Young People In Relation Research Articles

Commentary: The COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on adolescent development: Embracing a more ecological perspective.

To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people's functioning, relationships, and well-being, four systematic reviews were put together to shed light on school experiences, family and peer relationships, and civic engagement during the pandemic. The reviews presented research findings on the protective role of several personal and contextual resources including intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, family, school, peer, and community support, as well as the harming effect of risk factors, such as poor mental health, COVID-19-related stressors, and technological challenges, thus highlighting the significant role of both personal and contextual factors in adolescent development and well-being. Equally important, the research findings collectively suggested an ecological perspective of the determining factors, although the focus was largely on factors in immediate contexts (family, school, peers, and local community). Adopting a more holistic approach that also considers factors in other ecological contexts (e.g., partnership between immediate contexts, the influence of cultural values and norms along with educational and developmental transitions) can be crucial in addressing the specific needs of young people across diverse contexts and cultures during a pandemic and in general. In addressing their needs, the ever-growing digital space of young people can be utilized to connect them to services and supportive networks in their contexts including distal ones.

The Effect of Oral and Dental Health Status on the Self-Esteem Levels of Turkish University Youth

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the impact of oral and dental health status on the self-esteem levels of Turkish university youth. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study included a sample of 962 Turkish university youth, aged 16 - 24, who met all the study criteria during the 2020 - 2021 academic year. Data were collected using a questionnaire and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). The data were analyzed with SPSS version 23.0. T-tests were used for pairwise comparisons, and one-way ANOVA was used for multiple comparisons. Results: Among the students who participated in the study, 56.7% were found to have high self-esteem, with a mean RSES score of 1.69 ± 1.62. Statistically significant differences were found between the RSES score and several factors, including decayed teeth (P < 0.01), presence of halitosis (P < 0.01), tooth color (P < 0.01), crooked teeth (P = 0.045), and toothache (P = 0.008). It was determined that dental crookedness, decayed teeth, bad breath, dark yellow teeth, the presence of tooth fillings, and extracted teeth were negatively associated with self-esteem. However, no statistically significant differences were found between self-esteem and factors such as the presence of tooth fillings, extracted teeth, tooth brushing habits, frequency of dental visits, or snack food consumption (P > 0.05). Conclusions: The results of this study reveal that poor oral care negatively impacts individuals' self-esteem. Issues related to oral and dental health, particularly concerning the appearance and condition of teeth, affect young people's relationships and self-confidence in social environments. It is crucial to develop family and school education programs, as well as national policies, particularly during childhood and university years, when attitudes toward oral and dental health are being established.

Влияние социально-экономической дифференциации молодежи на ее политическую идентичность

This article examines the features of the political identity of provincial youth based on socio-economic differentiation. It is noted that the youth environment is not homogeneous in its socio-economic status and such differentiation in the context of a Special Military Operation, an unstable political situation, and social tension presupposes a different political identity. In turn, this leads to destructive activity of young people in relation to government officials, as well as to intergroup conflicts. This assumption formed the basis of the author’s analysis in considering the possible dependence of the ideological identification of young people on their place in the social structure of society. The scientific tasks to be solved by the analysis are the understanding and conceptualization of the political and ideological orientations of modern youth in the context of socio-economic differentiation. The working hypothesis was that the least financially protected groups of young people are the most radical in relation to the authorities. Therefore, the author conditionally distinguishes two groups of young people. The first group of young people are those who have a low standard of living, suffer from a lack of social elevators and social injustice, do not have the opportunity to get a good education and are ready to change their position in society during protest actions. The second group of young people is the generation that grew up as “qualified consumers”, who saw risks in reducing their consumption levels and are therefore ready for protest actions in order to defend their rights as consumers. However , the study of this problem revealed that modern youth are quite apolitical, this was shown by answers to the question about choosing an ideology whose values are closest to the respondent, as well as a rather low percentage of radically minded youth, regardless of financial situation, which does not significantly affect the political process. At the same time, in conditions of political instability and elite conflict, these groups of youth can become a destructive resource for political actors in the conflict.

School-based cannabis prevention: Results of a cluster-randomised trial

Acluster-randomised trial was conducted in five German federal states to evaluate the results of a school-based cannabis prevention unit. A total of 55 schools were randomly assigned to the intervention group, i.e. participation in a two-hour cannabis prevention workshop conducted by drug prevention specialists in grades 8 and 9, or to a control group with a waiting list. The knowledge, attitudes, intentions and behaviour of the young people in relation to cannabis were measured at the start of the study and six months later. 2,669 pupils(50.8% girls, average age=14.12 years) made up the sample. Effects of the intervention on the students' knowledge (adjusted regression coefficient=0.26 [0.15-0.38], p<0.001) and on the expected negative consequences of cannabis use in adolescents (adjusted regression coefficient=0.15 [0.04-0.25], p=0.006) were found. Both increased significantly more in the intervention group compared to the control group. There were no effects on other attitude-related variables, intentions or behaviour. A very short school-based workshop for grade 8 and 9 students improved their knowledge of and critical attitudes towards cannabis use, but had no effect on their future intentions and cannabis use.

“Winging it”: How youth workers navigate debt with young people

Debt is a growing, but poorly understood issue for young people in Australia and internationally. To understand how young people seek help with debt, we conducted interviews and focus-groups with 16 youth workers and two financial counselors. We found that youth workers are often the first point of connection for young people experiencing debt. Young people were unlikely to seek help specifically for financial issues but disclosed these issues to trusted youth workers when addressing other concerns. However, youth workers do not have any formal training in this area. We argue that although youth workers are well positioned to support young people in relation to financial issues due to their skills in working with complexity, they are under-resourced for this role. Without adequate resourcing, providing support to young people experiencing debt and financial stress is likely to remain a growing area of concern for an already over-burdened and under-resourced sector.

Exploring the Experience of Romantic Relationships and Sexuality Education in Neurodivergent and Neurotypical Young Individuals

Purpose The literature indicates that sexuality education provided in schools/colleges in the United Kingdom (UK) may not be appropriate for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). There appears to be a lack of understanding of the subject regarding young people with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and a dual diagnosis (ASD co-occurring with ADHD). Research also suggests that compared to neurotypical peers, young people with ASD tend to receive less support on sexuality from their parents, who often feel that they lack the appropriate skills to help their children with some sex-related issues. Some young people with ASD and ADHD also report lacking an understanding of the social nuances of dating and intimacy, which is crucial for navigating romantic relationships. Design/methodology/approach This study explored sexuality education and romantic relationships in young people based on a semi-structured interview approach to the topic. Thematic Analysis (TA) was employed to analyze the data. Findings Six themes were developed from the participants’ narratives: Societal ideology about sexuality; Substandard school-based sexuality education; The role of adults in sexuality education; Pornography, as a very powerful alternative means of sexuality education; Young people and romance—a complicated world to navigate; Experience of abuse in the young neurodivergent population is a serious matter. Findings revealed that many neurodivergent and neurotypical young people received basic sex education in their schools/colleges and homes and encountered challenges navigating romantic relationships. Neurodivergent young people reported experiencing greater challenges related to their understanding of and building romantic relationships than their neurotypical peers. Originality/value To the researchers’ knowledge, this is the first exploration of romantic relationships and sexuality education in neurotypical young people as well as three groups of neurodivergent young people (with ASD, ADHD, and ASD co-occurring with ADHD).

Relational epistemic safety: what young people facing harm in their communities want and need from professionals tasked with helping them

ABSTRACT When young people are harmed beyond their families, what kinds of professional relationships help to keep them safe? Contextual Safeguarding is an approach to creating safety in community and school contexts that asks how changes can be made in the environment to create safer contexts. However, (mis)interpretations of the approach have given rise to practice devoid of relationships with the young people affected by professional decisions, and which override their rights and ways of knowing. We draw on consultations with young people about what they need from professional relationships when they experience extra-familial harm – called the Young People's Relationship Framework (YPRF). We then use this to analyse three pilot studies of multi-agency practice aimed at creating safety in extra-familial contexts. The findings show that, for a relational orientation to be achieved, professionals need to be guided by how young people know the world. We argue that this requires professionals to undergo a process of ‘undoing’: giving up privileged ways of knowing and making decisions, leading to what we have termed relational epistemic safety. We offer this to support professionals in developing relationships with young people who experience extra-familial harm that are characterised by equality and respect.

Acceptance and use of condoms among school-aged young people in Australia.

Despite availability of vaccines or medical prophylaxis for some sexually transmissible infections (STIs), promoting condom use remains an important public health strategy for the prevention of STIs. Recent research shows that regular condom use among young people in Australia has declined over the past decade, while the rate of common STIs has increased. In this paper, we report findings from a large survey of school-aged young people in Australia (14-18years old) in which we looked at the association between condom use and positive feelings about sex, beliefs about social acceptability of condoms and confidence talking with partners about sex and condoms. Communication and relational factors supported more consistent condom use. Participants were more likely to regularly use condoms if they discussed condom use with a sexual partner, perceived condom use to be easy (a measure that included perceived ease of discussing condoms with a partner) and perceived condom use to offer social or relational benefits, including perceiving condom use as a demonstration of care for a partner. Young men were more likely to report positive feelings about sex and regular condom use than young women. Young women were less likely than young men or trans and non-binary young people to report regular condom use. The study shows the importance of supporting young people to build confidence expressing sexual needs and wants with partners. Public health approaches to STI prevention need to consider condom promotion in the context of young people's contemporary sexual, gendered and relationships cultures.

Interpersonal relationships and suicidal ideation among Chinese youths: A network analysis

BackgroundSuicidal ideation is a noteworthy health problem that requires further study in the field of interpersonal relationships. The main scope of relationships include family, teachers, peers, and the Internet. However, few studies have considered the effects of interpersonal interactions. Based on the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide, this study explores the relation between different interpersonal relationships and suicidal ideation. MethodsA network analysis approach was used to test the relationships. Cross-sectional data (N = 1694; 52.1 % boys; Mage = 11.86 years, SD = 1.59) were collected from primary and secondary students in October–November 2022. Participants completed a survey including demographic part and questionnaires: Positive and Negative Suicide Ideation Inventory (PANSI), Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ), Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES II), Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA), Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS) and Facebook Intensity Scale (FIS). ResultsAll variables showed a significant correlation in this inferred network. Family, teacher-student, and peer relationships are protective against suicidal ideation. The closeness of the teacher-student relationship showed the highest strength centrality. However, online interpersonal relationship is a risk factor for suicide. Thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness are proximal factors of suicidal ideation that influenced all interpersonal relationships. LimitationsThe network analysis as a data-driven and exploratory method may be limited to provide exact cause and effect relationship. ConclusionsThis study shows that teacher-student connections may be more important than other relationships of young people. Improper peer and online interpersonal relationship could be risky for suicide. Further studies are needed to examine the role of these relationships elaborately.

Exploring young people’s attitudes to HIV prevention medication (PrEP) in England: a qualitative study

IntroductionYoung people aged 18–24 years old are a key demographic target for eliminating HIV transmission globally. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a prevention medication, reduces HIV transmission. Despite good uptake by gay...

Evaluating trespass prevention: working with young people as co-researchers and filmmakers on a railway safety project

ABSTRACT Recent attempts have been made by Network Rail and the British Transport Police to discourage young people from committing ‘railway trespass’ – the dangerous act of illegally gaining access to live railway tracks. Whilst public safety campaigns have a long history in the UK and beyond, little research has been dedicated to a better understanding of how young people engage with this media. This article reflects on Evaluating Trespass Prevention (2021), a project which involved a small group of Further Education (FE) Media Students as co-researchers exploring railway trespass prevention. The young co-researchers co-produced a new evaluation toolkit, as well as creatively exploring themes of railway trespass through documentary interviewing and filmmaking. Presenting our critical reflections on the process of working with young co-researchers on this project, we argue for the broader adoption of an adaptable and iterative approach to meaningful engagement with young people in relation to contemporary social issues.

Book Review: Understanding abuse in young people's intimate relationships: Female perspectives on power control and gendered social norms

Book Review: Understanding abuse in young people's intimate relationships: Female perspectives on power control and gendered social norms

Research Protocol: A Transdisciplinary Multi-Case Study Research Design Using Mixed Methods to Evaluate the Long-Term Impact of Holocaust Museum Education in Australia

Holocaust museums around the world are distinctive in their emphasis on educational missions premised on the idea of “never again”, a deep belief that increasing public awareness of the history and contemporary significance of the Holocaust – the mass murder of six million European Jews by the Nazi regime during World War Two – can prevent the future recurrence of such events. In the Australian context, tens of thousands of school students visit Holocaust museums every year to participate in learning programs designed to impart powerful historical and moral lessons about the Holocaust, its antecedent conditions, and its ongoing relevance. The aspirations attached to these programs and the scale at which they are delivered stand in stark contrast to the lack of empirical evidence to support their efficacy. This research protocol describes an extensive four-year research study designed to evaluate the presumed linear relationship between Holocaust education programs and ethical, moral, and affective learning that leads to durable attitudinal and behavioural change. Funded through the Australian Research Council’s Linkage Projects scheme, the study will assess the impact of Holocaust museums’ education programs on high school students from diverse demographics, including the extent to which participation influences the views and actions of young people in relation to racial and identity-based discrimination. The research design is longitudinal and transdisciplinary, integrating qualitative, quantitative, and participatory techniques across three case studies. By strategically employing rapid ethnographic assessment procedures, archival research, analysis of museum representational practices, surveys, and visual research methods, we will examine both the educational intent behind Holocaust education programs and their actual impacts on a large sample of Australian Year 10 students. We expect the results of the research to be used by our project partners to develop Holocaust education programs that effectively engage students on cognitive and affective levels.

Соотношение структуры идентичности и моделей патриотизма у старших школьников сибирских регионов

The article is devoted to the analysis of the relationship between the structure of identities and patriotic models in the minds of school students in the regions of the Siberian Federal District. The theoretical basis of the study was both the concept of the "matryoshka" of identities and the theory of patriotism, considering its manifestations as a dichotomy of "blind" and "constructive", "emotional" and "activity" types. The empirical basis of the study was the results of longitudinal surveys of students in grades 9–11, conducted in 2020 in 10 regions and in 2022 in 4 regions of the Siberian Federal District. The use of cluster analysis made it possible to divide the studied population into 4 clusters: a cluster of “blind”, “active” patriotism with a strong institutional component, “constructive” patriots, “loyalists” and “silent ones”, determine the combination of identities corres­ponding to each cluster and trace their dynamics. As a result, conclusions were made about the decrease in the influence of the identity factor on the disengagement of young people in relation to patriotism and the possibility of reducing the indicated disengagements to the basic opposition of "patriots" and "non-patriots".

Społeczne postrzeganie związków intymnych młodzieży. Analiza narracji adolescentek i adolescentów

Youth develop their competence to build intimate relationships during adolescence. The aim of this project is to explore what adolescents experience regarding the social perception of their intimate relationships. The method of data collection was an individual in-depth interview and the method of data analysis was conventional content analysis. The group of participants in the study consisted of 22 adolescents (12 girls and 10 boys), aged between 14 and 19 years, who had experienced at least one intimate relationship during adolescence lasting at least one month. Participants could currently be in an intimate relationship or be single. Content analysis identified four main categories: 1) “It’s not a relationship, it’s just fun”; 2) “It’s not true love”; 3) “It won’t last very long”; 4) “You’ll get behind in school because of it!”. The results confirm that teenagers face stereotypical beliefs about their relationships. The results indicate the need to raise public awareness of the role of intimate relationships in young people’s development and to support adolescents in this vital area of interpersonal functioning.

The impact of COVID-19 on young people’s employability: the potential of sport-based interventions as non-formal education

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected young people in relation to their mental health, educational provision, and social development, impacting their employment prospects and future prosperity. In response, the United Kingdom government implemented a range of formal policy solutions to address issues around youth employability. However, studies are yet to examine how non-formal or alternative educational approaches, such as sport and physical activity interventions, can be used intentionally to enhance employability and tackle the youth employment challenges brought about by the pandemic. This article draws upon interviews with 20 organisations working within the sport and youth employability sector to provide insight into employment issues that have been created or exacerbated by COVID-19 and outlines how sport-based interventions might help to address these challenges. Findings demonstrate that the intentional use of sport and physical activity offers an attractive means to (re-)engage young people with employability programmes and support their preparedness for work, especially those furthest from an employment destination. The article also highlights how sport-based interventions can generate broader social impact, to address young people’s social and emotional difficulties, rebuild their confidence, and re-connect them with formal systems of education and training that many had become dislocated from during the pandemic.

The association between cortical gyrification and sleep in adolescents and young adults.

Healthy sleep is important for adolescent neurodevelopment, and relationships between brain structure and sleep can vary in strength over this maturational window. Although cortical gyrification is increasingly considered a useful index for understanding cognitive and emotional outcomes in adolescence, and sleep is also a strong predictor of such outcomes, we know relatively little about associations between cortical gyrification and sleep. We aimed to identify developmentally invariant (stable across age) or developmentally specific (observed only during discrete age intervals) gyrification-sleep relationships in young people. A total of 252 Neuroimaging and Pediatric Sleep Databank participants (9-26 years; 58.3% female) completed wrist actigraphy and a structural MRI scan. Local gyrification index (lGI) was estimated for 34 bilateral brain regions. Naturalistic sleep characteristics (duration, timing, continuity, and regularity) were estimated from wrist actigraphy. Regularized regression for feature selection was used to examine gyrification-sleep relationships. For most brain regions, greater lGI was associated with longer sleep duration, earlier sleep timing, lower variability in sleep regularity, and shorter time awake after sleep onset. lGI in frontoparietal network regions showed associations with sleep patterns that were stable across age. However, in default mode network regions, lGI was only associated with sleep patterns from late childhood through early-to-mid adolescence, a period of vulnerability for mental health disorders. We detected both developmentally invariant and developmentally specific ties between local gyrification and naturalistic sleep patterns. Default mode network regions may be particularly susceptible to interventions promoting more optimal sleep during childhood and adolescence.

Impact of child poverty and adversity on perceived family support in adolescence

Abstract Background Emotional support from family members may have an important effect on adolescent health outcomes, and has been identified as a target for policy to protect against the impacts of poverty and adversity. However, few studies have assessed the extent to which poverty and adversity themselves influence the nature of emotional support that parents can provide to adolescents. We therefore aimed to investigate the impact of trajectories of poverty and family adversities on young people's relationships with their families and perceived emotional support received. Methods We analysed longitudinal data on 10976 children from the nationally representative UK Millennium Cohort Study. Exposure trajectories of poverty and family adversities were characterised using group-based multi-trajectory models. The outcomes were perceived emotional support and quality of family relationships, measured by the three-item Short Social Provisions Scale (SPS-3) and levels of parent-adolescent closeness and conflict, measured at age 14. ORs and 95% CIs were estimated using multivariable logistic regression models. Results At age 14 the overall prevalence of low perceived emotional support was 13%. Children of mothers with lower socioeconomic status (SES) were more likely to report low emotional support, with a clear social gradient. Compared with children exposed to low levels of poverty and adversity, children in the persistent adversity trajectory groups experienced higher odds of low emotional support and low-quality parent-adolescent relationship; those exposed to both persistent poverty and poor parental mental health were particularly at increased risk of experiencing poor family relationships and low perceived emotional support (aOR 2·2; 95% CI 1·7- 2·9). Conclusions Policies to improve levels of family support for UK adolescents should focus on improving modifiable determinants such as child poverty and family mental health. Key messages • Children of parents with lower socioeconomic status are more likely to experience low perceived emotional support in adolescence. • Children who experience persistent poverty and poor parental mental health are at increased risk of poor family relationships and low perceived emotional support in adolescence.

‘Doing things you don't wanna do’: young people's understandings of power inequalities and the implications for sexual consent

ABSTRACT Legal definitions of sexual consent emphasise ‘freedom’ as central to valid consent; however, power inequalities may complicate freedom. This paper discusses findings from a two-stage focus group study with young people (aged 13–23) in England exploring the implications of power inequalities for sexual consent. In Stage 1, 77 participants explored and ranked the types of power inequalities they felt were common within young people's sexual relationships, with age, gender and popularity being identified as the most common power inequalities. In Stage 2, 43 participants discussed power inequalities using scenarios based on the Stage 1 findings and considered their implications for sexual consent. Thematic analysis of the data produced two themes: powerless and powerful roles in consent communication and power inequalities implicitly constrain freedom to consent. Consent communication was constructed as a unidirectional process whereby those with more power initiate, and those with less, gatekeep. Such roles require deconstruction to position consent as mutual and actively negotiated by partners. Further, since power inequalities were seen to place implicit constraints on freedom to consent, we advocate for an explicit exploration of power and privilege within Relationships and Sex Education to equip young people to recognise, challenge and negotiate these constraints.

Better Together: acceptability, feasibility and preliminary impact of chronic illness peer support groups for South African adolescents and young adults.

Peer support can help navigate the isolation and psychological strain frequently experienced by youth living with chronic illness. Yet, data are lacking on the impact of providing support for youth living with mixed chronic conditions. We assessed the acceptability, feasibility and preliminary mental health impacts of a clinic-based peer support group for South African youth living with chronic illnesses, including HIV. This mixed-methods pilot study (September 2021-June 2022) enrolled 58 young patients, ages 13-24, at an urban hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. In-depth interviews elicited the perspectives of 20 young people in relation to their participation in the Better Together programme, a recurring clinic-based peer support group for patients with mixed chronic illnesses. Self-reported resilience, attitudes towards illness, stigma and mental health were captured via established measures. T-tests and multivariate analysis of variance compared psychosocial outcomes for 20 group participants and 38 control patients, controlling for socio-demographic characteristics at enrolment. Logistic regression analyses estimated the predicted probability of a positive depression or anxiety screening given peer group participation. All interviewees valued being able to compare treatment regimens and disease management habits with peers living with different conditions. Adolescents living with HIV stated that understanding the hardships faced by those with other conditions helped them accept their own illness and lessened feelings of isolation. Compared to patients who did not participate in Better Together, those who attended ≥5 groups had statistically significantly higher individual-level resilience, a more positive attitude towards their illness(es), lower internalised stigma and a more positive self-concept. The probability of being screened positive for depression was 23.4 percentage points lower (95% CI: 1.5, 45.3) for Better Together participants compared to controls; the probability of a positive anxiety screening was 45.8 percentage points lower (95% CI: 18.1, 73.6). Recurring, clinic-based peer support groups that integrate youth living with HIV and other chronic diseases are novel. Group sustainability will depend on the commitment of experienced peer leaders and providers, routine scheduling and transportation support. A fully powered randomised trial is needed to test the optimal implementation and causal mental health effects of the Better Together model.