Youth Development Approach Research Articles

Positive Youth Development Approach to School Safety: A Comprehensive Conceptual Framework.

Youth violence, victimization, and bullying are pervasive in schools across the United States and are detrimental for learning and healthy development. K-12 school safety is an increasingly urgent issue to research and understand from multiple perspectives. Physical and psychological safety in school is linked to better student and school outcomes and is fundamental to fostering well-being and prosocial behavior. Despite research demonstrating positive outcomes associated with school safety, there is no comprehensive conceptual model in the literature that considers precursors, strategies, mechanisms, and outcomes of school safety together. The current paper presents an equity-centered comprehensive model of school safety, which is intended as a holistic representation of the multiple factors and pathways that contribute to school safety and positive youth development. This model can guide research and practice through an equity-centered and comprehensive approach. This model can enable practitioners, researchers, and policymakers to make informed decisions and reach consensus regarding planning and decisions related to reducing violence and establishing supportive school environments. Our model suggests that a comprehensive approach can ensure the safety and well-being of students and staff. By thinking ecologically, schools, communities, and stakeholders can ensure that all aspects of the school context are included in school safety.

EXAMINING THE CRITICAL ROLE OF YOUTH'S PARTICIPATION AS CATALYSTS FOR SUSTAINABLE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DRIVERS OF DEVELOPMENT

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine the critical role of youth participation as catalysts for sustainable social and economic drivers of development in Africa. Theoretical Reference: The study adopted the theory of Positive Youth Development to contexualise the aim of the study. The study argues that, youth workers and other service providers using a youth development approach would be able to analyze the theories in this study and determine what influences their practice, anticipate the results of their interventions, choose the best course of action at each stage of the process, and explain their actions when working with young people. Method: Through the application of qualitative research techniques, the study primarily used peer-reviewed secondary sources available within the public domain. Since they provided the researchers with a great opportunity to connect with the body of knowledge already in existence and allowed the researchers to gain insight into the thoughts and experiences of other scholars regarding the area of study. Hence advanced searches of baseline literature were used to collect qualitative data. Results and Conclusions: The literature review examined the vital role that young people play as engines for long-term social and economic development in several African. The study argued that youth involvement promotes project ownership and sustainability and increases young people's ability to meet their basic needs. Implications of Research: Unemployment has caused Africa a lot of woes as youths embrace violence rather than embarking on projects that would benefit the continent. The paper concluded that unless impediments to the actualisation are expunged, the African continent will still take its back seat in this era of unprecedented development. Originality/ Value: The study made the case that young people must be involved as advisors, collaborators, and stakeholders if development initiatives are to be effective and representative. To guarantee that young people are engaged, it is not enough to rely just on one-time conversations; there needs to be an ongoing process.

Positive Youth Development Approach: a Model Specific to Türkiye

Positive Youth Development (PYD) has received increasing attention among researchers worldwide and has played an important role in the creation of youth development strategies and policies across many countries. However, previous research in the field of PYD has suggested that separate studies should be conducted for each different context (especially culture). As a result, the need to determine the positive development indicators of young people in their own context has emerged. There is currently a lack of scientific research focused on developing adapting the PYD model specifically to the context of Türkiye. This study aims to test a PYD model applied to Turkish contexts by benefiting from the insights of experts working in the field of youth development. Using the Delphi Method, we determined the indicators/attributes in two consecutive stages with a panel of youth development experts (Stage 1: n = 715 and Stage 2: n = 334). In the first Delphi phase, we collected the responses of the participants (3,724 meaningful words, phrases, or sentences) with an open-ended question. In the second Delphi phase, we presented the 17 indicators/attributes we created through the data to the approval of the participants using a 5-point Likert scale. In the second phase, participants reached consensus on all 17 indicators/attributes (over 80% for 5 features and over 90% for 12 features). 56.2% of the participants chose morality, 40.4% the desire to learn, 30.8% responsibility, and 30.2% honesty as the most important indicators. All but two of the 17 indicators in the model (respect and awareness/consciousness) overlapped with one indicator of at least one of the current models in the literature. The findings showed that when determining developmental indicators/attributes for the PYD in Türkiye, the contexts in which young people live (especially culture) should be taken into account. In addition, the findings suggest that trying to adapt only one of the models developed in different contexts directly to young people in other contexts may cause other indicators that are seen as important and needed in their own contexts to be overlooked.

Mental Health of Hong Kong University Students Under COVID-19: Protective Ecological Factors and Underlying Mechanism

While the COVID-19 has brought severe challenges to university students’ mental health, there is inadequate research on the related protective factors from different ecological systems and the underlying mechanisms. Guided by the ecological systems theory and the positive youth development approach, this study investigated the associations between two protective factors in the ecological systems (i.e., positive family functioning in the microsystem and Chinese cultural beliefs of adversity in the macrosystem) and students’ mental health in Hong Kong higher education during the period of the pandemic, with resilience (i.e., an important positive youth development quality) proposed as a mediating factor. This study was based on data collected in a large-scale survey of 978 Hong Kong Chinese undergraduate students (mean age = 20.69 with 62.9% being female) in the summer of 2022. Validated measures were used to assess students’ mental health problems (anxiety and depression), the ecological protective factors (positive family functioning and Chinese cultural beliefs of adversity), and resilience. Structural equation modelling was conducted to examine the associations between ecological protective factors and mental health problems, as well as the mediating effects of resilience in the associations. Structural equation modelling revealed that both positive family functioning and Chinese cultural beliefs of adversity negatively predicted anxiety and depression, with resilience partially mediating all paths. The study contributes significantly to the understanding of different ecological protective factors in higher education students’ mental health and the mediating role of resilience. It also provides practical implications for intervention and prevention.

Are bullying experiences and developmental assets associated with education outcomes for youth in foster care?

Children and youth who have experienced foster care are a population that needs more attention as they usually face a challenging childhood. Using a positive youth development (PYD) approach, the associations of developmental assets and bullying with school grades and college aspirations were explored. The participants were 1,761 students (age M = 15.5 years, SD = 1.1) who had experienced foster care and 64,364 students (age M = 15.5 years, SD = 1.1) who had not. For all students, the main reasons for being victims of bullying were their physical appearance, weight, and gender expression. Students who experienced foster care reported a higher prevalence of bullying as victims and perpetrators, and lower school grades and education aspirations compared to youth who had not been in foster care. Being a physical bully was negatively associated with school grades and college aspirations for all students regardless of foster care experience. Lastly, the role of developmental assets is a promising tool for schools, as teacher and school support and student empowerment were associated with higher school grades and college aspirations for all students, importantly, including students who had experienced foster care.

Addressing Socioeconomic Determinants of Youth Suicidal Ideation: Lessons from a Youth Development Approach in India.

Socioeconomic situations in young people's families and communities make them more vulnerable to suicidal ideations. The Youth Helpline has made a significant difference in youth's lives and livelihoods by addressing their social and economic needs with positive mental health support. The quantitative and qualitative data validate the micro- and macro-level impact of the Youth Helpline in Puducherry. However, the multi-stakeholder model faces challenges in ensuring accountability, particularly from government partners. This paper highlights how direct intervention on the socio-economic determinants of youth suicidal ideation has positively affected youth mental health and reduced suicidal ideation in Puducherry. Social identity-based inequalities and access and affordability to mental health services are the major contributors to youth mental health problems. This paper critically discusses the Youth Helpline's multi-stakeholder process and youth-led approach to addressing socio-economic determinants, as well as the Helpline's impact on youth mental health.

POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT: AN ANALYSIS OF THE GOVERNMENT’S MODEL IN BANGLADESH

The world is witnessing a dramatic change in the composition of the population. Industrialized nations are struggling with an "ageing population", while in most developing countries like Bangladesh, the proportion of young people is increasing. In Bangladesh, the youth constitute one-third of the total population and despite the government's efforts, the youth in Bangladesh are falling behind compared to other neighboring countries. Why is this so? The objective of this study is to examine the effectiveness, efficiency and appropriateness of the government's youth development model in Bangladesh using a positive youth development approach. Relying on mixed methods approach, the study utilized primary and secondary data for analysis. The primary data came from questionnaires answered by the 50 participants of Jubo Unnoyon (DYD) Dhaka District Branch. The study found that the DYD program had extremely low scores for 'spirituality and caring'. In addition, the level of achievement or effectiveness did not reach standard levels. Overall, however, the DYD program promotes positive youth development but still needs some adjustments and improvements, especially in the area of caring and connection.

Valuing adaptive programming: A study of resilience processes and outcomes

Recent decades have seen a growth in theoretical frameworks focusing on systems, context and the dynamic interplay of multiple variables, stimulating interest in complementary research and programme evaluation methods. With resilience theory now emphasising the complex and dynamic nature of resilience capacities, processes and outcomes, resilience programming stands to benefit from approaches such as design-based research and realist research/evaluation. The aim of this collaborative (researcher/practitioner) study was to explore how such benefits can be achieved when programme theory spans individual, community and institutional outcomes, with a focus on the reciprocal processes involved in effecting change across the social system. The context of the research was a regional (Middle East and North Africa) project operating in contexts with an escalated risk of marginalised young people being drawn into illegal/harmful activity. The project’s youth engagement and development approach combined participatory learning, skills training, and collective social action, adapted for diverse localities and during the COVID-19 crisis. Quantitative measures of individual and collective resilience were at the centre of a set of realist analyses evidencing systemic connections in changes to individual, collective and community resilience. Findings demonstrated the value, challenges and limitations of the applied research approach for adaptive, contextualised programming.

What are the predictors of sexting behavior among adolescents? The positive youth development approach.

Research supporting adolescent sexual health and empowerment is needed. The study investigates sexting among adolescents using the resources that characterized the Positive Youth Development Approach (PYD) and considering the impact of parental monitoring. The study aims to describe sexting among three different groups of adolescents (i.e., Non Sexters [NS], Passive Sexters [PS], and Active Sexters [AS]) considering age and sex (first aim). It also seeks to identify predictors among the PYD's resources and parental monitoring that explain the probability of falling into the sexter or the non sexter groups (second aim) as well as the probability of falling into the active or the passive sexter groups (third aim). The national representative sample was composed of 1866 Italian adolescents: 980 girls and 886 boys aged between 13 and 19 years old (M = 16.26; SD = 1.49). Participants completed a questionnaire that measured sexting behavior, PYD resources, and parental monitoring scales. Chi-squared and multivariate logistic regressions were performed. Almost half of the participants (46.0%) were NS, 36.2% were PS, and 17.8% were AS. Results show that sex, age, Connection, and Child Disclosure are significant predictors of sexting behavior. Results highlighted that sexting can be seen as a relational activity that adolescents use to establish connections as part as their sexual exploration. A parenting approach that promotes disclosure may help adolescents explore safely their sexuality and be accountable. Results also indicate that parents need to build educational alliances with schools to promote sexual health and empowerment among teenagers while preventing risk of harm.

Personal and Contextual Developmental Assets Predictors of Thriving in Adolescence

The Positive Youth Development approach suggests that positive development, or Thriving, can occur through a convergence of positive individual characteristics and favourable contextual conditions. The purpose of this study was to analyse the experience of Thriving in Portuguese adolescents and to specifically explore what personal and contextual Developmental Assets were predictive of Thriving. A convenience sample of 503 Portuguese students was evaluated, ages between 13 and 19 (M = 15.92; SD = 1.17), 63% female gender. Thriving is a multidimensional construct, so the results of this study indicate the individual variation in terms of interests and capabilities. Results suggest the impact of a subset of Developmental Assets on the prediction of Thriving, representing 36% of the variance in the Thriving Index scores, and between 9% to 33% on the variance of the Thriving Individual Indicators. A subset of Developmental Assets contributed to explain the variance in more than one outcome of Thriving: Personal Power, Planning and Decision Making, Cultural Competence, Achievement Motivation, and Participation in Youth programs. Results suggest the theoretical and practical utility of the use of Thriving indicators and of the Developmental Assets framework for understanding optimal development in adolescence.

The effectiveness of internal cohesion psychotherapy in treating young clients with depression and anxiety disorders: The role of developmental assets in Kosovo context.

The positive youth development approach (PYD) is widely used as a meaningful framework to guide research, policy, and intervention, to support young people to develop their full potential. Psychotherapy, on the other hand, is a verbal and psychological procedure that can be a suitable solution to mental health concerns, which are prevalent among youth. This study aimed to explore the potential role of developmental assets in treating clients with depression and anxiety disorders using Internal Cohesion Psychotherapy (ICP). In total, 10 young people who took at least five sessions of ICP were part of this study. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather information about clients’ experiences with ICP and their perception/opinions on the presence of developmental assets in their lives. The results confirm the effectiveness of ICP in treating depression and anxiety, while clients acknowledge the role of developmental assets in their psychotherapeutic process. The current study has important theoretical, practical, and research implications. It provides evidence on how clients use their developmental assets in maximizing the effectiveness of the ICP process. The usage of developmental assets to enhance the effectiveness of psychotherapy opens a new path for further research and can serve as a foundation ground for intervention on mental health among youth.

Healthy masculinity construction: The influence of race, faith and athletics

AbstractDue to structural racism, young men living in urban cities—particularly Black and other youth of colour—are at risk for developing hegemonic, toxic masculine identities. However, through a positive youth development approach, sport can be used to promote healthy masculinity. This study explored the importance and meaning of masculinity, as well as influences of masculinity construction among 14 urban male youth who participated in a faith‐based sport program. Findings from semi‐structured interviews highlight the importance of a masculine identity; depict masculinity through key attributes (leadership, persistence, responsibility, confidence, strength) and underscore the intersectional influence of race, faith, athletics and adult role models.

Integrating positive youth development into coordinated specialty care for a recent onset of psychosis

ABSTRACT Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) for a recent onset of psychosis is widely implemented in the U.S., yet high disengagement rates persist. Integrating a Positive Youth Development approach (e.g., Transition to Independence Process (TIP) Model) may boost CSC engagement. TIP and CSC experts (n = 14) compared the TIP fidelity scale to an international CSC fidelity scale. Notes were thematically coded. To become more PYD-informed, CSC providers might: (1) re-conceptualize recovery, engagement, and goals; (2) adopt developmentally attuned language uniting multidisciplinary staff; and (3) strategically involve and expand participant social networks. Findings lay groundwork for CSC providers to integrate strategies to prevent premature disengagement.Takeaways Positive Youth Development practices likely can be integrated into Coordinated Specialty Care for first-episode psychosis. The TIP Model’s multi-phase developmentally focused futures planning process and strategic social support involvement may boost CSC engagement. The TIP Model holds merit for uniting multidisciplinary perspectives on CSC teams, promoting team collaboration and young person (and family & other relevant supportive people) engagement.

Bicycling as a Positive Youth Development Mechanism

Recreational activities are uniquely suited for the implementation of a positive youth development (PYD) approach, as they create space for youths’ physical, psychological, and social development. This may be especially true for vulnerable youth who face additional risk factors such as single parent homes and living in low-income communities. Momentum Bicycle Clubs (MBC), based in Greenville, South Carolina, use noncompetitive recreational bicycling as a mechanism to facilitate group mentoring opportunities for high-risk youth. MBC engage youth with their community while providing opportunities for leadership, building positive relationships, exercise, and learning new skills. This exploratory project’s purpose is to better understand the bicycle as a PYD mechanism through group mentoring by studying MBC program design, processes, and outcomes. Researchers identified three primary themes that indicated the bicycle provided youth opportunities to gain responsibility, confidence, and improved health. Sub themes provided additional context. For example, youth gained responsibility for their bikes and related equipment, as well as their individual and the group’s safety. MBC is an example of using individual specialized recreation equipment as an effective PYD mechanism that allows the program to meet more PYD desired outcomes than traditional programs. The bicycle rides differentiate the program dynamic from other PYD programs as the mentors are also group participants. This allows the mentors to share in the experience and role model behavior, which may foster stronger group identity and cohesiveness. Year-round asset intensive programs of this nature have management challenges, including sufficient resources (e.g., bicycle storage and maintenance), mentors willing to ride bicycles, as well as ensuring youth safety while riding. The resource challenges are met through extensive partnerships with government, nonprofit, and commercial agencies, which has also benefitted the program through a wider variety of mentors, adult role models, internship opportunities for the youth, and community knowledge about MBC. Safe bicycling is accomplished through extensive training, locating the clubs in areas with access to low traffic streets, and a 20-mile paved multiuse path. Lastly, since it is difficult to have meaningful conversations while riding, mentors must build in time before and after rides and at planned stops to facilitate the most meaningful mentor-mentee relationships.

Coach Education and Coach Development within a Contemporary Social Justice Society: Implications for Future Research and Potential Pitfalls

ABSTRACT Literature discussing youth sport coaching indicates the importance of a holistic coaching approach, particularly related to the use of positive youth development (PYD) approaches promoting the development and transfer of life skills. However, in the shadow of recent sociopolitical movements such as Black Lives Matter and Me Too, raised awareness of mental health concerns and an ongoing global pandemic, there are calls for a reimagined perspective of PYD through a social justice worldview. The purpose of the current article is to posit how coach education programs and coach development systems can inclusively meet the diverse needs of coaches, youth athletes, and society alike. Specifically, two questions guided the development of this article: 1) Why should coach education and coach development integrate social justice life skills? and 2) How may social justice life skills be integrated into coach education and coach development? Ultimately, as researchers and coach developers, we must not only be advocates for social justice in youth sports, but critically engaged activists who progress youth – and societal – development forward.

The Adelante project: Realities, challenges and successes in addressing health disparities among central American immigrant youth.

The Adelante intervention, implemented between 2013 and 2018, addressed an important syndemic health disparity for Central American immigrant youth approaching or in high school-the co-occurrence of substance abuse, sex risk (pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, HIV), and interpersonal violence. Adelante was implemented and evaluated by the Avance Center for the Advancement of Immigrant/Refugee Health, which built on a university-community partnership that has been in place since 2005. Using a tailored, ecological positive youth development (PYD) approach, Adelante employed intervention strategies across ecological levels, including individual, family, peer, and community levels, with the use of social marketing and digital media strategies to link activities under one aspirational identity and support community engagement. Using a Community Based Participatory Research approach with multiple community partners involved in the effort, the research assessed changes in co-occurring behavioral outcomes and tested hypotheses concerning relationships between PYD mediators and these outcomes. Multiple methods were used in collaboration with partners to assess intervention inputs and outcomes-detailed implementation process records; prepost surveys to assess changes in PYD assets, risk behavior knowledge, and prevention skills; a community survey in the intervention and comparison communities (total N = 3,600) at baseline and two follow-up waves; surveys of a high risk cohort (n = 238) at baseline and follow-up; and social marketing campaign surveys (n = 1,549) at baseline with 2 follow-up waves. Analysis showed multiple improvements in PYD mediators and risk behavior outcomes, including an overall 70% increase in knowledge and a 15% increase in prevention skills. Preliminary analysis of risk behavior outcomes demonstrated, for example, a significant, inverse effect on reported sexual activity (past 3 months) for both Adelante intervention community and cohort samples. In addition, self-reported exposure to the social marketing campaign was associated with positive effects on multiple outcomes, including drug use risk and violence attitudes, and improvement in violence/sexual risk behavior outcomes in the intervention versus comparison community. There are few models in the literature that provide a roadmap for how to address multiple, related health conditions in marginalized, immigrant communities, even as most health disparities are associated with complex social ecologies. The Adelante intervention adds a useful model of this nature to the evidence base, and provides support for the ecological approach to PYD with respect to such communities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Enabling Young People from Informal Urban Communities to Exercise Their Right to Sexual and Reproductive Health: A Practice-Based Study

This qualitative study explores how comprehensive sexuality education located within a broader positive youth development approach informed transformations among young people from informal urban communities in India. A thematic analysis of data obtained from the young people, their parents, and frontline workers revealed that securing the cooperation of families was possible for the program because sexual and reproductive health education was not a stand-alone intervention, but a part of a larger approach seeking to build capacities of young people. The strategic introduction of sexual and reproductive health communication helped the participants to overcome inhibitions about the topic. Enhanced awareness of gender, pubertal changes, gender-based violence, and child sexual abuse was evidenced post participation. Improved agency was manifest through decision making, critical thinking, confidence, mobility, and articulation, especially among girls. Program interventions to enhance sexual and reproductive health awareness of parents and communities and to improve health services and facilities were bolstered through youth engagement. Such contribution by the young reinforced their knowledge and skills, strengthened agency, and cemented family and community support. A holistic program situated within the positive youth development approach thus seemed a pragmatic vehicle to promote comprehensive sexuality education for young people in vulnerable urban communities.

Family Functioning and Adolescent Delinquency in Mainland China: Positive Youth Development Attributes as a Mediator.

According to the positive youth development (PYD) approach, PYD attributes such as psychosocial competencies are developmental assets which can promote the holistic development of adolescents, such as increase in thriving and decrease in risk behavior. Although there are research findings supporting this theoretical proposition, there are several weaknesses in this literature. These include a lack of studies examining family antecedents of PYD attributes and the mediating role of PYD attributes in the relationship between family functioning and adolescent delinquency. There are also few longitudinal studies utilizing large samples and validated measures of family functioning and PYD attributes in the scientific literature. In this study, we examined the predictive effect of family functioning on adolescent delinquency and the mediating role of PYD attributes. Using a short-term longitudinal study in Sichuan, China, we collected two waves of data from 4,981 adolescents aged 11 and above, with 6 months between the two waves. Analyses using structural equation modeling showed that family functioning at Wave 1 negatively predicted the level of and change in delinquent behavior at Wave 2, with PYD attributes at Wave 2 as a mediating factor. The present study enriches the conceptual framework on the role of family functioning and PYD attributes in adolescent delinquent behavior. The findings also suggest that strengthening family functioning and PYD attributes would protect adolescents from engaging in delinquent acts.

Social-Ecological Analysis of the Sport and Recreation Programs’ Impacts on Positive Development of Youth from Socially Vulnerable Backgrounds

ABSTRACT Positive developmental experiences of youth from socially vulnerable backgrounds in sport and recreation programmes have a capacity to contribute to youth’s resilience and serve as protective factors. Nevertheless, this area is under-researched and poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to address this gap by investigating the effects of sport and recreation programmes on lives and positive development of youth from socially vulnerable backgrounds. Drawing upon constructivist grounded theory, the data collection involved 13 interviews with practitioners and volunteers working with this population. The data were analysed inductively using initial, focused, and theoretical coding, whereas the latter involved the Social-Ecological Model and Positive Youth Development approach to conceptualise the multidimensional and dynamic interrelationships between individuals and the social ecology of positive development. The findings reveal the programmes’ impacts on personal (social-emotional skills), interpersonal (prosocial relationships), school (support systems), community/neighbourhood (sense of citizenship), and societal levels (norms and policies) that can facilitate healthy developmental outcomes of those who face developmental challenges. This study contributes to the understanding of the multi-level capacity of sport and recreation programmes to promote positive development among youth from socially vulnerable backgrounds and offers valuable insights for the programmatic design and delivery.

Exploring the Psychosocial Antecedents of Sustainable Behaviors through the Lens of the Positive Youth Development Approach: A Pioneer Study

The current study explored, in a sample of 219 young Italian adults (105 M; 114 F; mean age = 22.10 years; SD = 2.69; age range = 18–29), the contribution of the five psychosocial skills (Five Cs) identified by the Positive Youth Development approach (competence, confidence, character, connection, and caring) to sustainable behaviors, including pro-ecological, frugal, altruistic. and equitable actions. We performed four regression analyses, in which the Five Cs were the independent variables and pro-ecological, frugal, altruistic, and equitable behaviors were the dependent ones. Results reveal that character predicted pro-ecological and frugal behaviors, whereas competence was a significant antecedent of altruism. In addition, we found that caring predicted pro-ecological and altruistic actions while connection was a positive predictor of equity. These findings suggest that psychosocial resources could be crucial for sustainability, opening new possibilities for research and intervention in order to promote sustainable practices that could guarantee the well-being of the present and forthcoming generations. Limits and future research directions are also discussed.