Youth Work Research Articles (Page 1)

Evaluating psychometric validity of ecological momentary assessment for youth irritability.

The article is devoted to the study of youth work as a social determinant of state policy, carried out by a team of scientists from Pavlo Tychyna Uman State Pedagogical University through the activities of the START youth center. The research, which began in 2018, allowed obtaining scientific results that contributed to the development of education, state policy and civic activity of youth. The article examines the main areas of influence of youth work on education, including the positive development of youth through formal and non-formal education, personal and professional development of students, social support and guidance for education seekers, the impact of mentoring on their success and self-esteem, development of life skills, youth mobility and inclusive youth work. The study also covers the impact of youth work on state policy, in particular, the involvement of youth in decision-making processes and the integration of youth work into state strategies. An important aspect is the development of volunteering and civic activity of student youth and scientific and pedagogical workers. Special attention is paid to the popularization of scientific research in the field of youth work, which includes the dissemination of best practices, raising public awareness and improving youth policy. The university actively implements the training of future social workers for youth work through educational and professional programs, scientific events, preparation of educational and methodological materials and the implementation of dissertation research. The results obtained have practical and theoretical significance, which is reflected in the activities of the youth center «START» and other youth spaces. The article emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive approach to youth work, which contributes to the development of young people as individuals, professionals and active citizens.

The purpose of the article is to analyze the experience of implementing effective social projects and programs aimed at activating youth, as well as to substantiate the possibilities of their further application in the practice of youth policy in Ukraine. The concept of a “social project” in the context of youth activity is defined as a set of purposeful actions initiated and implemented by young people or with their participation, which has clearly defined objectives, temporal and resource boundaries, and is directed towards addressing socially significant problems, fostering civic responsibility, and enhancing the social activity of the youth community. The study examines the specific features of youth social projects and programs. A social project is considered as an instrument for the practical implementation of specific tasks in the field of youth policy, whereas a program determines its priorities and directions, serving as its strategic foundation. The study analyzes contemporary practices of implementing social projects and programs involving youth (“Youth Worker,” “YouthHere,” “VidNOVA.ua”), and takes into account the experience of other youth initiatives. It is concluded that successful social projects contribute to the activation of young people, the strengthening of social cohesion, and the formation of national identity. The consideration of accumulated experience makes it possible to improve youth policy in Ukraine and to create the prerequisites for developing new effective initiatives. It is demonstrated that best practices in youth work serve as examples of successfully implemented social projects and as a foundation for the formation of new initiatives oriented toward the needs and interests of young people. The transition from individual successful local projects to large-scale practices that expand and function in other communities creates a basis for further generalization of results and the development of effective strategies for activating the youth community.

The article substantiates the decisive role of youth work in shaping the social success of students within higher education institutions. It emphasizes that youth work serves not only as a supportive mechanism for students’ academic progress but also as a powerful instrument for their personal, professional, and civic development. The paper provides a detailed description of the main forms of youth work – individual, group, and mass – and explores their pedagogical and social potential in creating an inclusive and motivating educational environment. Based on the analysis of European experience across twelve countries, the study highlights best practices in organizing youth activities, focusing on participatory management, leadership development, intercultural competence, and social engagement. Eight strategic directions for fostering social success are identified: promoting innovative educational formats; enhancing professional training and certification of youth coordinators; strengthening communication and partnership infrastructure; encouraging professional integration with employers; developing international cooperation; ensuring grant and institutional support for student initiatives; implementing digital tools for youth engagement; and advancing civic participation through volunteer and community projects. The article concludes that universities must evolve from providers of educational services into active agents of social transformation, ensuring the holistic development of students as successful, responsible, and socially active citizens.

The article, based on the analysis of theory and practice, reveals the features of the formation of a social leader in the youth environment through youth work. In conditions of radical social changes in the context of socio-economic and socio-political transformations, the need to form a young person as a social leader – an active member of society, who has the right to choose and is simultaneously responsible for this right, is becoming more urgent. International regulatory and conceptual and strategic documents have determined the importance of leadership as a means of forming inclusive sustainable development of society. In accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals, effective leadership involves the integration of economic, social and environmental aspects of sustainable development, cooperation between different sectors and the active participation of all stakeholders Numerous public opinion surveys confirm that a social leader plays an important role in the process of making important decisions in the social sphere, as well as in the system of social governance. However, the scientific discourse has not sufficiently explored the innovative possibilities of forming a social leader in the youth environment. Therefore, the goal of the modern higher education system is aimed at educating a leader as a creative, spiritual and moral personality, a progressive representative of the world community and a citizen of his state, as an initiative personality, who is characterized by organizational and communicative qualities, a humanistic orientation, and a readiness for partner-oriented personal interaction. The author found that the formation of a social leader in the youth environment at the current stage of development of a democratic country is a highly relevant interdisciplinary task of education and social policy of the state. These issues open up new prospects for further study of the theory and practice of youth work, as well as its development in higher education institutions with the aim of developing social leadership as a social phenomenon in general and the formation of a young person as a social leader in particular.

This study examines the state of migrants’ adaptation from An Giang to the Southeast region and how such an adaptation can help build the satisfaction of migrants’ lives in the new destination. This study adopted a quantitative approach, with a completed survey of 500 young migrants living and working temporarily in Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Binh Duong, and other provinces in the Southeast region. The descriptive statistics show that young migrants in An Giang are well-adapted to life in the immigration area. A multiple regression analysis finds that the significant predictor contributing to the respondents’ adaptation and satisfaction is “professional communication”. Two other predictors, “adapt to a new environment” and "sociocultural integration", are not statistically significant. The one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) reveals substantial differences in the respondents’ life satisfaction based on demographic characteristics such as level of education and occupation. For instance, migrants with higher educational backgrounds quickly adapt to employment, leading to higher satisfaction. This study concludes that young migrants aged 16-30 years old in An Giang need to equip themselves with skills and improve their education to better respond to the labour market in the immigration area.

Youth work has long been recognised as a powerful tool in shaping the lives of young people, offering them opportunities to develop personally, socially, and educationally in ways distinct from formal education. Despite a growing body of research on the role of youth work, understanding its full impact remains a complex challenge. This article is based on a recent report for No Knives Better Lives and YouthLink Scotland exploring the impact of youth work through a lifecourse perspective, a method that promises to illuminate its long-term significance. By employing qualitative biographical interviews, it investigated the intricate ways youth work intersects with other aspects of a young person's life, revealing its role as a supportive, preventive service.

Adolescent girls and physical activity in public spaces: insights from the city of Antwerp.

The system of social and psychological rehabilitation of children and youth with special educational needs by means of inclusive rehabilitation and social tourism as an interdisciplinary subject of research is characterized, which involves the synthesis of separate scientific disciplines: inclusion, tourism, social work, youth work, pedagogy, social pedagogy, psychology, local history, rehabilitation geography, medical rehabilitation, etc. Children and youth is a complex, multi-level and dynamic system of measures aimed at restoring, developing and affirming the social status of the individual, his psychological functions, qualities, properties; protection of mental health and social well-being; social involvement in full-fledged life activities and capacity for action, inclusion in social relations based on the elimination of restrictions on life activities and the creation of an accessible environment Inclusive education is implemented through inclusive educational practices that cover a range of technologies, methods, methods and techniques. The inclusion of inclusive tourism, which has a high rehabilitation potential and is an innovative educational practice, in the practice of inclusive education is justified. The peculiarity of inclusive tourism is its ability to integrate the following types of socio-psychological rehabilitation: elementary, household, socio-pedagogical, educational, family, recreational, psychological. A practical toolkit for the implementation of the system of socio-psychological rehabilitation of children and youth with special educational needs by means of inclusive tourism has been developed, which includes psychological, pedagogical, physical, physical culture and sports, social and household and medical measures.

ABSTRACT This article examines how digital youth work contributes to the construction and negotiation of gender norms through social media. As digital practices become increasingly embedded in youth work, they present both challenges and opportunities for shaping gender norms. Despite the growing relevance of digital engagement, limited research has explored how youth workers contribute to the construction of gender norms online. We analyse 134 Instagram and TikTok posts created by Dutch youth workers. Applying an intersectional gender lens, attuned to gender, age, and ethnicity, we explore how digital content constructs ideas of femininity, masculinity, and gender inclusivity. Our findings reveal that while digital youth work often reinforces binary and stereotypical gender norms, it also offers possibilities for resistance and ‘undoing gender’. This study contributes to the fields of youth work, gender studies, and digital media by highlighting the normative power of everyday digital practices and the importance of critical reflection.

ABSTRACT Social work are influenced by the development of increased individualization, standardization, and evidentialization in service provisions. At the same time external societal changes and recent crises have created new needs for social work intervention. In this article, we address whether a collaborative approach to social work can strengthen the discipline’s capacity to respond to these changes. We embed our discussions in two concrete practice fields in social work: the integration of migrants and refugees and the youth work. The changes in these practice fields demonstrate the increasing need for collaboration with the greater involvement of civil society and local communities. This addresses the need for mobilizing both public and civil society, demanding new roles for frontline social workers. Building on theoretical perspectives on co-creation, social innovation, and mobilization we argue for a collaborative approach in social work practice and education. This highlights the importance of individuals working together, sharing a common vision, co-creating, and mobilizing resources, liberating local knowledge, and increasing participants’ capabilities to act from a bottom- up perspective. Consequently, we argue for a need for rethinking social work education. We can not only tell students about collaborative approaches to social work; we need to give them opportunities to participate in and experience collaborative social work. This actualizes the tension and conflict of interest between social work education as individualized or collective-oriented, and between education in social work, and education for different social work services and practices.

Chinas rapidly aging population has placed an unprecedent strain on the labor market and pension system. This paper empirically investigates the causal effects of a delayed retirement policy implemented in early 2022 on the labor market for youth and middle-age worker. Using county-level panel data of Jiangsu province in China from 2018 to 2024 for Jiangsu province, the treatment group, and Zhejiang province, the control group, we discover obvious policy trade-offs. We find that within three years of implementation, middle-aged employment rate in Jiangsu province increased, while youth employment rate decreased. The positive effects on the middle-age were stronger in cities with higher aging rates and heavy industry experience. Whereas for youth, unemployment effects were concentrated in sectors of low-turnover. In addition to this result, were discovered that firms retention of middle-aged workers was reinforced rather than being reduced, causing a set of trade-offs. These results provide policy implications to contribute to the stability and development of the entire labour market.

As youth workers increasingly offer support and guidance within digital environments, the question arises as to what impact this support has on the (online) lives of young people. This paper explores the contribution of youth work practice in the online lifeworld on young peoples’ development, building on previous studies concerning youth work outcomes and the developmental needs of young people. A qualitative research design was employed, including digital diaries of youth workers and semi-structured interviews with both young people (N = 37) and youth workers (N = 25). The findings highlight the role of youth work in helping young people navigate social media; develop new skills, talents, and social connections; and increase awareness of online risks. Youth workers also support young people in coping with negative online experiences, including loneliness and mental health challenges. The contribution of online youth work is less visible in certain aspects of developmental needs, namely online safety and privacy, self-image, and assessing online information. This paper concludes by emphasising the need for further research into the long-term impact of youth work in the online lifeworld, particularly in light of rapid technological developments, the growing influence of artificial intelligence, and the increasing involvement of youth in digital forms of crime. The findings described in this study can form a base for future research to better understand the impact of these emerging issues on youth development and youth work practice, as well as to develop appropriate interventions.

ABSTRACT Animal-assisted support programs (AASPs) are emerging as innovative interventions aimed at addressing social, emotional, behavioral and moral challenges in youth in detention settings. Despite their growing popularity, research on these programs remains limited, particularly regarding their curriculum development, implementation, and potential contributions to social-emotional and moral growth in youth. In this paper, we present a case study of the development of a new curriculum to accompany two animal-assisted support programs that work with at-risk youth and shelter dogs, Lifetime Bonds (Illinois) and Teacher’s Pet (Michigan). We discuss the intuitive appeal of such programs which masks the many challenges of working with two institutionalized and at-risk populations. We also consider other ways to assess the benefits of such programs, such as how these interactions foster empathy, moral growth, and resilience by examining themes revealed in some of the youths’ own words.

Contemporary youth are increasingly exposed to work and career norms, and despite mounting inequality, instability and precarity, the promise of self-realisation through work has retained its allure and influence. Against this backdrop, this paper draws on a 4-year (2019–2023) longitudinal interview study ( n = 93) to explore how 16 young women ‘become workers’ by managing pressures to inhabit neoliberal and postfeminist norms of individuality, progress and aspiration that shape contemporary ideals of ‘successful’ work and career. Theoretically, the paper draws on Lauren Berlant to develop an understanding of work subjectivity as performed within attachments to the promissory object of future work and career. Through empirical analysis, we offer the notion of ‘the flailing self’ as a manifestation of youth work subjectivity amidst conditions of unclarity towards neoliberal and postfeminist norms. Flailing names an ambivalent mode of managing one’s future work and career where notions of ‘success’ are held both close and at a distance. By advancing the concept of the flailing self, the paper contributes new theoretical and empirical understandings of the complex relationship between young women, work and the self in the present historical moment.

ABSTRACT Adolescents of ethnic minority groups in Europe face the challenge of reconciling their multiple cultural identities while establishing a sense of belonging. This qualitative study investigated two key aspects: a) how Dutch ethnic minority youth navigate their multiple cultural identities in daily life, and b) the extent to which these cultural identity styles relate to young people’s sense of belonging to Dutch society. Drawing on a process-oriented framework and the distinction between hybrid and alternating identity styles, we explore how adolescents engage with these styles in daily life and how they relate to their sense of belonging to Dutch society. Our study involved semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 51 second- and third-generation adolescents and young adults in the Netherlands. First, the study highlights that adolescents flexibly navigate between hybrid and alternating identity styles depending on social context, often without explicit conscious awareness. Second, our findings suggest that experiences of discrimination restrict the use of hybrid identity style and compel young individuals to adopt alternating identity style as a protective response. This study emphasizes the layered character of belonging and shows how experiences of marginalization can lead to a weakened sense of national belonging. Our research highlights the importance of both schools and youth work in creating inclusive environments that recognize multiple cultural identities and strengthen young people’s stronger sense of belonging.

Occupational health issues in rural informal industries, particularly home-based garment production, are often overlooked despite the high risk of musculoskeletal disorders among young workers. This community service program aimed to improve occupational health literacy and physical well-being among rural youth through ergonomic education and therapeutic swimming training in Ngadirejo Village, Boyolali. Implemented in collaboration with Karang Taruna “Gambate,” the program applied a community-based participatory approach over eight months. Interventions included ergonomic training on proper posture, simple workstation adjustments, micro-break and stretching routines, and therapeutic swimming to support muscle recovery. A one-group pre-test and post-test design using the Occupational Health Knowledge Scale and the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire was used for evaluation. Results showed a 28.8% increase in ergonomic knowledge and a 23.5% decrease in musculoskeletal complaints. In conclusion, participatory and low-cost ergonomic interventions effectively improved health awareness, reduced physical strain, and strengthened productive behavior among rural youth workers.

Young people's mental health issues continue to increase in Finland and health-promoting support is needed to alleviate these. This workshop presents results from young people's experiences of bullying, cyberbullying and loneliness, as well as professional youth workers’ views on young people's school transitions in relation to loneliness, and what can be done to address this issue. This workshop also examines the views of school coaches working in Finnish schools on what kind of health-promoting support they can offer young people. All presentations aim to demonstrate research results on young people's experiences of mental health, the kind of needed support and how it can be provided according to both young people and professional youth workers.Key messages• This workshop provides evidence of young people’s experiences of mental health issues in relation to bullying and loneliness and offers suggestions for health-promoting support.• This workshop displays young people’s experiences of school transitions in relation to loneliness and how school coaches’ health promoting work can support mental health in schools.

Scrolling with young people: Transferring general youth work methods into digital spaces

Purpose: Young people transitioning from out-of-home care are a vulnerable group. This article reports two studies aiming to increase understanding of how to develop interventions for this group and focuses on preliminary intervention fit from the youth and social worker perspective. Methods: We conducted two small-scale studies. Social workers (Study I, n = 2; Study II, n = 9), and youth (Study I, n = 9; Study II, n = 13) completed self-report surveys containing both closed- and open-ended questions regarding the services with which they delivered and participated. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were used to analyze data. Results: Program content took longer to deliver than expected. Both studies indicate that the interventions were generally seen as fitting by youth and social workers. Social network and communication components were perceived as less fitting. Discussion: The results indicate that the interventions have the potential to achieve good fit and encourage further development and study.