Youth Advocacy Research Articles

“No hay tiempo para el amor”: Relaciones entre nacionalistas vascos radicales y republicanos irlandeses y el surgimiento de una cultura política compartida (1981-98)

Following the deaths of ten Irish republican hunger strikers in 1981, radical Basque nationalists and Irish republicans of the Basque izquierda abertzale (‘patriotic left’) and Irish republican movement respectively, began to develop ever closer ties of transnational “solidarity”. In addition to the relationship between Herri Batasuna and Sinn Féin, more ad hoc organisational links in areas such as youth, prisoner, and language advocacy, fostered a shared political culture at the intersection of both movements, which was periodically reflected through the prism of cultural expression (e.g., music, political art [murals], literature, audiovisual media). Utilising a wide array of primary sources, this article explores and analyses the emergence and development of this transnational nexus, from the hunger strikes of 1981 to the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

School Counselor and Environmental Educator Partnerships: Reducing Eco-Anxiety From Climate Change, Increasing Self-Efficacy, and Enhancing Youth Advocacy

School counselors hold unique roles as collaborative partners in schools and the community. These roles position school counselors as leaders in responses to addressing existential threats related to a changing environment. This article provides a review of literature highlighting the role school counselors maintain in partnering to reduce eco-anxiety and implications for how school counselors can incorporate the ASCA National Model framework to increase students’ self-efficacy and ecowellness to reduce eco-anxiety from climate change.

Cultivating Positive Youth Development through Latin American Street Soccer Programming

Youth disconnected from their families and communities lack critical community supports, placing them at higher risk of establishing unhealthy behaviors that can lead to poor outcomes, including involvement in juvenile justice systems. They need assistance to develop essential life skills and family and community connections. Engaging youth and families, otherwise marginalized by society, in innovative, affordable and effective ways is a global challenge. This paper summarizes the history of the Latin American launched global street soccer movement to promote inclusion and positive development of youth living in vulnerable situations. It explores the power and potential of street soccer’s holistic and inclusive programming approach as a vehicle for individual transformation and community engagement. And it examines the evolving integration of the Latin American street soccer methodology in working with youth and families with complex needs, particularly as experienced by the nonprofit service organization Youth Advocate Programs, Inc. (YAP).

Changing the narrative in schools: Addressing systemic barriers and stereotypes that prevent gender and sexual diverse youth from thriving

AbstractSchools are no different than other political and cultural institutions that have at their foundations assumptions and policies based on stereotypes, hegemonic masculinity, binary notions of gender, and heteronormativity. When these foundations are questioned or challenged, resistance and disruption can occur. While there is evidence of greater acceptance of gender and sexual diversity (GSD) in schools, school professionals are often called upon to address the needs of GSD youth, as school environments may contain systemic barriers that prevent these youth from thriving. Addressing the needs of GSD youth can be complicated by other intersecting identities including race, religion, culture, disability, immigration status, and so forth. This special issue of PITS explores gender and sexual diversity, LGBTQ+identity, and the intersectionality of GSD with other identities that have historically struggled with marginalization and bias. An advocacy stance is proposed that focuses on the unique strengths and resilience of GSD youth to change the narrative from one of clinicalization of GSD youth to one of adaptability and empowerment. The articles in this special issue focus on barriers at multiple levels that impact GSD youth, from systemic barriers in educational contexts to those in the classroom, curriculum, extracurricular activities, and sports. Changing the narrative of GSD youth means focusing on stories of youth empowerment, advocacy, and healthy GSD development, while simultaneously challenging and dismantling the oppressive systems of heterosexism, cissexism, sexism, and racism, among others, that perpetuate unequal educational environments for minoritized student populations.

Roles, Responsibilities, and Rights: An Organisational Analysis of Provincial and Territorial Child and Youth Advocate Offices in Canada

Abstract Limited academic literature has explored the responsibilities of Provincial and Territorial Child and Youth Advocates in Canada. This paper analyses the responsibilities that constitute the role of Canadian Provincial and Territorial Child and Youth Advocates, as well as the forces that impact and shape these responsibilities. A total of 17 participants, including current and former members of the Canadian Council of Child and Youth Advocates (cccya) as well as their staff members are included in the study. Findings reveal that individual advocacy, systemic advocacy, investigations into critical injuries and child deaths, as well as educational outreach, constitute the primary responsibilities of the cccya. Additionally, at the provincial and territorial level, it is important for advocates to navigate the historical, cultural and political factors that inform discourses surrounding childhood as these factors impact the way advocacy is understood and carried out within these organisations.

Photovoice as a research, advocacy, and harmonization tool for refugee and local youth in Turkey

Abstract Background Turkey has millions of refugee and local youth, who share common youth health problems. As part of the REACH Project, this study aimed to assess youth's access to health information, health care, and healthy environments, in addition to their perspectives on using digital health technologies. Methods We used photovoice, a community based participatory research approach, and worked with 4 mixed (refugee and local) youth groups between the ages of 15 to 24 in Istanbul. Each youth group met with the research team and a professional photographer before data collection. Young people then took photos of barriers and facilitators regarding their access to health information, health care, and digital health technologies, in addition to their health problems. This was followed by focus group-like discussions, where young people discussed the photos and their meanings for them. Content analysis was used for data analysis and findings were shared with stakeholders via photo exhibits, panels, and policy briefs for advocacy purposes. The study was funded by TaiwanICDF and Columbia University. Results Findings showed that youth had a wide range of physical, social and mental health problems coupled with problems in accessing health information and youth-friendly services. Problems with social determinants of health were more prominent for refugees. Although youth often used the internet to access information, their experiences with digital health technologies were very limited. Conclusions Our study findings indicated that despite legal rights to access health care for all youth, refugee youth faced more barriers in accessing information and services. On the other hand, refugee and local youth showed similarities regarding common youth health problems and access to youth-friendly services. The photovoice approach enabled active participation and created a shared environment for refugee and local youth to discuss their mutual problems and understand each other. Key messages Photography is a communication tool that acts as a bridge between participants, researchers, and decision makers. Photovoice, as a participatory approach, creates a learning environment for both participants and researchers.

Youth advocacy smoke-free state Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah, Jakarta

Youth advocacy smoke-free state Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah, Jakarta

Manuscript: Defining Quality Standards for Intensive Home Based Treatment Programs for Youth with Serious Emotional Disorders

Intensive Home Based Treatment (IHBT) is a critical component of the continuum of community-based behavioral healthcare for youth with serious emotional disorder (SED) and their families. Yet despite being used nationwide at costs of over $100 million annually in some states, a well-vetted, research-based set of quality standards for IHBT has yet to be developed. The current project aimed to define program and practice standards for IHBT, drawing upon literature review, expert interviews, and a systematic Delphi process engaging over 80 participants, including IHBT developers, experts in evidence-based youth mental health, youth and family advocates, IHBT providers, and state policymakers. After two rounds of quantitative and qualitative input, adequate consensus was achieved on 32 IHBT Program Standards and 43 IHBT Practice Standards. These standards hold potential for informing efforts such as development of state regulations, provider contracts, memoranda of agreement, and training and workforce development initiatives. Translation of the quality standards into measurement strategies holds potential for providing a method of continuous quality improvement across multiple levels as well as use in research on IBHT.

Fault lines for unrest in the Pacific: Youth, livelihoods and land rights in driving and mitigating conflict

Instances of civil unrest and disorder have pockmarked the mainly peaceful functioning of multiple Pacific states in recent decades. This paper examines factors which can be seen as fault lines for predicting and mitigating such unrest, with a particular focus on Fiji and Solomon Islands. Drawing on data collected through interviews with youth advocates and activists, it becomes clear that the common justification of ‘ethnic tensions’ for past unrest and fears of future unrest being necessitated by a ‘youth bulge’ oversimplifies the complexity of factors that lead to disorder. Issues of land rights, uncertain livelihood futures and public perceptions of inequality provide more salient framings for understanding why citizens engage in unrest. Indeed, it is perceptions of injustice and inequality which may well prove to be the greater indicator of the likelihood of any future destabilisation.

‘No test, no disease’: Multilevel barriers to HIV testing among young men who have sex with men and transgender women in three semi-urban areas in Thailand

Young gay and other men who have sex with men and young transgender women in Thailand continue to be at high risk for HIV infection. We explored multilevel influences on HIV testing in order to inform the design of tailored interventions. We conducted four focus group discussions with 16–20-year-old gay men and transgender persons (n = 25) and 17 key informant interviews with healthcare providers, NGO leaders, and youth advocates. Focus groups and interviews were transcribed and reviewed using thematic analysis in Thai and English language by a bilingual team. We identified intersecting, culturally situated barriers at individual (lack of HIV knowledge, low HIV risk perception, denial), social (intersectional sexual- and HIV-related stigma, lack of family communication), institutional (inadequate and non-LGBT-inclusive sexual health education in schools, lack of youth-friendly clinics) and policy levels (parental consent requirements for HIV testing by minors). Multilevel and multisystem factors coalesce to form extensive barriers to HIV testing access and utilisation and promote disengagement from HIV prevention more broadly. Multicomponent, youth-engaged interventions informed by Thai sociocultural history and practices are needed in renewed approaches to HIV prevention and testing to end the epidemic among young gay and transgender people in Thailand.

Mental Health Awareness and Advocacy (MHAA) for Youth: An evaluation of a college-based mental health literacy curriculum

PurposeCollege students’ mental health issues are a growing concern on campuses across the United States. With traditional face-to-face therapy services often being overburdened, university systems have invested resources into prevention based, health education approaches to decreasing students’ mental health issues. Despite investment, there is not, to our knowledge, an evidence-based curriculum taught as part of a degree seeking program that addresses increasing students’ mental health literacy (MHL). Accordingly, the Mental Health Awareness and Advocacy (MHAA) curriculum was created and evaluated in a college student population. MethodsA total of 161 college students (n = 89 control; n = 71 treatment) participated in a quasi-experimental comparison X treatment X modality design. MHL (The Mental Health Awareness and Advocacy Assessment Tool and other related MHL measures) was assessed at two time points (beginning/end of semester). Generalized linear mixed effect models were used to analyze outcomes. ResultsResults of the pilot study indicated that students taking the MHAA curriculum, both in-person and online modalities, significantly increased key components of MHL (knowledge and self-efficacy) compared to the control group. MHL behaviors did not change in either group. There were no significant modality differences. ConclusionWe conclude that the MHAA curriculum is useful in increasing students’ mental health literacy with no significant differences between online and in-person modalities. Future curriculum iterations may benefit from more strategically targeting MHL behaviors to further enhance effects of the course on prevention of mental health issues.

Addressing Legislation That Restricts Access to Care for Transgender Youth.

* Abbreviations: GAC — : gender-affirmative medical care GnRHa — : gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue TGD — : transgender and gender-diverse Transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) youth experience barriers to accessing health care and are at risk for poorer overall health compared with cisgender peers. In the last year, dozens of US legislative bills have been proposed to restrict the rights of TGD youth.1 A subset of these bills aims to restrict access to essential treatment of youth diagnosed with gender dysphoria, even when they meet rigorous criteria, as determined by a multidisciplinary evaluation (Table 1).1,2 Other proposed legislation would criminalize clinicians who provide gender-affirmative medical care (GAC) for TGD adolescents, with one bill currently under consideration in Oklahoma classifying providing GAC as a felony punishable by 3 years to life in prison.1 Clinicians and parents fear that legislation eliminating access to GAC will lead to worsening mental health and increased suicidality for their TGD children.3 View this table: TABLE 1 Bills Proposed During the 2021 US State Legislative Session to Date Despite these objections, in December 2020, the Bell versus Tavistock ruling in the United Kingdom mandated … Address correspondence to Jessica Kremen, MD, Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children’s Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115. E-mail: jessica.kremen{at}childrens.harvard.edu

Farewells

Farewells

Successful youth advocacy (YA) programs

Disparities in youth obesity continue despite an increasing number of programs designed to combat this challenge. Policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) changes hold promise for these populations. This study identifies lessons from adult leaders for youth advocacy programs. Youth Engagement & Action for Health! (YEAH!) is a youth advocacy curriculum for PSE change that promotes healthy behaviors. From 2017-2019, 18 youth-serving organizations recruited 11-14 year olds from low-income urban, suburban, and rural areas. 237 participants in 19 youth groups completed YEAH! with 28 adult leaders. YEAH! adult leaders completed pre- and post-surveys on adult leader characteristics, group structure and dynamics, barriers to success, and technical assistance needs. Researchers interviewed adult leaders at the completion of each YEAH! project. This community based participatory research (CBPR) project engaged adult leaders to collect data, analyze coded transcripts and interpret results. Clubs evaluated with positive outcomes were facilitated by adult leaders who had previous engagement with the youth, showed enthusiasm for youth advocacy, and had access to resources to motivate group cohesion, participation, and commitment. The adult leader steering committee synthesized the findings into a set of best practices and strategies to help group leaders be as successful as possible when leading future youth advocacy groups.

Putting risk into perspective: Lessons for children and youth services from a participatory advocacy project with survivors of sexual violence in Albania, Moldova and Serbia

While engaging survivors of sexual violence in participatory advocacy may not be new to adult services, it is less common among children and youth services that commonly prioritise “protection” over “participation”. This paper draws on monitoring and evaluation data collected from a youth advocacy project with fifteen survivors of sexual violence in Albania, Moldova and Serbia. Secondary analysis, adopting a trauma-informed lens, was undertaken on data generated through shared learning events with project partners, focus groups with project staff and workshops with the young women involved. We argue that the identified gains for participants resonate with key elements of trauma-informed responses to sexual violence, namely establishing safety and trust, empowerment, and critical reflection. Although based on work with young women, our findings are relevant to children and youth services interested in engaging survivors in advocacy. Despite the significant ethical and practical challenges, we argue that it is important to put risk into perspective and not lose sight of the potential protective benefits of participatory work for participants.

How Youth of Color Create Communities of Hope: Connecting Advocacy, Activity, and Neighborhood Change.

The primary aim of this paper was to assess the association of after-school club characteristics with changes in physical activity, nutrition, and attitudes in students of color after participating in the “YEAH!” Advocacy-based Physical Activity Program. We examine the strengths of school-based vs. non-school based programs in promoting feelings of self-efficacy and empowerment among students learning to become more physically active—and importantly, also test the strength of how programs that are more connected (to community-based partners) may contribute to students’ optimism around policy and public health as it directly affects them. This study examined differences in the youth advocacy training impact across four after-school club types: school-based with community partnerships, school-based without partnerships, non-school-based with community partners, and non-school-based clubs without partnerships. We measured improvements in youth’s “optimism for change”, “assertiveness” and “decision-making” as related to after school activities and found that non-school-based programs with community partners showed highest positive impact.

Applying intervention research framework in program design and refinement: a pilot study of youth leadership, compassion, and advocacy program

ABSTRACT Given social workers’ role in developing programs to respond to social issues, it is important to offer examples on how to apply all steps of intervention research to ensure the development of evidence-informed interventions. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how one specific intervention research framework was applied in the development and refinement of an intervention aimed to foster youth compassion, leadership, and advocacy skills. Further, specific group work skills embedded in the design of the intervention will be shared as well as results from an initial pilot study completed to aid in the further refinement of the curriculum-guided group program.

A Digital Health Tool to Understand and Prevent Cannabis-Impaired Driving Among Youth: A Cross-sectional Study of Responses to a Brief Intervention for Cannabis Use.

BackgroundCannabis legalization has raised concern about an increased risk of cannabis-impaired driving, particularly among youth. Youth advocates and policy makers require cost-effective tools to target educational resources to promote responsible cannabis use.ObjectiveThe objective of this paper is threefold. First, it describes how a youth advocacy organization disseminated a low-cost digital brief intervention to educate and inform young people about responsible cannabis use. Second, it illustrates how digital tools can help promote understanding about attitudes and behaviors toward cannabis while simultaneously offering tailored education. Finally, this paper contributes to examining behavioral factors associated with youth cannabis-impaired driving by quantifying relationships between cannabis users' willingness to drive impaired and self-reported demographic and behavioral factors.MethodsThis paper analyzed data from 1110 completed Check Your Cannabis (CYC) brief interventions between March 2019 and October 2020. The CYC asks respondents a brief set of questions about their cannabis use and their personal beliefs and behaviors. Respondents receive comprehensive feedback about their cannabis use and how it compares with others. They also receive a summary of reported behaviors with brief advice. An ordered probit model was used to test relationships between cannabis use, demographics, and driving behaviors to gain further insights.ResultsThe vast majority (817/1110, 73.6%) of respondents reported using cannabis. However, a much smaller share of respondents reported problems associated with their cannabis use (257/1110, 23.2%) or driving after cannabis use (342/1110, 30.8%). We found statistically significant relationships between driving after cannabis use and age; Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) risk score; and polysubstance use. However, we did not find gender to be a significant determinant of driving after cannabis use. We estimated that every 10-point increase in the ASSIST score increased the probability of sometimes driving after cannabis use by 7.3% (P<.001). Relative to respondents who reported never drinking alcohol or using other substances with cannabis, those who sometimes drink or use other substances with cannabis were 13% (P<.001) more likely to sometimes or always drive after using cannabis.ConclusionsThe digital health tool cost the youth advocacy organization approximately Can $0.90 (US $0.71) per use. Due to the tool's unlimited use structure, the per-use cost would further decrease with increased use by the organization’s target population. Based on our results, public health campaigns and other interventions may consider tailoring resources to frequent cannabis users, youth with high ASSIST scores, and those with polysubstance abuse. The cost-effectiveness of delivering digital brief interventions with unlimited use is attractive, as increased use decreases the per-user cost. Further research examining the efficacy of digital health interventions targeting problematic cannabis use is required.

An evaluation of cascading mentorship as advocacy training in undergraduate medical education

BackgroundPhysicians are in a position of great influence to advocate for health equity. As such, it is important for physicians-in-training to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to fulfil this role. Although various undergraduate medical programs have implemented health advocacy training, they often lack experiential learning and physician involvement. These aspects are foundational to the Advocacy Mentorship Initiative (AMI) which utilizes cascading mentorship as a novel approach to advocacy training. Medical students develop advocacy competency as peer mentors to youth raised in at-risk environments, while also being mentored themselves by physician residents. We aim to determine whether there are specific advantages to utilizing cascading mentorship to facilitate the attainment of advocacy competencies in undergraduate medical education.MethodsMedical students participating in AMI between 2017 to 2020 completed pre- and post-exposure questionnaires. Questionnaires assessed confidence in advocacy-related skills and knowledge of youth advocacy concepts, as well as learning goals, skills gained, benefits of AMI and resident mentors, and impact on future career. Sign tests were utilized to analyze quantitative results, and content analysis was used for open-ended responses. A triangulation protocol was also utilized.ResultsFifty mentors participated, 24 (48%) of which completed both pre- and post-exposure questionnaires. Participants gained confidence in advocacy-related skills (p < 0.05) such as working with vulnerable populations and advocating for medical and non-medical needs. They also reported significant improvements (p < 0.01) in their understanding of social determinants of health and concepts related to children’s health and development. Content analysis showed that participants built meaningful relationships with mentees in which they learned about social determinants of health, youth advocacy, and developed various advocacy-related skills. Participants greatly valued mentorship by residents, identifying benefits such as support and advice regarding relations with at-risk youth, and career mentorship. AMI impacted participants’ career trajectories in terms of interest in working with youth, psychiatry, and advocacy.ConclusionsAMI offers a unique method of advocacy training through cascading mentorship that engages medical students both as mentors to at-risk youth and mentees to resident physicians. Through cascading mentorship, medical students advance in their advocacy-related skills and understanding of social determinants of health.

Youth advocacy varies in relation to adult advisor characteristics and practices in gender-sexuality alliances

With growing attention to youth’s efforts to address sexual and gender diversity issues in gender-sexuality alliances (GSAs), there remains limited research on adult advisors. Do advisor characteristics predict their youth members’ advocacy? Among 58 advisors of 38 GSAs, we considered whether advisor attributes predicted greater advocacy by youth in these GSAs (n = 366) over the school year. GSAs varied in youth advocacy over the year. Youth in GSAs whose advisors reported longer years of service, devoted more time to GSA efforts each week, and employed more structure to meetings (to a point, with a curvilinear effect), reported greater relative increases in advocacy over the year (adjusting for initial advocacy and total meetings that year). Relative changes in advocacy were not associated with whether advisors received a stipend, training, or whether GSAs had co-advisors. Continued research should consider how advisors of GSAs and other social justice-oriented groups foster youth advocacy.