Community Harm Risk Assessment Review Board and a Reflective Praxis Guide as a Radical Participatory Process for Harm Reduction in Participatory Action Research and Evaluation

This paper calls for the critical and ongoing examination of the often invisible harm that occurs in traditional participatory research (and evaluation) efforts. The authors argue that this harm is caused by and must be understood within the context of white supremacist and colonial systems that inf...

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Main Authors: Elizabeth McGee, Kaylyn Garcia, Ari Lord, Arielle Marinduque
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Specialty Publications 2023-12-01
Series:Journal of Participatory Research Methods
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.35844/001c.90162
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author Elizabeth McGee
Kaylyn Garcia
Ari Lord
Arielle Marinduque
author_facet Elizabeth McGee
Kaylyn Garcia
Ari Lord
Arielle Marinduque
author_sort Elizabeth McGee
collection DOAJ
description This paper calls for the critical and ongoing examination of the often invisible harm that occurs in traditional participatory research (and evaluation) efforts. The authors argue that this harm is caused by and must be understood within the context of white supremacist and colonial systems that inform practice standards and norms. In response, we introduce a Community Harm Risk Assessment (CHRA) Reflective Praxis Guide grounded in principles of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) and trauma-informed practices as a radical participatory process for harm reduction in evaluation and participatory research. This new approach is explored in the context of opening a Center to support the implementation of the CHRA and a Community Harm Risk Assessment Review Board (CHRARB), an initiative motivated by the lead author’s nearly two decades of experience in conventional participatory research (and evaluation) methods and observing how these methods and the misuse of these methods, can cause more harm than healing to individuals and communities intended to benefit through our work. This paper will provide an overview of the literature that speaks to observed limitations currently present in participatory research methods, share harmful practices present in participatory research (and evaluation) work, and introduce the Center, CHRARB, and CHRA reflective praxis guide for practitioners, applied researchers, and evaluators to address harm with more intentionality in their work, as well as strategically shift research and evaluation practices away from colonial and white supremacist norms.
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spelling doaj-art-2b893871400e487aaaebfaa6eef61fff2025-08-20T03:20:54ZengSpecialty PublicationsJournal of Participatory Research Methods2688-02612023-12-014310.35844/001c.90162Community Harm Risk Assessment Review Board and a Reflective Praxis Guide as a Radical Participatory Process for Harm Reduction in Participatory Action Research and EvaluationElizabeth McGeeKaylyn GarciaAri LordArielle MarinduqueThis paper calls for the critical and ongoing examination of the often invisible harm that occurs in traditional participatory research (and evaluation) efforts. The authors argue that this harm is caused by and must be understood within the context of white supremacist and colonial systems that inform practice standards and norms. In response, we introduce a Community Harm Risk Assessment (CHRA) Reflective Praxis Guide grounded in principles of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) and trauma-informed practices as a radical participatory process for harm reduction in evaluation and participatory research. This new approach is explored in the context of opening a Center to support the implementation of the CHRA and a Community Harm Risk Assessment Review Board (CHRARB), an initiative motivated by the lead author’s nearly two decades of experience in conventional participatory research (and evaluation) methods and observing how these methods and the misuse of these methods, can cause more harm than healing to individuals and communities intended to benefit through our work. This paper will provide an overview of the literature that speaks to observed limitations currently present in participatory research methods, share harmful practices present in participatory research (and evaluation) work, and introduce the Center, CHRARB, and CHRA reflective praxis guide for practitioners, applied researchers, and evaluators to address harm with more intentionality in their work, as well as strategically shift research and evaluation practices away from colonial and white supremacist norms.https://doi.org/10.35844/001c.90162
spellingShingle Elizabeth McGee
Kaylyn Garcia
Ari Lord
Arielle Marinduque
Community Harm Risk Assessment Review Board and a Reflective Praxis Guide as a Radical Participatory Process for Harm Reduction in Participatory Action Research and Evaluation
Journal of Participatory Research Methods
title Community Harm Risk Assessment Review Board and a Reflective Praxis Guide as a Radical Participatory Process for Harm Reduction in Participatory Action Research and Evaluation
title_full Community Harm Risk Assessment Review Board and a Reflective Praxis Guide as a Radical Participatory Process for Harm Reduction in Participatory Action Research and Evaluation
title_fullStr Community Harm Risk Assessment Review Board and a Reflective Praxis Guide as a Radical Participatory Process for Harm Reduction in Participatory Action Research and Evaluation
title_full_unstemmed Community Harm Risk Assessment Review Board and a Reflective Praxis Guide as a Radical Participatory Process for Harm Reduction in Participatory Action Research and Evaluation
title_short Community Harm Risk Assessment Review Board and a Reflective Praxis Guide as a Radical Participatory Process for Harm Reduction in Participatory Action Research and Evaluation
title_sort community harm risk assessment review board and a reflective praxis guide as a radical participatory process for harm reduction in participatory action research and evaluation
url https://doi.org/10.35844/001c.90162
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