Findings From the Community Youth Development Study

This chapter describes a randomized controlled trial of the CTC system to show that it is possible to use this type of rigorous methodology to evaluate a community-based prevention system. This project, the Community Youth Development Study (CYDS), involved 24 communities in seven U.S. states. The methods used to recruit communities and state-level partners to the trial, as well as the measures used to collect data from community key leaders, service providers, coalition leaders, and youth in CTC and control communities, are described. The chapter also summarizes the study’s findings, including desired changes in community-level processes, youth-reported risk and protective factors, and youth-reported behavioral health problems. Estimates of CTC’s cost benefits are provided.