A community risk assessment of Hawaiian Gardens, Californi

The purpose of this study was to complete a community risk assessment of Hawaiian Gardens, California, using the Communities That Care model. Data were collected on 43 indicators from multiple public sources and archival data to identify the factors placing Hawaiian Gardens' children at elevated risk for juvenile delinquency and substance abuse. Results from the risk factor data in the domains of community, family, school, and peer/individual were then utilized to prioritize the most salient risk factors impacting Hawaiian Gardens. The most prominent level of risk was found in the school domain as both risk factors were substantially elevated. The community domain had elevated risk factors in the area of availability of drugs and extreme economic deprivation. Within the family domain, a family history of the problem behavior was also elevated. Implications for social work practice, evidence-based prevention programs, and directions for future research are discussed.