Foster Positive Youth Development Research Articles

Teaching Core Values through Physical Activity Using a Tangible Item

To foster positive youth development (PYD), sport organizations, programs, coaches, and program leaders should use holistic youth development in a pro-social manner and provide a nurturing climate. This article offers an idea for a tangible way to promote PYD in sport and physical activity settings via a patch system.

Effect of Martial Arts Training on Self-Esteem and Discipline in Youth in South Korea

Purpose: The aim of the study was to analyze the effect of martial arts training on self-esteem and discipline in youth in South Korea. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: Research on martial arts training in South Korea shows positive impacts on youth self-esteem and discipline. Through rigorous training, youth gain confidence and a sense of accomplishment. Additionally, martial arts emphasize discipline and respect, fostering focus and adherence to rules. Overall, martial arts serve as a holistic approach to youth development, promoting physical, psychological, and emotional well-being. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Self-determination theory (SDT), bandura's social learning theory (SLT) & cultural psychology may be used to anchor future studies on martial arts training on self-esteem and discipline in youth in South Korea. Martial arts organizations and instructors should prioritize creating supportive and inclusive training environments that foster positive youth development. Integration of martial arts programs into school curricula and youth development initiatives should be supported through policy initiatives at the national and local levels.

Exploring the use of individualized consideration by minor hockey coaches

Transformational leadership has been presented as a tool for coaches to foster positive youth development. One component of this concept is individualized consideration (IC), where leaders show care through supporting their followers’ individual needs. Examining the unique context of minor hockey will provide a more nuanced and complex description of IC. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to demonstrate how minor hockey coaches consider individual differences and tailor their practice to athletes’ needs. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 10 male minor hockey coaches whose teams consisted of 9- to 13-year-old, predominantly male, athletes. Findings show these coaches demonstrated the use of IC through three steps (a) gathering information about their athletes (e.g. engaging in interactions), (b) assessing individual needs (e.g. developmental) and (c) acting to support IC (e.g. adjusting coaching practices). Findings suggest (a) IC can be implemented to support basic and more complex needs of athletes, (b) IC can be implemented with teams of athletes and (c) the context of minor hockey is constraining the implementation of IC.

Sport and Physical Activity for Positive Youth Development Related to Social and Emotional Learning: Reflections From the Know-Do Gap

Physical activity programs in school and community settings have the potential to foster positive youth development related to social and emotional learning. However, research findings and best practices that promote these outcomes are often not implemented in practice. The field of implementation science can help researchers understand and navigate the barriers to implementing what we know from research into policy and practice (i.e., to bridge the know-do gap). In this paper, after describing positive youth development, social emotional learning, and their application in physical activity settings, I share reflections from my engaged scholarship with the teaching personal and social responsibility model to illustrate ways my collaborators and I have tried to address the know-do gap. Lessons learned about ways that kinesiology researchers can actively support the implementation of our research in society are discussed.

Mitigating Rural Adolescent Trauma: Remote Delivery of a Trauma-Informed Yoga Intervention During COVID-19.

Given the prevalence of childhood trauma in rural Montana, this project is intended to help mitigate stressors that may contribute to poor behavioral and mental health in high school-aged children, which may be exacerbated by the collective trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic. The immediate goal was to measure physical and mental health outcomes in adolescents resulting from a remotely delivered trauma-informed yoga intervention designed to foster positive youth development. Our study builds on the successes from an initial feasibility pilot study one year prior in order to evaluate a more robust intervention comparing experimental and control group outcomes. Students at a small, rural high school in Montana volunteered to participate in a 6-week, twice-weekly trauma-informed yoga intervention in their physical education class. Validated survey measures, including the PHQ-A, GAD-7, and ACE-Q instruments, were utilized to measure mental health outcomes pre- vs. post-intervention. Salivary cortisol levels were also measured pre-, mid-, and post-intervention. Statistically significant declines in cortisol levels and improvements in sleep duration were noted when comparing experimental vs. control groups. Noteworthy declines in depression and anxiety levels were also seen when comparing the treatment to control groups. Descriptive differences between the control and experimental groups illustrate the mental health benefits of reduced anxiety and depressive symptoms in rural adolescents resulting from a remotely delivered trauma-informed yoga intervention. Our study holds the potential for a long-term public health impact in reducing adolescent rates of anxiety and depression while mitigating trauma in geographically isolated settings. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier:NCT04664855.

The Role of Developmental Assets in Gender Differences in Anxiety in Spanish Youth.

Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychological disorders during emerging adulthood. Some consistent gender differences have been reported in anxiety with women suffering more anxiety than men, which has detrimental consequences in most life spheres in the youth and later life stages. The understanding of the development of anxiety in emerging adulthood requires a developmental perspective. The Developmental Assets Theory was postulated to describe the individual and the contextual resources which may foster positive youth development and mental health. The present study aims to analyze to what extent the gender differences in anxiety may be partly explained by gender differences in developmental assets. For this purpose, a cross-sectional study was conducted in which a sample of 1,044 youths (75.5% women; age range = 18–28; M age = 20.47, SD = 3.08) enrolled in 11 universities from different regions in Spain filled in self-report measures of developmental assets and anxiety symptoms. The participants completed an online survey with the scales, Developmental Assets Profile developed by the Search Institute (1) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) (2). The results showed more anxiety in the female subsample (at both the symptoms and clinical levels). Some gender differences in developmental assets were also observed. A partial mediation model, based on regression analyses, indicated that gender differences in anxiety were partly explained by gender differences in developmental assets. Thus, higher anxiety in the women was partly due to lower scores in positive identity and higher scores in positive values. These results suggested the need to design programs to prevent anxiety with specific measures for women youth to nurture positive identity and promote strengths and coping skills that allow them to get the benefits of well-being derived from positive values, thus, preventing worry and stress overload, which may lead to anxiety.

Facilitating life skills transfer from sport to the classroom: An intervention assisting a high school teacher-coach

Sport has been deemed a favorable context to foster positive youth development and life skills. However, researchers have cautioned for vigilance before assuming that sport naturally leads to positive developmental outcomes. An important aspect in understanding sport participation outcomes consists of examining how sport leaders facilitate the development and transfer of life skills. In the context of Canadian high school sport, teacher-coaches are considered key adults in the delivery of sport programs. Informed by the Pierce et al. life skills transfer model and the Bean et al. life skills continuum, an intervention was implemented, using action research principles, with a high school teacher-coach to facilitate student-athletes’ life skills transfer from sport to the classroom. Data were collected via pre-post intervention interviews with the teacher-coach, post-intervention interviews with five student-athletes, coach observations, and a researcher reflective journal. A thematic analysis was conducted to examine the contextual and psychological factors influencing life skills development and transfer. Results indicated that the teacher-coach played an important role in influencing contextual and psychological factors, in both the sport and the classroom, which shaped student-athletes’ life skills development and transfer experiences. Implications for coach education are discussed as they relate to the benefits of on-the-ground support for coaches to promote positive youth development. Lay summary: An intervention was implemented to help a high school teacher-coach learn how to facilitate life skills transfer from sport to the classroom. Several factors were shown to influence student-athletes’ ability to transfer their life skills from sport to the classroom. The results are discussed in relation to their theoretical, methodological, and practical implications. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE A life skills transfer intervention was designed to take advantage of the privileged position of teacher-coaches who hold considerable influence in both sport and in the classroom. For the athletes, being taught life skills by the same person in two different school contexts appeared to be conducive to transfer, thereby reinforcing the importance of consistent messaging. Awareness, support, and confidence were shown to be key factors in enabling the athletes to transfer their life skills beyond sport.

Screen Time for Children and Adolescents During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic.

The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to laws and policies including national school closures, lockdown or shelter in place laws, and social distancing recommendations that may translate to higher overall screen time among children and adolescents for the duration of these laws and policies. These policies may need to be periodically re-instated to control future COVID-19 recurrences or other national emergencies. Excessive screen time is associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance because it increases sedentary time and is associated with snacking.

Insights into Creating and Implementing Project SCORE!: Lessons Learned and Future Pathways

This article offers insight about the creation and implementation of a self-directed online tool called Project SCORE (www.projectscore.ca) which aims to help coaches and parents foster positive youth development through sport. More specifically, in this paper we describe (a) how Project SCORE was created, (b) its evolution to enable better developmental outcomes across diverse socio-cultural contexts, (c) the lessons learned throughout the delivery of Project SCORE, and (d) future pathways for researchers, coaches, parents and other stakeholders interested in implementing Project SCORE.

Cultivation of Natural Mentors to Strengthen Resiliency in Youth: A Program Theory of Youth Initiated Mentoring (YIM)

Natural mentoring relationships are supportive relationships that form organically between youth and important non-parental adults (e.g., friends, teachers, athletic coaches, extended family members) from within their existing social networks. These relationships are thought to foster positive youth development and buffer against risks, particularly those associated with the transitions that characterize adolescence. Providing youth with the opportunity to identify and engage a non-parental adult from their social network in a mentoring relationship constitutes the Youth Initiated Mentoring (YIM) approach. The current article describes the aim and context of this new approach, its target population, the intended individual and societal outcomes, and how these outcomes may be achieved. We also describe various YIM program models addressing universal, Dr. Levi Van Dam researcher at the University of Amsterdam and founder of the Dutch YIM foundation 4 Journal of Social Intervention: Theory and Practice – 2020 – Volume 29, Issue 1 Cultivation of Natural Mentors to Strengthen Resiliency in Youth selective, and indicated preventative approaches. Our goal is to provide social work practitioners with the tools to carry out their work and to provide direction for researchers to test hypotheses about YIM.

Study protocol for a 2-year longitudinal study of positive youth development at an urban sport for development facility

BackgroundYouth facing barriers created by social marginalization are at a greater risk of adverse health outcomes, lower educational and occupational attainment, and decreased overall quality of life as adults. The negative psychosocial and physiological consequences of significant barriers to positive development during youth may be mitigated by interventions promoting physical activity, psychosocial development, and healthy behaviours. Sport for Development programming is a possible opportunity for youth facing barriers to engage in activities that foster positive youth development, which may improve socioeconomic outcomes, quality of life and long-term health status in this population. This paper outlines the study protocol measuring impact of an urban Sport for Development facility on positive youth development in youth facing barriers.Methods/designParticipants aged 6–29 will be recruited from programs at an urban Sport for Development facility to a 2-year prospective longitudinal mixed-methods study. Participants will be stratified by age into three cohorts with age-specific outcomes. Age-specific positive youth development outcomes will be assessed quantitatively by self-report and pedometer at baseline and after 6 months, 1-year, and 2-years of program participation. Focus groups will provide data regarding youth experience and the impact of facility and program components on youth outcomes.DiscussionOur findings will inform best-practice and feasibility of a Sport for Development facility delivering programs in a socially and economically challenged urban setting in a high-income country.Trial registrationISRCTN67016999. Date of registration: October 22, 2019.

Facilitating Positive Youth Development in Elite Youth Hockey: Exploring Coaches’ Capabilities, Opportunities, and Motivations

Youth sport has been identified as a viable means to facilitate positive youth development (PYD) and nurture fully prepared and contributing adults. However, questions have arisen regarding elite youth sport as a context to effectively foster PYD, and specifically the role of the coach in this process. To explore how coaches facilitate PYD in elite youth sport, the first author immersed himself in the elite youth hockey setting as an assistant coach. Using an ethnographic research design, he observed four AAA minor hockey head coaches of four teams in a large urban center in Ontario over the course of one season. In addition, each coach participated in two semistructured interviews. Framed within the COM-B model, we examined how coaches’ capabilities, opportunities, and motivations influenced their behaviors related to facilitating PYD. The coaches discussed and demonstrated several behaviors (e.g., setting high standards, providing leadership opportunities, communicating with the athletes) with the potential to facilitate PYD; however, the sport structure (i.e., professional sports model that focuses on competition and performance from early childhood) often restricted their ability to do so. Further, coaches’ own motivations to achieve performance success presented a challenge to fostering PYD on some occasions. The results are situated within PYD literature and may evoke practical considerations for elite youth sport coaches aiming to foster PYD more effectively. Lay summary: Four AAA minor hockey coaches were interviewed and observed over the course of a season. Although the coaches were capable and motivated when it came to fostering the personal development of their players, the performance-oriented structure of the minor hockey system meant that coaches often prioritized winning over player development.

Engaging Youth as Influencers in Leadership Event Planning

Contemporary youth development requires a new approach to involving youth in more active, engaging, and influential leadership roles. Teens and youth program professionals recognize the need young leaders have for more mentorship and accountability from adults to grow into their leadership potential. This paper specifically addresses how youth development professionals can engage student leadership teams in co-designing experiences for teens through the role of influencers. In this role, young leaders radiate their influence both laterally among their peers and vertically among adult leaders, developing stronger networks and gaining valuable experience. This paper draws observations from two state-level programs, the Missouri FFA Leadership Camp and the Missouri 4-H Youth Civic Leaders Summit, as examples of effective and productive practice. The authors provide recommendations on how adult practitioners can gain buy-in from other adult coordinators, incorporate youth as influencers in leadership event planning, and foster positive youth development in the process.

Process and Outcome Evaluation of a Positive Youth Development-Focused Online Coach Education Course

Coach education courses can be designed to help youth sport coaches improve their ability to foster positive youth development (PYD). To date, few studies have investigated coaches’ perspectives on their participation in PYD-focused coach education courses, and even less have observed coaches in the act of coaching before, during, and after course delivery to assess the extent to which they are implementing course material. The purpose of the present study was to conduct a process and outcome evaluation of a PYD-focused coach education course that was delivered online. Participants were seven Portuguese youth sport coaches who coached athletes between 10 and 18 years of age. Data were collected through non-participant qualitative observations, field notes, semi-structured interviews, and reflective journals. Process evaluation findings indicated that the coaches felt the course was well structured and appropriately delivered, yet limited in its ability to effect change due to the absence of a practical co...

Does Natural Mentoring Matter? A Multilevel Meta-analysis on the Association Between Natural Mentoring and Youth Outcomes.

In this meta‐analytic review, we examined the relation between natural mentoring and youth outcomes in four domains: academic and vocational functioning, social‐emotional development, physical health, and psychosocial problems. Natural mentoring relationships are thought to foster positive youth development and buffer against the risks associated with the tumultuous years of adolescence. Two separate meta‐analyses were conducted on the presence of a natural mentor and the quality of the natural mentoring relationship, including thirty studies from 1992 to present. The findings indicated that the presence of a natural mentor was significantly associated with positive youth outcomes (r = .106). A larger effect size was found for the quality of the natural mentoring relationship in terms of relatedness, social support, and autonomy support (r = .208). The largest effect sizes were found for social‐emotional development and academic and vocational functioning. Risk‐status (e.g., teenage mothers, homeless youth, youth in foster care, and youth of alcoholic parents) did not moderate the relation between presence and quality of natural mentoring relationships and youth outcomes, which may indicate that natural mentors are generally beneficial for all youth regardless of risk‐status. Implications for theory and practice concerning the quality of the natural mentoring relationship are discussed.

Children as agents of social and community change: Enhancing youth empowerment through participation in a school-based social activism project

School-based social activism projects have much potential to foster civic engagement, self-efficacy, and positive youth development. Social activism projects may also be a means by which children, a group that is disempowered due to their age and dependence on adults, might seek to positively impact social and community problems. The current study evaluated elementary school age children’s (K-7th grade) participation in grassroots campaigns, which are year-long school-based activism projects that are a component of their school’s comprehensive social justice curriculum. Results found that even young children could successfully and meaningfully participate in these school-based activism projects. Additionally, students’ participation in these projects was characterized by a high level of enthusiasm and also facilitated a sense of community and empowerment in these children.

Examining the Importance of Intentionally Structuring the Youth Sport Context to Foster Needs Support and Positive Youth Development

Examining the Importance of Intentionally Structuring the Youth Sport Context to Foster Needs Support and Positive Youth Development

Community psychology and the capabilities approach.

What makes for a good life? The capabilities approach to this question has much to offer community psychology, particularly with respect to marginalized groups. Capabilities are freedoms to engage in valued social activities and roles-what people can do and be given both their capacities, and environmental opportunities and constraints. Economist Amartya Sen's focus on freedoms and agency resonates with psychological calls for empowerment, and philosopher Martha Nussbaum's specification of requirements for a life that is fully human provides an important guide for social programs. Community psychology's focus on mediating structures has much to offer the capabilities approach. Parallels between capabilities, as enumerated by Nussbaum, and settings that foster positive youth development, as described in a National Research Council Report (Eccles and Gootman (Eds) in Community programs to promote youth development. National Academy Press, Washington, 2002) suggest extensions of the approach to children. Community psychologists can contribute to theory about ways to create and modify settings to enhance capabilities as well as empowerment and positive youth development. Finally, capabilities are difficult to measure, because they involve freedoms to choose but only choices actually made or enacted can be observed. The variation in activities or goals across members of a setting provides a measure of the capabilities that the setting fosters.

Missing in the youth development literature: The organization as host, cage, and promise

Good, high-quality youth development programs require effective youth organizations. While youth organizations are commonly understood as valuable and supportive of healthy youth development, attention and focus on youth organizations in both scholarship and practice are missing within the youth development field. The authors advocate for a more distinct and clearer focus on youth organizations to foster positive youth development.

Impact of Early Adolescent Externalizing Problem Behaviors on Identity Development in Middle to Late Adolescence: A Prospective 7-Year Longitudinal Study

Adolescents at-risk for problem behaviors can have more difficulties in developing a firm sense of personal identity. Hence the purpose of this prospective longitudinal study was to scrutinize how externalizing problems in early adolescence impact identity development in middle to late adolescence. Participants were 443 (43.12% female) Dutch adolescents. Teachers rated their externalizing problem behaviors when participants were 11 or 12 years old and their identity formation was studied during five consecutive years (from 14 to 18 years of age). The sample was divided into four groups: boys and girls with a high versus a low-risk for externalizing problem behaviors. Participants completed a self-report measure of identity commitment, in-depth exploration, and reconsideration of commitment. Multi-group Latent Growth Curve and profile stability analyses were used to evaluate identity development across adolescence. Findings indicated that high-risk boys and girls reported a less structured identity, with lower levels of commitment and higher levels of reconsideration of commitment. Since externalizing problems behaviors and lack of a coherent sense of identity might reinforce each other, early intervention for high-risk adolescents might foster positive youth development.