational connections, including 

programmatic research on how to increase and promote these important connections. Read more

Invited Commentary: National Safe Place: Meeting the Immediate Needs of 

Runaway and Homeless Youth.6

Approximately 1.6 million youth run away from home each year; these youth are vulnerable to exploitation, 

victimization, increased dangers and perpetration of criminal behavior. To help address the needs of runaway 

youth, National Safe Place (NSP) is a prevention and outreach program which connects youth experiencing a 

crisis situation to immediate help and support. NSP educates youth about alternatives to running away and 

homelessness and provides links to service providers. Early evaluations of NSP have been encouraging; in a 

sample of 145 youth, the majority reported that Safe Place interventions are effective. Specifically, 84% of youth 

completing the evaluation indicated that they felt safer upon entering a Safe Place site, 90% of youth would use 

the Safe Place program again if they needed help, and 90% would recommend the use of the program to friends 

who needed help. Read more

Perceived neighborhood safety and adolescent school functioning.7

Previous research has demonstrated that children and youth generally do better in social, emotional, and 

behavioral outcomes when they view their neighborhoods as safe. The purpose of this study was to examine 

the association between adolescents perceived neighborhood safety and three dimensions of schooling: test 

scores, grades, school attachment. The authors found that perceived neighborhood safety was more 
Office of Adolescent Health | Website: http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/TAG Twitter: @TeenHealthGov Email: TAGTEAM@hhs.gov 

strongly associated with aspects of schooling that were more psychosocial in nature (e.g., increased school 

attachment) than those that were more cognitive (e.g., improved test scores). Few differences in grades 

were observed for youth in neighborhoods rated as being high in physical disorder. However, for youth 

living in neighborhoods rated as being low in physical disorder, perceiving their neighborhood as safe was 

associated with higher grades. Read more

Protective school climates and reduced risk for suicide ideation in sexual minority 

youths.8

Among youth ages 15 to 24 years, suicide is the third leading cause of death. Research has shown that 

lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adolescents are between two and seven times more likely to attempt suicide 

compared with their heterosexual counterparts. This study examined whether sexual minority students 

living in states and cities with more protective school climates were at lower risk of suicidal thoughts, plans, 

and attempts. The authors found that LGB youth living in states and cities with more protective school 

climates (e.g., prohibit harassment based on sexual orientation or gender identity; encourage staff to attend 

trainings on creating supportive environments for LGB youth) were significantly less likely to report pastyear suicidal thoughts compared to LGB youth living in states and cities with less protective school climates. 

The authors recommend that comprehensive suicide prevention and interventions for sexual minority 

adolescents should address not only individual-level and family-level factors, but also the broader socialcontextual influences, including school climate. Read more

Taking steps to promote safer schools.9

There is a wealth of data regarding what works and does not in promoting school safety, particularly in the areas 

of bullying and media exposure. The author presents two low-cost, high-impact programs that have been shown 

to be effective in addressing media violence exposure and bullying: the SMART (Student Media Awareness to 

Reduce Television) curriculum and the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program. The SMART curriculum, which 

focuses on reducing television, videotape, and video game use in elementary school-aged children, has been 

shown to be effective in reducing aggressive behavior in younger children. The Olweus Bullying Prevention 

Program is a whole-school approach, which has been implemented and studied in a variety of cultures in both 

Europe and the United States, and at all grade levels. Based on positive research findings of both programs, the 

author recommends pre-professional and continuing education training for teachers and administrators 

regarding the effects of bullying and how to prevent it. Both the SMART curriculum and the Olweus Bullying 

Prevention Program are two examples of interventions that can promote safer schools. Read more

The role of the residential neighborhood in linking youths’ family poverty 

trajectory to decreased feelings of safety at school.10

Youth experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage are at increased risk of overall poorer socioemotional 

adjustment, well-being and health and are also more likely to perceive the school environment as being unsafe. 

Feeling less safe at school is associated with several negative outcomes, such as psychological distress, 

somatization and lower academic achievement. This study sought to gain a better understanding of the 

determinants of feeling unsafe at school. The results showed that youth experiencing chronic and laterchildhood poverty felt less safe at school, in part, because they lived in neighborhoods that their parents 

described as being disorderly (e.g., presence of garbage, drug use). These neighborhoods also tended to have 

less greenery (e.g., trees, parks) and more lone-parent households. The authors suggest utilizing residential 

neighborhood features that could improve feelings of safety at school, such as greenery and reducing signs of 
Office of Adolescent Health | Website: http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/TAG Twitter: @TeenHealthGov Email: TAGTEAM@hhs.gov 

disorder, and that those features could improve youth’s felt safety at school. Read more

Youth’s strategies for staying safe and coping with the stress of living in violent 

communities.11

In west/southwest Philadelphia, over 25% of residents live below the federal poverty level and almost half of the 

population is younger than 25 years of age. Youth are especially at risk of violence, with the average annual 

youth (5 – 24 years of age) homicide rate five times higher than the national rate. For this study, three 

neighborhoods in west/southwest Philadelphia served as a site for a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Urban 

Partnership-Academic Center of Excellence (UPACE) in youth violence. Youth, aged 10–16 years, were 

interviewed to assess the stressors and assets of the three neighborhoods identified by CDC UPACE. They 

reported high levels of exposure to neighborhood violence. A theme of identifying and navigating safe (e.g., 

community pool during the day) and unsafe places (e.g., areas where drugs were sold) emerged. Youth used 

neighborhood and individual resources to cope with stressors, such as afterschool programs, sports and 

activities, recreation centers, schools, and parks as well as family members they could speak with about any 

concerns. Read more
 

1U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Adolescent Health. (April, 2016). Adolescent Health: 

Think, Act, Grow® 2016 playbook. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 

2Morrel-Samuels, S., Zimmerman, M. A., & Reischl, T. M. (2013). Creating safe and healthy futures: Michigan 

Youth Violence Prevention Center. Reclaiming Children and Youth, 22(3), 31-36.

3

 McGuire, J. K., & Conover-Williams, M. (2010) Creating spaces to support transgender youth. Prevention 

Researcher, 17(4), 17-20. 

4

 Byrd, R., & Hays, D. G. (2013). Evaluating a safe space training for school counselors and trainees using 

randomized control group design. Professional School Counseling, 17(1), 20-31. 

5

 Brevard, J., Maxwell, M., Hood, K., & Belgrave, F. (2013). Feeling safe: Intergenerational connections and 

neighborhood disorganization among urban and rural African American youth. Journal of Community 

Psychology, 41(8), 992-1004. doi:10.1002/jcop.21588. 

6

 Walsh, S. M., & Donaldson, R. E. (2010). Invited Commentary: National Safe Place: Meeting the Immediate 

Needs of Runaway and Homeless Youth. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 39(5), 437-445. doi: 10.1007/s10964-

010-9522-9.

7

 Martin-Storey, A., & Crosnoe, R. (2014). Perceived neighborhood safety and adolescent school functioning. 

Applied Developmental Science, 18(2), 61-75. doi:10.1080/10888691.2014.876276. 

8

 Hatzenbuehler, M. L., Birkett, M., Van Wagenen, A., & Meyer, I. H. (2014). Protective school climates and 

reduced risk for suicide ideation in sexual minority youths. American Journal of Public Health, 104(2), 279-286. 

doi:10.2105/AJPH.2013.301508. 

9

 Werle, G. D. (2006). Taking steps to promote safer schools. Journal of School Health, 76(4), 156-158. 

doi:10.1111/j.1746-1561.2006.00087.x. 

10 Côté-Lussier, C., Barnett, T. A., Kestens, Y., Tu, M. T., & Séguin, L. (2015). The role of the residential 

neighborhood in linking youths’ family poverty trajectory to decreased feelings of safety at school. Journal of 

Youth and Adolescence, 44(6), 1194-1207. doi:10.1007/s10964-014-0214-8. 

11 Teitelman, A., McDonald, C. C., Wiebe, D. J., Thomas, N., Guerra, T., Kassam-Adams, N., & Richmond, T. S. 

(2010). Youth’s strategies for staying safe and coping with the stress of living in violent communities. Journal of 

Community Psychology, 38(7), 874-885. doi:10.1002/jcop.20402.

Office of Adolescent Health | Website: http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/TAG Twitter: @TeenHealthGov Email: TAGTEAM@hhs.gov