Promotion Of Positive Youth Development Research Articles

The development of the 5Cs of positive youth development in a school year: A 3-wave longitudinal study of Slovenian youth during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The paper analyses the longitudinal pathways for the 5Cs of positive youth development outcomes (Competence, Confidence, Character, Caring, Connection) in a school context during the COVID-19 pandemic. The theoretical framework for the paper is provided by the Positive youth development (PYD) perspective, which focuses on the importance of the interplay between individual characteristics and contexts. In the period of adolescence, school and its characteristics are one of the most influential contexts for the promotion of positive youth development. Therefore, the paper focused on the changes in the 5Cs in one school year using the methodology of longitudinal research (latent growth modeling) with three measurement points (beginning of the school year, middle of the school year, and the end of the school year). We used a sample of Slovenian youth (N = 1241 participants; 59,5% female; M age = 15.35, SD = 1.21) who participated in the PYD-SI-MODEL study and responded to the PYD questionnaire during the current COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, we tested whether the development of the 5Cs in a school year differed by gender, age, and school level (lower-secondary, upper-secondary). The results indicated a significant decrease in Connection, Caring, and Character from the beginning to the end of the school year and an increase in Competence and Confidence in the same period. Significant intercept-slope interactions were detected in Confidence and Connection indicating that their higher initial level is associated with a more stable trajectory throughout the school year. In addition, we found that gender and school level play a significant role in several of the pathways while age was not a significant covariate with any of the Cs. The study is the first to test 5Cs pathways in one school year, using Slovenian data. In addition to the important role of contexts on positive developmental outcomes, the study highlights the significance of 5Cs promotion in pandemic times as much as in more stable times.

Developmental assets and positive youth development in Brazilian university students.

The Positive Youth Development (PYD) describes an intersection between young people and their context, emphasizing characteristics of a healthy development. The PYD’s 5Cs occur when there is an alignment between healthy individual characteristics and contextual resources. This study investigated the PYD’s 5Cs associations with the perception of social connections (family, community, academic), mental health, and stressful events. The sample was composed of 495 Brazilian College students aged between 18 and 33 years, who answered a survey with 59 questions about reflexive, constructive, and healthy behaviors. Descriptive, correlational, and regression analysis through structural equation modeling were conducted. The results focused on the role of family, community and educational institution in the PYD promotion. These results highlight the relevant contributions of social support in the construction of protective strategies of coping with stressful events and in the promotion of health behaviors and well-being, particularly in the university context.

Adolescents' well-being: The role of basic needs fulfilment in family context.

Although there is an increasing interest in studying the relations between the satisfaction of basic psychological needs and well-being, this association for both parents and adolescents has been to some extent disregarded within the self-determination theory. The present study was aimed at testing a model of relations between father, mother, and adolescent's perception of basic needs fulfilment and well-being. Participants were 98 co-living family units of mother, father, and adolescents (54% males) aged from 12 to 18years (M=15.11, SD=1.44). Results confirm that basic needs fulfilment was predictive of well-being in all participants. Moreover, the needs fulfilment of both parents seemed to play a relevant role directly on the perceived needs satisfaction of their adolescents, and indirectly on their well-being, through the adolescent's needs satisfaction. Results are discussed in terms of practical implications for the promotion of positive youth development.

Enhancing Program Quality in a National Sample of After-school Settings: The Role of Youth-Staff Interactions and Staff/Organizational Functioning.

Using multilevel data from the national evaluation of Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), this study examined associations among programmatic structures, workplace and workforce characteristics, and relational practices of program staff as they relate to young people's ratings of their experience attending local clubs. The sample included 57,710 members and 5,231 staff members at 740 BGCA sites throughout the United States. Staff relational practices-including establishing caring relationships, setting high expectations, positive behavior management, encouraging youth input and agency, and cultural sensitivity-explained associations between staffing and organizational functioning and youths' perceptions of the quality of their clubs. Findings suggest a central role of staff relational practices in establishing conditions that youth experience positively, and that staffing and organizational processes, including community engagement and teamwork and efficiency can be viewed as foundations for establishing a culture of positive adult-youth interaction, which in turn can contribute to the promotion of positive youth development. Further, identification with the experiences of youth had a direct association with youths' perceptions of club quality. These results underscore the importance of staff workforce development initiatives as key to improving youth experiences in after-school programs.

The Role of Positive Youth Development, Educational Policy, and Cultural Relevancy in School Settings

Changes in federal education legislation have presented scholars, educational activists, and educators with an opportunity to influence educational outcomes that are youth-centered and youth-driven, specifically among students of color in underserved schools. Opportunities for youth to initiate, design, implement, and evaluate district programs and interventions are beneficial not only to youths’ intrinsic development, but also to the school communities in which they spend the most time. This article links the growth and promotion of positive youth development (PYD) theories and programming to current federal policy changes that support the inclusion of youth in school reform. The authors also discuss historical PYD programming, the role of cultural relevance in educational settings, and future areas of PYD research at the school level.

Childhood sexual abuse and current suicidal ideation among adolescents: Problem-focused and emotion-focused coping skills

IntroductionThe present study aims to investigate whether problem-focused and emotion-focused coping skills were associated with suicidal ideation. In addition, we examined whether childhood maltreatment (i.e. physical, psychological, sexual abuse, and neglect) is a risk factor for later-on suicidal ideation. MethodsYouths aged 16 or 18 (n = 307, 56% females) from San Diego and Seattle at Wave 6 and Wave 7 of the LONGSCAN were included in the study. We used hierarchical logistic regression. Results & Conclusions17.6% reported suicidal ideation. Those who reported better emotion-focused coping were .80 times less likely to report suicidal ideation. However, even after controlling for coping skills, adolescents with sexually abuse histories were 3.08 times more likely to report suicidal ideation. Our findings suggest implications for early intervention efforts. Building youth assets through promotion of positive youth development may serve as a driving force to reduce negative outcomes in youth who have experienced sexual abuse.

Challenge: To Be+. A group intervention program to promote the positive development of adolescents

In the last decades, research has focused on the promotion of positive youth development by creating, implementing and assessing positive youth interventions programs. This study analyzes the effectiveness of a group intervention program, titled “Challenge: To Be+”, aimed to promote positive development of adolescents, focusing on positive emotions, character strengths, and optimal experiences. We assessed its impact on positive developmental dimensions (self-esteem, self-concept, psychological well-being and satisfaction with life) and tested gender as a predictor of program impact in the experimental group. Furthermore, we explored the perceptions and the evaluation of adolescents regarding the program and its contents, using quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Participated 99 adolescents (55 girls and 44 boys) from the ninth grade, divided into experimental (n = 74) and comparison (n = 25) groups. Results showed higher levels of self-esteem and satisfaction with life at posttest in the experimental group when compared to the comparison group, after controlling for the pretest. Taking in consideration the experimental group, gender was a predictor of program improvement on positive developmental dimensions, indicating a stronger effect on girls. Qualitative and quantitative results showed a positive appraisal of the program, with no gender differences in this appreciation. Findings support the importance of this program for the promotion of positive youth development.

Adolescent Internet Addiction in Hong Kong: Prevalence, Change, and Correlates

Study ObjectivePrevalence, change, and correlates of adolescent Internet addiction were examined in this study on the basis of six waves of longitudinal data collected over 6 years. Design, Setting, Participants, Interventions, and Main Outcome MeasuresOver 6 years, students responded to a questionnaire containing measures of sociodemographic characteristics, positive youth development, family processes, and Internet addiction behavior. ResultsThe prevalence rates of Internet addiction in Hong Kong adolescents ranged from 17% to 26.8% during the high school years. Male students consistently showed a higher prevalence rate of Internet addiction and more Internet addictive behaviors than did female students. Longitudinal data suggested that although family economic disadvantage served as a risk factor for youth Internet addiction, the effects of family intactness and family functioning were not significant. Students' overall positive youth development and general positive youth development qualities were negatively related to Internet addictive behaviors and prosocial attributes had a positive relationship with youth Internet addiction. ConclusionThe results suggest that promotion of positive youth development is a promising direction for preventing Internet addiction in Hong Kong adolescents. Gender and family economic disadvantage must be considered in design of the related prevention programs.

Long-term impact of the promotion of social and emotional skills

Social and emotional skills are protective factors against several negative functioning indicators. A current challenge on social and emotional skills research is to descrive of the long-term impact of social and emotional development programs. The objective of this follow-up study was to evaluate the long-term impact of a program for the development of social and emotional skills - "Crescer a Brincar" (Growing up Playing) - on disruptive behaviors and on students' engagement with school eight years after the beginning and four years after the end of the intervention. Results revealed that the experimental group registered lower disruptive behaviors and higher intrinsic motivation. These results have important implications for the promotion of positive youth development, especially for the promotion of health in school-based interventions.

Coming back home: The reintegration of formerly incarcerated youth with service implications

More than 100,000 youth return each year from some form of detention in a juvenile justice facility to families and communities with needs of their own. Despite information about the offense types and general demographic characteristics of detained youth, less is known about the needs and experiences of youth as they prepare to re-enter the community after a period of detention or how they fare post-release. A heightened awareness of the complex array of needs and the match between these needs and the social and educational service sector has the potential to streamline the reintegration process, with advantages for public safety, reduced recidivism, and promotion of positive youth development. This paper analyzes the needs of formerly incarcerated youth with a focus on the implications for social and educational service systems. Results suggest that intervening with youth involved in the juvenile justice system requires a coordinated, holistic approach.

Retention in an Urban Extended Day Program: A Process-Based Assessment

Evaluations of extended day programs in underserved communities have shown that participants usually drop out by the time they are 11–12 years old. Most of these programs, especially those that focus on physical activity, do not promote broadly developmental and empowerment-based processes and outcomes advocated by the emerging field of youth development. This article investigates both the retention issue and youth development processes and outcomes for two sequential physical activity extended day programs in an underserved community. Retention data and participant program evaluations were collected over a nine-year period, and these data together with a selective review of related studies are analyzed to determine the extent of linkage between the promotion of positive youth development and retention beyond 11–12 years old.

Promoting Promotion in the Development of Prevention Science

The history of prevention science reflects a long-standing commitment to using scholarship to improve the quality of life of children, youth, and families. Research associated with applied developmental science involves a corresponding goal. However, different conceptions of youth are found prototypically in prevention research and in applied developmental science efforts aimed at promoting positive youth development. The former approach focuses on youth as having problems to be managed. The latter sees youth as resources to be developed and seeks to integrate individual and ecological assets in the service of positive youth development. As exemplified by the articles in this special issue, many programs that are labeled as prevention in orientation nevertheless involve actions or ideas consistent with the positive youth development promotion perspective. The integration of prevention and promotion approaches facilitates the design and delivery of policies and programs that may be effective in enhancing healthy youth development in directions that advance civil society.