To initiate a primary prevention program in a Midwestern urban community consisting primarily of Chicanos, needs were assessed by conducting focus group meetings with school administrators, teachers, parents, and children in a public school setting. In each student focus group, 8-10 children were selected from a seventh-grade classroom, an eighth-grade classroom, and a mixed seventh/eighth-grade bilingual classroom. Fifteen parents participated in the parent group, and 6 teachers comprised the teacher group. Aspirations included academic achievement; the desire to attend a "good" high school, which students defined as a public magnet high school with advanced curriculum and no gang violence; occupations that would provide financial stability; good health; and personal safety. Barriers to aspirations included peer pressure to engage in risky behaviors such as drugs, sex, or gang membership; interpersonal and random violence; a lack of interpersonal relationships with significant adults such as parents, older siblings, or teachers; inaccessible teachers; and low self-confidence. Community strengths identified included the school as a safe haven, healthy personal relationships, community programs, and after-school activities. Implications for prevention programming include forging more personal relationships between teachers and families; initiating policy changes and interventions to counteract violence problems; integrating self-confidence, assertiveness, and communication training into school programs; and providing more after-school activities. (Contains 20 references.) (TD)