Youth Participation In Activities Research Articles

From ‘harmful sexual behaviour’ to ‘harmful sexual culture’: addressing school-related sexual and gender-based violence among young people in England through ‘post-digital sexual citizenship’

ABSTRACT Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in schools in England is a pressing concern, especially since the ‘Everyone’s Invited’ movement laid bare the extent of the problem across the country. This article analyses the national policy context, asserting that SGBV is a systemic problem rooted in young people’s school and online peer cultures that requires transformative solutions, involving active youth participation. We introduce and explore the utility of the concept of postdigital sexual citizenship. We contrast this approach with the prevailing behavioural science ‘nudge’ philosophy of government policy making and societal discussions on youth sexuality and rights currently shaping Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) discourse and policy in England. Challenging adult-centric, top-down methods and instead empowering young people as post-digital sexual citizens entitled to comprehensive RSE is vital. While our focus is on England, the arguments apply globally to jurisdictions tackling SGBV in schools.

ПРОЄКТУВАННЯ ТЕАТРАЛЬНО-ВИДОВИЩНИХ ЦЕНТРІВ ДЛЯ ДІТЕЙ ТА МОЛОДІ (на прикладі досвіду кафедри дизайну архітектурного середовища)

The article explores the influence of educational, research, and competitive design of theatrical and spectacle buildings developed by professors and students of the Department of Architectural Environment Design at the Institute of Architecture and Design National University "Lviv Polytechnic". Within the framework of the contemporary cultural and educational environment, where active youth participation is a vital component of cultural development, there is a necessity for the creation of adaptive, innovative spaces for creativity and communication. The persistence of outdated architectural forms, characteristic of the Soviet period, particularly in segments like theaters for young audiences and puppet theaters, is emphasized. The absence of innovation in these types of structures at the beginning of the 21st century is noted, especially concerning theatrical and spectacle institutions such as theaters for young audiences and puppet theaters, which continue to exist but do not meet the modern needs for quality cultural education of Ukrainian youth. An analysis of over ten projects at all levels shows that a significant portion not only reproduces the concepts of architects from the second half of the 20th century but also incorporates elements inherited from theatrical and spectacle buildings of the former USSR. However, in recent years, the Lviv architectural school, particularly following the establishment of the Department of Architectural Environment Design, has shown a tendency towards experimentation and the search for innovative solutions for the architecture of the future. This is evidenced by the results of educational and competitive design projects, as well as the introduction of special courses that revive the ideas of futuristic architecture from the last century. Achievements in this field reflect the architectural visions of renowned masters such as F. Kiesler and I. Leonidov, as well as contemporary researchers like A. Quarmby, K. Tange, B. Fuller, G. Golmin and G. Kreiger, who explore the possibilities of future architecture. The article provides a classification of theatrical and spectacle centers for children and youth. The author discusses factors that continue to negatively impact the development of theatrical and spectacle centers in Ukraine in the future. The experience of designing research, educational, and competitive projects, exemplified by the activities of the Department of Architectural Environment Design, demonstrates that it can find application in the applied architectural and construction industry of the country as a whole.

Evaluating Ghana’s Youth-Centered Food-Security Policies: A Collaborative Governance Approach

Food-security issues remain essential for decision-makers at all levels in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and youth-oriented food-security policies in Ghana are no exception. While there are no “one-size-fits-all” policy pathways to eradicate poverty and hunger, various governments, civil society, youth groups, and citizens can afford to ignore the present food policies’ status quo. This paper examines the perspective of sustainability when collaborative and open governance approaches are adopted by central governments and their sub-national departments, institutions, and agencies in youth-oriented food-security policymaking, implementation, and evaluation. The extent to which active stakeholder participation and collaboration, or the lack thereof, has either negatively or positively impacted food-security policies is another tangent this paper explores, including the sustainability of the youth-centered food-security policies in Ghana. Using qualitative documentary analysis technique through collaborative and open governance frameworks and drawing on the literature on multisectoral governance and youth-focused food-security policies, this paper identifies several disjointed youth-focused food-security intervention policies in Ghana with hazy institutional arrangements that have failed to ensure adequate implementation and assessment to promote cooperation, accountability, and transparency. The paper suggests the need for collaborative governance, effective policy monitoring, and evaluation strategies that involve government institutions, departments, agencies, civic societies, youth organizations, and citizens’ commitments to food security. This research finds that collaborative strategies and active youth participation in all food-security-related policies are essential for Ghana to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1 and 2.

Tailor-Made Development Pathways: A Framework to Enhance Active Participation of Youth in Agriculture

The development of youth to actively engage in agriculture could address the persistent youth unemployment problem. For youth to actively engage in agriculture, adequate access to key productive resources is necessary. The main aim of this article is to develop and validate tailor-made development pathways based on the characteristics of four youth typologies, addressing the constrained access to key livelihood capitals, and to enhance the participation of youth in agriculture. The pathways are developed based on the Modified Sustainable Livelihood Framework (MSLF), which includes six livelihood capitals, namely, physical, natural, social, financial, human and psychological capitals. Four pathways were developed and named Business-oriented, Gender-oriented, Occupation-oriented and Livestock-oriented. Through focus group discussions, the pathways were validated to determine whether they can be used successfully to facilitate the participation of youths in agriculture. The results confirm that tailor-made development pathways can be used to develop youth characterised by the typology that informed that pathway, to actively engage in agriculture. The implementation of support strategies to support youth in agriculture, should therefore, be guided by the specific needs of different typologies. This allows for the coordination and coherence of youth support initiatives to enhance access to resources, which can yield improvements to desired development outcomes compared to initiatives implemented as piecemeals.

Youth Participation in Religious Activities and Nation Character Development in Indonesia

Almost every religion involves youth participation in activities; signifying growing awareness of the need for youths in the continuity of religious practices and vice versa, as young people depend on religion as a basis for good character in facing the challenges of their time. This study examines youth participation in understanding religion, especially Islam, and why participating in religious activities establishes itself in the context of migratory or young migrants. In doing so, this study explores the what, why and how forms of youth participation in such religious activities contribute to the development of national character. Further to this, youth participation in the Hijrah Fest is in line with the theory of a relational development system where relationships that occur between individuals such as youths in particular strengthen each other to form an independent hijrah community. Using qualitative methods, this study found that the Hijrah Fest is a social capital for the community, whose activities encourage many young people to be independent, work together and develop good morals. This is in line with the state's goal of developing the character of Indonesian youth. Hijrah Fest is also supports the vision of the Indonesian government in realizing a sovereign, independent youth personalities through such collaboration. Keywords: Youth participation, religion, hijrah fest, religious moderation, nation character.

Youth participation processes in longitudinal out of home care research

AbstractWhile there is growing recognition of the importance of meaningful youth participation in activities and decisions which impact their lives, facilitating such engagement within different forums requires varied approaches. A programme of youth research at one Western Australian university has sought to embed pathways for ongoing youth participation in longitudinal research. In particular, we discuss Navigating Through Life, a large‐scale WA research project comprising three sub‐studies exploring young people's transitions from out of home care (OOHC) to independence. We established a youth advisory group to run alongside the project and employed peer researchers to conduct research tasks. In this paper, we seek to explicate the development and various iterations of youth participation in the project. We utilise our reflections, interview data and documentation from YAG meetings and feedback sessions with the peer researchers to illustrate the processes of transformation and flexibility required to develop and maintain youth participation in various ways across the project's life. Drawing on our findings and current literature, we highlight how funding bodies and researchers must consider the additional needs, unique and changeable life circumstances of young people to best facilitate their involvement in research.

“75/25” Initiative for Hypertension: Setting Priority for Action

The epidemiological shift and the increase in noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) have been of concern in recent times. Hypertension is the primary cause of 10.8% of all fatalities in India. The rapid increase in cardiovascular diseases, spurred on by poor lifestyle choices, is a serious concern. The increasing burden of chronic diseases is shown by data from the Indian Council of Medical Research, which assigns 61.8% of fatalities in 2016 to NCDs. According to data from the World Health Organization, NCDs account for 63% of fatalities in India, whereas CVDs account for 27% of fatalities. The National Program for Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases and the India Hypertension Control Initiative are the main initiatives being used by India to tackle hypertension and NCDs. Effective management is hampered by low levels of awareness in rural regions, treatment compliance issues, health disparities, and challenges with data collection and monitoring. Government programs and active youth participation are acknowledged as vital components to lower hypertension and pave the road for a healthier future. The Indian government also supports expanding outreach to underserved communities, encouraging better lives, providing telemedicine options, and enhancing data gathering and research for battling hypertension.

Accounting for Heterogeneity among Youth: A Missing Link in Enhancing Youth Participation in Agriculture—A South African Case Study

Youth participation in the agricultural sector remains key to addressing youth unemployment. Young people represent a heterogeneous social group with markedly diverse social and economic needs that require tailor-made support interventions to enhance their participation in agricultural activities. The main objective of this article was to develop distinct youth typologies informed by diverse endowment of livelihood assets, including the psychological assets and entrepreneurial characteristics that shape young people’s career and livelihood choices, including participation in agriculture. A two-stage multivariate analytical approach was applied using principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) to formulate youth typologies. Seven clusters were identified. The seven distinct clusters representing youth typologies were named “Training beneficiaries with access to extension”, “Job secure”, “Females endowed with negative psychological capital”, “Opportunist and determined livestock farmers”, “Social grant reliant”, “Resource poor traditional livestock farmers” and “Non-farming income with access to credit”. The results confirm that young people are indeed a heterogeneous group with diverse support needs. Unpacking the interrelated and multidimensional complexities among the youth is a vital take-off point to inform effective policy and tailor-made support interventions and effectively foster active youth participation in agriculture and related activities. We argue that support initiatives should not only address access to physical resources, but should also foster the development of soft skills such as entrepreneurial skills and boosting the psychological capital of young people while addressing gender inequalities.

ASSESSMENT OF YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS: AN EXPERIENCE FROM MEKELLE, ETHIOPIA, EASTERN AFRICA

The main objective of the study was to assess the level of youth participation in Community Development programs. The cross sectional research design was used for this study. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected from the primary and secondary source to meet stated study objectives. The primary data was collected from the sample respondents. The secondary data was collected from related annual reports, progress reports, published and un-published documents, journals, books, internet and other sources. Quantitative and qualitative data collection methods were used. The study used simple random sampling technique to select sample respondents. The study results revealed that youths were interested to participate in sports and recreation activities, entrepreneurship and artistic activities. However, all respondents agreed that there were limited sport and recreation centers in the study area so that youths were not enjoyed more according their interest. The study also indicated that majority of youth were not involved in needs assessment level, prioritization stage, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation stage of the community development programs. This implies that youth are not given opportunity to involve in the community development process in the study area. The study further revealed that, youth were motivating to participate in community development programs, to learn new skills, experiences and to achieve personal goals. Therefore, for effective, genuine and active youth participation, government, non-government and other youth concerned organizations priority should be given to designing program activities that meets youth new skills, experiences and personal goals.

The Role of Formal Policy to Promote Informed Consent of Psychotropic Medications for Youth in Child Welfare Custody: A National Examination

Active participation of youth and surrogate decision-makers in providing informed consent and assent for mental health treatment is critical. However, the procedural elements of an informed consent process, particularly for youth in child welfare custody, are not well defined. Given calls for psychotropic medication oversight for youth in child welfare custody, this study proposes a taxonomy for the procedural elements of informed consent policies based upon formal and informal child welfare policies and then examines whether enacted state formal policies across the United States endorsed these elements. A sequential multi-method study design included: (1) semi-structured interviews with key informants (n = 58) primarily from state child welfare agencies to identify a taxonomy of procedural elements for informed consent of psychotropic medications and then (2) a legislative review of the 50 states and D.C. to characterize whether formal policies endorsed each procedural element through February 2022. Key informants reported five procedural elements in policy, including how to: (1) gather social and medical history, (2) prescribe the medication, (3) authorize its use through consent and youth assent, (4) notify relevant stakeholders, and (5) routinely review the consenting decision. Twenty-three states endorsed relevant legislation; however, only two states specified all five procedural elements. Additionally, the content of a procedural element, when included, varied substantively across policies. Further research and expert consensus are needed to set best practices and guide policymakers in setting policies to advance transparency and accountability for informed consent of mental health treatment among youth in child welfare custody.

Will you listen to us?: A study highlighting the voice of Kashmiri youth to understand what influences their moral decision making

The world today faces varying forms of crises in every country – be it the global pandemic, religious conflict, or political instability. The impact of such crises is evident in learning spaces and lived experiences of youth in conflict regions. In this presentation, I highlight the influence of conflict and an unstable education system on the moral decision-making of Kashmiri youth. Based on a phenomenological framework and narrative methodology, preliminary findings from interviews on the experiences and opinions of Kashmiri youth, indicate that young people are leaving Kashmir in search of better education and a safer space to express themselves freely. The participants in my study highlight the impact of religion and biased governance in Kashmir that have exacerbated the social challenges faced by the youth. Echoing the findings of similar conflict studies, the Kashmiri youth emphasise that the discouraging education system, an uncertain future, and lack of avenues to express themselves have led to the active participation of youth in the fight for freedom and peace. There is added agitation in the youth due to their disconnect with the rest of the country and world. Studies suggest that educational instability and prolonged exposure to violence influence moral decision-making of youth (Ahad et al., 2019; Majumdar, 2019; Zucchelli & Ugazio, 2019). This research foregrounds the otherwise marginalised and silenced perspectives and voice of Kashmir’s youth. I suggest implications of this study for youth in other conflict regions.

Modernization of local government development programms in the field of youth policy (in case of Dnipropetrovsk region)

The article analyzes the local self-government development programs in the field of youth policy (in the case of Dnipropetrovsk region), especially innovative forms and methods of cooperation with youth. The particularities of youth involvement to public administration activity on the city, restrict, rural territorial communities’ levels are investigated. It’s argued that the transformation of value approaches in the organization of public administration is depend on the realization of market-liberal and democratic values, which influences on the activities of public authorities, which is especially noticeable at the local level. Decentralization processes have opened a «window of opportunities» for the youth’s involvement to the public policy-making processes. Seeking the new mechanisms and generating new ideas to intensify the processes of involving young citizens in public local affairs and to solve particularly significant problems is a new challenge in the activities of local governments. There is a need to find appropriate innovative forms and methods of engagement with young people, in particular in youth development programs in the field of youth policy, as well as in the context of finding new organizational forms of activity.
 According to the concept of sustainable development, it most often refers to the activities and development of modern states, regions, communities for the sake of security and the capabilities of future generations of citizens. In this context youth participation in society is not limited to forming an active part of the public or building democracy in the future. It is about the need to create a level playing field for participation in socially important affairs in determining this future. For participation in society to be meaningful to young people and a justifiable part of their lives, living space, it is essential that they be able to influence decisions and take action at a young age, not just at a later stage in their lives.
 There are different approaches to understanding the level of youth participation in these processes: discussion and decision making. The institutional involvement of young people in local and regional affairs involves the introduction of appropriate structures or mechanisms that will enable young people to participate in the decision making and discussion of decisions that affect them and may affect their lives. Accordingly, forms of representative participation on a permanent basis are proposed, but are not limited to youth councils, youth parliaments, youth forums. This approach facilitates a rethinking of opportunities for youth policy implementation at the regional level and shifts the focus in terms of decentralization of the Ukrainian authorities from «youth work» to «active youth participation». Changes in the functions of public authorities in the sphere of youth policy implementation: dialogue and partnership; consultancy; active involvement in counseling. According to the author, one of these forms could be creation of regional councils of Youth Associations – a permanent advisory and advisory body.

Designing of A Network Infrastructure to Promote Active Participation of Youth in Local Community Revitalization

Designing of A Network Infrastructure to Promote Active Participation of Youth in Local Community Revitalization

YOUTH POLICY MONITORING AS A TOOL FOR DEVELOPING SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY IN LOCAL MUNICIPALITY

The social capital of youth as a social segment is a major resource to contribute to any country’s social sustainability. Social sustainability requires active youth participation in solving the issues that are important for local communities and education as a main source for youth knowledge, skills and opinions. Youth policy is a tool, which enables the state and municipalities to work with youth and stimulate their interest to participate. Ongoing research activities concerning youth policy significance for developing social sustainability usually are prepared at a more global scale, although, there is also a need at local municipality level. Scientific experience indicates that youth policy monitoring contributes to wider understanding of youth needs, as well as possible participation forms in solving the topical issues for local society. Additionally, youth policy monitoring that is based on youth knowledge and opinions brightly demonstrates the results of the previous and areas for the future educational work with youth. In Latvia, to date, youth research has been fragmentary and still has not gained the position of an independent discipline. Additionally, there is no sufficient experience in youth policy monitoring at municipal level. The aim of the article is to analyse youth policy at municipal level and provide feedback for municipality and non-formal education that is more flexible and allows to realize youth policy and may support needs of each municipality. A case study in one Latvian municipality is presented as an example, which includes a youth policy monitoring, a survey conducted among 401 respondents using eight major youth policy fields as stipulated in the European Union’s Strategy for Youth. Results from the obtained data, recommendations are proposed for a more effective implementation of youth policy, understanding fields for more active educational work for promoting social sustainability in a local community. The results and discussed approach for youth policy monitoring can be applied practically at the level of local municipality for planning educational work with youth. Key words: youth policy monitoring, “youth policy implementation index”, social sustainability, local municipality, education.

KAJIAN HUKUM AKTIVITAS KEPEMUDAAN DAN KEHIDUPAN SOSIAL DI KOTA SAMARINDA” “Legal Studies Youth Activities and Social Life in Samarinda

Very important role of youth in the development process is ongoing because the youth is a segment that has great energy and innovation high that can be utilized as much as possible. Exclusion of youth in the development process will only lead to negative impacts that will hinder the development process. Necessary strategies are carried out systematically to address the complexity of youth problems both in terms of positive and negative. Increased youth participation in all aspects of human life and attention as well as engage youth in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all policies and programs in various fields of life and the development of a strategy for the attention and experience on youth issues as an integral dimension. Some important things that underlie the study of youth which are the aspirations of young people should be no one noticed, the opportunity for young people to take greater responsibility, capacity building and empowering youth and active participation of youth in all stages of program design, implementation and evaluation.

Young People Leading Change in Domestic Violence Prevention: R4Respect

Active youth participation models that tackle major social problems can promote positive youth development and wellbeing. Implementation and evaluation of youth participation models to curtail violence in families and other intimate relationships is limited. The present study reports on a process evaluation of a new youth participation model called R4Respect that features a peer-led approach to respectful relationships education, which is aimed at preventing domestic violence. The evaluation uses qualitative methods, based on interviews with youth participants and adult external stakeholders, drawing on the Tiffany–Eckenrode Program Participation Scale. The evaluation demonstrates that R4Respect is successfully engaging young people as decision-makers and peer-educators in strategies aimed at improving the understanding young people have of what constitutes respect in relationships. The R4Respect model shows that young people can fulfil an important role in the prevention of domestic violence.

Youth Policy in the Context of Smart Socialization

Youth policy can be defined as the entirety of systems and measures, aspiring for the most favourable terms for personal maturity of a young person and successful integration into society. The main principle and main tool for reaching goals in the field of youth policy is youth work. Youth work covers a broad scope of activities of a social, cultural, educational or political nature by, with, and for young people. Increasingly, such activities also include sport and services for young people. Youth work is based on non-formal and informal learning processes, and has a unique role as a provider of non-formal learning opportunities to all young people. Youth worker is a very important figure in youth work (youth worker in Lithuania is seen as a specialist who implements public policy rather than a representative of a certain profession). Youth worker is an adult who works with young people in their leisure time and encourages their personal and social development through work with individuals, groups or communities. Lithuania has developed a good institutional model of youth policy that creates space and good conditions for the formation of youth social competencies and successful integration into active public life as well as integration or reintegration into the educational system or the labor market. Youth work is well-developed too, but some challenges are still on the road. The proper infrastructure (open youth centers and spaces) has been developed and youth work is carried out by employees with the appropriate expertise. But at the same time it is identified that still not all Lithuanian regions have established youth centers and open spaces that can provide young people with quality education and self-expression. None of Lithuanian higher education institutions prepare youth workers; this fact is deepening the future problem that there will be no suitable professionals capable of providing those services. Municipalities are suggested to actively establish youth centers and open spaces in the missing areas. It is considered as an example that social workers, social pedagogues could be retrained to youth workers qualifications, thereby increasing their competencies and developing the ability to provide quality services to youth centers and open spaces. At the state level, it is necessary to ensure the dissemination of the youth work outcomes in order to form a positive image of the youth work system and show the results of what is accomplished through the youth work as a tool in the context of other policies, e.g. social policy and employment policy. Based on the analysis of young people involvement in youth programs and activities as well as monitoring the unemployment development trends and forecasts of young people (under 25 years), it is presumed that an active youth participation in social life, like youth work and youth organizations, has a positive influence on more successful integration of young people into the labor market. Keywords: youth policy, youth work, integration, social inclusion, smart socialization. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15823/su.2015.31

YOUTH AND ADULT PERSPECTIVES ON VIOLENCE PREVENTION STRATEGIES: A COMMUNITY‐BASED PARTICIPATORY STUDY

This project explores the beliefs and perspectives of urban adults and youth regarding community violence prevention strategies and identifies points of overlap and differences of opinion that can contribute to the development of successful youth violence prevention programs. We coded transcript data from adults and 10–16‐year‐old youth from the same community. Research team members, including a community member research partner, created coding terms for theme development and summary statements. Adult and youth responses centered around three distinct themes: activities for youth, barriers to youth participation in activities, and ideal violence prevention strategies. When discussing community violence prevention strategies, adults and youth agreed on the importance of adult supervision, the need to improve safe transit to and egress from common sites of youth activities, and removing trash from the community. Healthcare and social service providers should take these methods and findings into consideration when counseling patients or clients.

Beyond the Moral Panic: The Good Governance Option to Youth Socio-Economic Empowerment in Nigeria

The protracted economic crisis that plaque Nigeria since the early 1980s has impacted negatively on the well-being of youth in the country. The situation is further exacerbated by the high incidence of state failure and the crisis of governance, characterised by the massive deterioration of government institutions, pervasive poverty, corruption and the near total collapse of moral and ethical standards in the country. This has occasioned the worsening and continued deterioration of the socio-economic condition of youth thereby, creating a myriad of problems ranging from poverty, unemployment, drug and substance abuse, family disintegration, crime, violence, frustration and despair. While several attempts have been made to solve youth problems in Nigeria, the outcomes of these initiatives have been sub-optimal, as most existing policies designed to empower youth are borne out of ‘moral panicky’ measures, rather than being genuinely geared towards solving the problem. These policies emanate more out of fear of the negative consequences of youth responses to their poor situation, than in fundamentally addressing the factors responsible for the situation. The good governance option thus, becomes imperative; owing to the prominence it accords structures and processes in achieving outcomes. Its propensity to generate trust and reciprocity in the exercise of authority facilitates order, stability and continuity in state-society interaction that in turn guarantees the sustainability of these outcomes in the long-run. Utilizing secondary data, the study examines the nature and causes of the deteriorating conditions of youth socio-economic situation in Nigeria. It also explores the option of good governance as a panacea, with particular emphasis on active youth participation in policy initiatives, accountability, transparency and effective service delivery.

Youth:risk? More safety for young people by risk competence learning – from concept to implementation

Risky behaviour is fun, but it may harm.DescriptionThe AdRisk project Community action on adolescents and injury risk (EU Public Health Programme) has delivered recommendations and good practices on risk competence...