Youth Development Research Articles

Nurturing holistic talent, addressing systemic inequity: Canadian coaches’ insights on optimizing youth soccer talent identification and development

Evidence suggests that youth talent identification and development systems (TIDS) are lacking in quality due to various complex and multifaceted factors specific to youth players. Given the importance of consistently identifying and developing high-achieving players, soccer organizations and coaches rely heavily on effective and productive youth TIDS. This study explored the perspectives of youth coaches in Canada to: (1) enhance the capacity of youth soccer organizations and coaches to make informed decisions about TIDS, (2) maximize the advancement of youth players, (3) identify approaches, practices, and priorities for developing youth players to compete at higher levels. Using a qualitative research approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 National Licensed coaches from professional youth academy or Canada's Youth National Teams. A thematic analysis identified three central themes: (1) Views on TIDS are specific to organizations and coaches, (2) More inclusive and sustainable TIDS are necessary for success, and (3) Exposure to holistic talent development environments is essential. The findings emphasized informed decisions to establish coherent, effective, and player-centered systems through professionalized organizations and coaches, a collective philosophy with clear standards, and prioritization of players’ needs. Inclusive environments increase access to opportunities and resources that motivate players with diverse backgrounds and talents, supporting longterm engagement. An equity-based lens expands the player pool through equitable and sustainable opportunities for all players. A holistic approach to promoting psychosocial well-being and personal development is necessary for meaningful experiences within TIDS. Flexible, differentiated, and empowering approaches are needed for playercentered pathways that meet players’ evolving needs.

Growing Up Amidst Active Warfare: Understanding the Experiences of Ukrainian Adolescents Through Chat Data

Armed conflicts violate young people’s rights by exposing them to violence and trauma, disrupting their sense of safety. This study examines how Russia’s war against Ukraine affects Ukrainian adolescents’ lives. The study utilizes data from Let’s Chat, a free, low-threshold support service for Ukrainian-speaking children and youths. We analyzed 185 chat conversations between chat workers and Ukrainian adolescents using data-driven thematic analysis. The war emerged roughly every fourth conversation, affecting discussions on forced relocation, school disruptions, and social relationships. Although youths rarely initiate war-related conversations, its effects are evident. This study highlights the complex impact of war on youth development, adding to other stressors in their lives. War often emerges as an added burden, complicating their already delicate development. Digital channels like Let’s Chat can help adolescents cope with these challenges and plan their futures in a culturally sensitive manner across borders, providing crucial support in difficult times.

The Study of the Image of Mulan from the Perspective of Gender Performance and Linguistic Semiotics: A Comparative Analysis of Literary Illustrations and Film Pictorials

The theme of "women disguising as men" is an important phenomenon in literature, especially since it is a traditional theme in China's literature. It not only demonstrates the courage and wisdom of women, but also reflects the changes of the times and the progress of society as a mirror. Among the many stories of “disguise”, the story of Mulan is one of the most influential stories in the history of Chinese literature. With the development of the movie industry, the story of Mulan has gone out of the country and set off a wave of "Mulan fever" in the world. Illustrations, movie posters and other visual materials in literary works combine images, colors, words and other forms of multimodal resources to construct meaning. They play an important role in enhancing the visual appeal of the works, assisting in understanding the contents of the works and enriching the emotional expression of the works. Through the analysis of the theory of performance, multimodal discourse analysis theory, and comparing the image of Mulan in China's native illustrations and Disney movie posters, scholars can see a unified vein - the continuous awakening of self-awareness and the deepening evolution of feminism. This study hereby can provide certain guidance for the development of contemporary youth, especially females.

Cultivating Esportspersonship: How Scholastic Esports Coaches Perceive Facilitating Positive Youth Development

Cultivating Esportspersonship: How Scholastic Esports Coaches Perceive Facilitating Positive Youth Development

The Role of Individual and Contextual Resources Among Italian Emerging Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Person- and Variable-Centered Approach Within the Positive Youth Development Framework

The Role of Individual and Contextual Resources Among Italian Emerging Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Person- and Variable-Centered Approach Within the Positive Youth Development Framework

Pedagogical Perspectives of Utu: Reclaiming Primacy of African Values for Moral-ethical for Youth Development in Tanzania

Abstract The decline of moral and ethics in Tanzania especially to the youth is associated by different factors among which is the decrease in abiding by traditional values centered in utu concept. This study examined the way in which, pedagogical perspectives of utu contribute greatly in reclaiming primacy of African values for moral-ethical development of the youth in Tanzania. This study has used a desktop research study method whereby literature has been surveyed. The study argues that pedagogical perspectives of utu should be embraced for reclaiming the primacy of African values for moral-ethical development of youth in Tanzania. This study reaffirms the fact that the utu concept can stand out as a paradigm for the holistic concept of the human person and worldview that sees the reality of life as an interrelated. The moral/ethical values practiced in the light of utu on the basis of unity and brotherhood within a human family can help the Tanzanian society to recuperate a sense of national identity. Therefore, Tanzanian society today needs to cultivate, transmit, and practice utu in daily life for holistic development. The study recommends that, the utu concept which advocates the value of human dignity and identity, reminds us of the necessity of clarifying and living what we mean by “values” in education today since not all aspects of life and practice attributed to culture contain educational values worth of human dignity.

Evaluation of the Friday Night Live Mentoring Program on Supporting Positive Youth Development Outcomes

Introduction: The use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD) is a leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality among adolescents. While traditional interventions have targeted specific health-risk behaviors (e.g., substance use, initiation of sexual intercourse, truancy, etc.), the evidence suggests that using a positive youth development (PYD) framework may have positive impacts across a number of domains. Friday Night Live Mentoring (FNLM) is a PYD-based, cross-age peer mentoring program that engages teams of older high school-aged youth to mentor teams of middle school-aged youth in a structured, ongoing, one-on-one relationship. While studies have demonstrated significant but small effect sizes of intergenerational youth mentoring programs in which an adult mentor is paired with the youth mentee, research on cross-age mentoring programs is limited. The purpose of the current study is to evaluate FNLM on its ability to improve participants’ knowledge, attitudes, skills, opportunities to develop caring relationships, school engagement, and academic performance. Methods: A retrospective, pre–post survey was administered online to FNLM participants across 13 California counties. Participants rated their knowledge and attitudes about ATOD, skills, relationships with peers and adults, and academic indicators. Open-ended questions gathered information about participants’ experiences in FNLM. Non-parametric related-samples Wilcoxon signed rank tests (an alternative to paired t-test) were used to compare pre–post differences. Participants were also asked two open-ended questions: “What are the best parts of FNLM?” and “What, if anything, would you change?”. The responses to each question were reviewed, coded, and analyzed according to key themes. Results: A total of 512 participants completed the survey (287 mentors and 225 protégés). There were small but statistically significant improvements across all items for both mentors and protégés. Qualitative analyses showed that most mentors and protégés especially enjoyed getting to know and spend time with one another. Several mentors added that it was rewarding to be a positive influence on or to make a positive difference in the protégé’s life. Many youth stated that the relationships formed, especially with their partner, and the activities were the best part of FNLM. The overwhelming majority would not change anything about the program. Those who provided recommendations for program improvement suggested more activities or more hands-on and engaging activities and more or longer meetings. Conclusion: FNLM actively engages youth and provides them with support and opportunities that promote knowledge, skill development, positive relationships, academic engagement, and success and raise awareness of the harms that the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD) can cause. While ATOD use was low prior to program participation, it was significantly lower after participating in the program.

Psychological Understanding for Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency through Spatial Design

Children’s delinquent behaviour which is often met with rejection and misinterpretation of their immediate environment necessitates specific treatment for juveniles. The continuous rise in juvenile offences in India, particularly in crowded urban areas, has been an urgent challenge in recent years. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, 31,170 cases have been registered against juveniles in 2021, with a 4.7% increase over 2020. At the crux of such deviance is deprivation, poor-quality environment, and ignorance of its value causing adverse childhood experiences, social problems, and mental disorders. Neighbourhood design affects a person’s behaviour, directly influencing deviance, or creating a hostile communal bond with a juvenile who might eventually exhibit deviance. This study investigates the intersection of psychology, architecture, and policies regarding juvenile crime prevention at the neighbourhood scale. It explores how the built environment influences the behaviour and development of children, and how strategic design interventions can prevent juvenile delinquency. The study also examines the CPTED approach of various countries to understand the design principles that influence social behaviour. The inferences drawn are applied to understand crime preventive design strategies in Indian urban low-income neighbourhoods with higher juvenile crime rates. While CPTED focuses on general crime prevention strategies, juvenile crimes, which require a more comprehensive approach and an understanding of the root causes of future crimes, have not been delved into. Hence, this paper proposes an integrated framework that promotes holistic neighbourhood design to prevent juvenile delinquency by creating safe, inclusive communities that nurture positive youth development.

Standardization of studies on physical development of children in the Russian Federation

BACKGROUND:The importance of studying the growth and development processes of the child population is due to the significance of the pre-clinical approach aimed at primary disease prevention. AIM:To provide the constituent entities of the Russian Federation with standards for the physical development of children and adolescents aged 7–17years. MATERIAL AND METHODS:An analytical study was conducted, big data from the database “Physical Development of Children, Adolescents, and Youth of the Russian Federation in 2000–2021” were analyzed, containing 395,956observations of physical development (length and body weight indicators) of children, adolescents, and young people living in 49constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Priority was given to research in the constituent entities for which regional standards had never been developed or for which they were developed 15–20years or more ago. As a result, at least 2constituent entities were analyzed in each federal district. Big data processing using machine learning was carried out on the basis of the PostgreSQL database. A web application was created that implemented the functions of tabular display of data, construction of histograms with the ability to select parameters and subsequent data publication on the map of the Russian Federation. RESULTS:In Russia at the beginning of the 21st century, the characteristics of physical development of students living in diffe­rent constituent entities of the Russian Federation were established, which allowed us to talk about the presence of “regional scenarios” that must be taken into account when developing standards. At the age of 15, the range of average values of growth indicators for boys in the constituent entities ranged from 161.70±0.20cm in the Kursk Region to 174.55±0.40cm in the Krasnodar Territory (the difference was 12.85cm, p=0.001), for girls— from 154.60±0.50cm in the Republic of Tyva to 165.69±0.55cm in St.Petersburg (the difference was 11.09cm, p=0.001). The range of body weight of 15-year-old boys in the regions was from 50.17±0.70kg in the Kursk region to 66.00±0.80kg in the Khabarovsk region (difference 15.83kg, p=0.001), girls— from 46.90±0.60kg in the Chelyabinsk region to 58.40±0.70kg in the Khabarovsk region (difference 8.50kg, p=0.001). CONCLUSION:40regional standards for the physical development of the child population have been developed in a standar­dized manner, which allows taking into account regional characteristics and makes it possible to use them in practical healthcare in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation.

SER project: analysis of the skills profile of students from three Portuguese professional schools

IntroductionThis research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the SER project, which focuses on autonomy and curricular flexibility. Additionally, it seeks to assess the profiles of students from three Portuguese professional schools in relation to their social and emotional skills, self-concept and personal development after project implementation.MethodsThe sample comprised of 381 students aged between 15 and 20 years. The study employed a quantitative methodology with data collected using the Social and Emotional Skills Questionnaire, the Self-Concept Scale, and the Positive Youth Development Scale.ResultsSchool 1 includes students who tend to exhibit high levels of Social Awareness and Cooperation. School 2, while not excelling in any particular competencies, shows above-average values across all assessed dimensions. Finally, students at School 3 demonstrate elevated levels in Interpersonal Relationships, Self-Esteem, Self-Management, Self-Concept, and Decision-Making.DiscussionIt was found that student profiles differ depending on the school they attend, and it was found that statistically significant differences occur between School 1 and School 2 in Decision-Making and between School 1 and School 3 in Interpersonal Relationships.

Agricultural entrepreneurship education and youth development: a case study of graduates of higher institutions in South-East, Nigeria

Agricultural entrepreneurship education and youth development: a case study of graduates of higher institutions in South-East, Nigeria

Ethnic studies and student development: Cultivating racially marginalized adolescents' critical consciousness.

There is debate around offering ethnic studies to high school students. Ethnic studies connects learning to students' lives and analyzes the workings of racism to construct avenues toward equity. As the debate unfolds, it is critical to examine ethnic studies' implications for youth development and the mechanisms that link it to student outcomes. One of ethnic studies' long-stated goals is fostering students' critical consciousness. Critical consciousness refers to critical reasoning around inequality (critical reflection), motivation to challenge inequality (critical motivation), and action taken to disrupt inequality (critical action). Little research has examined youth critical consciousness development within ethnic studies-a consciousness-raising system. Consequently, this longitudinal mixed-methods study examines students' critical consciousness development in ethnic studies and sheds light on the contextual characteristics (i.e., critical school socialization) that foster critical consciousness. Analyses of 459 ninth-grade students' (52% girls, 4% nonbinary; 1% Asian, 1% Black, 4% multiracial, 64% Latinx, 7% Native American, 15% described their own race, 7% skipped the question; Mage = 13.92) survey data, and focus group data with 19 students, revealed that ethnic studies-enrolled students grew more in their critical reflection than nonenrolled students. However, the quantitative data demonstrated decreasing critical motivation among all students, whereas the qualitative data suggested emergent critical motivation among ethnic studies-enrolled students. Furthermore, critical school socialization and teacher pedagogy were key to ethnic studies consciousness-raising. Altogether, this study highlights that ethnic studies fosters youth critical consciousness-a worthwhile outcome that should be considered in policy debates about ethnic studies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The Impact of Youth Leadership Program on Perceived Employability Skills: Evidence from Brunei Darussalam

Youth leadership programs foster skills development in youth which are pivotal for gaining successful careers and being more employable throughout their career. Given the concerning youth unemployment issues in Brunei, the study aims to highlight the importance of youth leadership programs and examine their influence on perceived employability skills. By utilising structural equation modelling to analyse the survey data gathered from 229 samples of participants from youth leadership programs, it was revealed that the impact of learning involving skills-based and attitudinal outcomes has significant positive relationships with perceived employability skills. The results further confirmed the role of behavioural outcomes as a mediating variable in the relationship between learning and perceived employability skills. Findings from this study can be valuable for program designers, practitioners, and stakeholders in contributing to the process of structuring and making ongoing improvements to these programs to align with the essential employability skills. It also offers youth the foundation to be employable in the 21st-century job market, by highlighting the importance of youth leadership programs as a channel through which youth acquire desirable capabilities necessary for attaining a set of attributes that reflect the employability skills sought by employees in the current competitive job market. Therefore, the study can be a starting point in moving forward to mitigate the unemployment issues in Brunei through improving programs to meet the demand of employers concerning employability skills. The study provides notable contributions to the existing body of literature on youth leadership development in Brunei as well as contributing to a few other studies in the Asian region to demonstrate the impact of youth leadership programs on employability skills perceptions.

The Relationship Between School Climate and College and Career Readiness

The California College and Career Readiness measures are new to the California school accountability dashboard, and few studies have examined how these data connect to student outcomes. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to determine the degree of relationship between school protective factors (i.e., caring relationships and meaningful participation), student internal assets (i.e., student academic motivation), and College and Career Readiness Indicator outcomes. The resilience youth development module (RYDM) framework served as the model to determine the degree of relationship among these variables. The sample for this study included comprehensive, public high schools across California, including only schools that administered the California Healthy Kids Survey in the 2019–2020 school year (n = 474). Public data files were accessed from the California Accountability Dashboard and California Healthy Kids Survey. The correlational coefficients were determined using multiple regression analysis. A positive correlation between school protective factors and student internal assets was shown after controlling for schoolwide socioeconomic status. Although both school protective factors and student internal assets significantly predicted College and Career Readiness Indicator outcomes, caring adult relationships were the only positively correlated variable after controlling for socioeconomic status. Further research is recommended to explain how students define caring adult relationships and how schools can enhance practices to cultivate those relationships across all student populations. Additionally, the researchers recommend future studies to assess how the change in college and career indicators over time could assess trends and garner more information about the school supports that positively impact proficiency.

Icelandic Prevention Model in Rural Appalachian Communities: Gauging Stakeholder Experience with the Core Processes Three Years into County-Level Implementation

Background: This study assessed stakeholder experience with the core processes of The Integrated Community Engagement (ICE) Collaborative, a primary prevention approach addressing adolescent substance use in rural West Virginia, after three years of county-level implementation. Objectives: Guided by the Icelandic Prevention Model (IPM), the ICE Collaborative aims to enhance cooperation between researchers, policy makers, local practitioners, and community members and facilitate a paradigm shift in youth and community substance use prevention. This shift involves moving away from strategies focused on the repeated allocation of short-term grants that fund time-limited programs to a long-term, holistic, and sustainable approach overseen by local practitioners and coalitions. Results: We conducted qualitative interviews and focus groups with 33 stakeholders during the fall of 2022. Data analyses generated six major themes: 1) It Takes a Village to Prevent Adolescent Substance Use, 2) Improving Understanding and Commitment to Prevention Through Outreach, 3) Enhancing Student Engagement and Program Accessibility, 4) Addressing the Chronic Underfunding of Prevention and Youth Development Programs, 5) Acknowledging Family Contexts and Family Member Substance Use as Risk Factors, and 6) ICE/IPM Inspiring Solution-based Conversations, Goal Setting, and Strategy Selection. Conclusions: Stakeholders reported multiple positive characteristics of ICE for their communities and applauded the long-term focus and access to local data. Several suggestions for improved strategies were also reported. Results are discussed in line with the theoretical underpinnings of the IPM and current discourse around community health promotion in rural areas.

“Friendships fizzled out”: Trajectories and risk factors of youth loneliness following COVID-19

Abstract Background Social distancing and isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic left a mark on the social, emotional and cognitive development of youth. We aimed to identify the course of Dutch youth loneliness and its predictors since the Omicron lockdown in December 2021. Methods Data were obtained from a repeated cross-sectional panel study between March 2022 and September 2023, in which loneliness was assessed using the 6-item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale. Youth (12-25 years) participating in at least three timepoints were included. A latent class growth analysis (LCGA) was performed to identify trajectories of loneliness. Themes identified in qualitative data (open-ended questions halfway 2022) were recoded into binary quantitative variables to be included in regression analyses. Two-step multivariable multinomial logistic regression was used to determine risk factors per trajectory class. Goodness of fit was assessed using the likelihood-ratio test. Results Identified trajectories were: 1) very lonely (n = 140), 2) moderate lonely (n = 373), 3) recovering (n = 511), and 4) not lonely (n = 384; reference). Compared to the other trajectories, youngsters following a moderate or very lonely trajectory had more often little to no trust in the future and more often experienced non-specific symptoms and stress due to various causes. Including perceptions showed that youth in these trajectories experienced a greater impact of the pandemic on their social relationships. The inclusion of perception also improved the model’s goodness of fit (p < 0.001). Conclusions Up to 18 months after the COVID-19 pandemic, youngsters that reported loneliness continue to endure its consequences on their social lives. Despite the apparent association between the Omicron lockdown and continuing loneliness, claims about causality should be made with caution. However, findings implicate the importance of political and social recognition of the pandemic’s ongoing impact on vulnerable youth. Key messages • Lonely youth experienced a greater impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their social lives. • Political and social recognition of the pandemic’s ongoing impact on vulnerable youth is wanted.

Based on sustainable development of skating sports training new ecological and environmental protection measures

In recent years, under the background of exam-oriented physical education reform, the government has issued a lot of physical education documents and policies. As a result, many schools have made fundamental changes in physical education activities. These policies are mainly aimed at getting young people to be more active and autonomous in school sports. This requires physical education training teachers must adhere to the people-oriented, student-oriented, so as to highlight the subject status of students. Based on this, students should establish a good sports values and ethics and form a good habit of lifelong sports, so as to further promote the sustainable development of youth sports activities. Based on the ecological theory of sustainable development as the background, this study constructs a unified theory of Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model for the sustainable training and development of youth skating sports training institutions. This study selects the youth skating sports training institutions in Beijing, China as the investigation object, covering small, medium and large institutions of different sizes, and analyzes based on the statistical data in 2023 and the results of field research. The results show that the application of this model not only increases the willingness of youth skating training institutions to continue to participate by 3.66%, but also promotes the diversified development of youth skating training. In addition, this study also discusses the environmental protection measures implemented in the process of skating training to ensure that the training activities are sustainable while reducing the impact on the environment, so as to build a sustainable development of the new ecology of skating sports training.

Evaluation of the Impact of Economic Empowerment Initiatives on Poverty Alleviation among Youth and Women's Groups: A Case Study of the Arusha Region, Tanzania

Globally, the Women and Youth Development Fund, channeled through women's groups, has played a crucial role in fostering economic empowerment for women and youth. In Tanzania, population growth has introduced both opportunities and challenges, with a significant issue being the rise in unemployment and poverty, particularly among women and youth. To address these challenges, the Women, Youth, and People with Disabilities Revolving Fund (WYDF) was established within Local Government Authorities (LGAs) to provide accessible loans to the poor, who are often excluded from conventional financial institutions. This study investigates the effectiveness of economic empowerment initiatives in alleviating poverty among youth and women's groups in the Arusha Region, Tanzania. Specifically, it examines the impact of start-up capital provision, financial literacy training, and business capacity-building on poverty reduction. The study employed a survey research design with a quantitative approach, collecting data from 95 respondents through questionnaires. Purposive sampling was used to select the sample. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and SPSS software, with regression analysis employed to explore the relationships between variables influencing poverty reduction among the targeted groups. The findings reveal that start-up capital provision, financial literacy training, and business capacity-building significantly contribute to poverty reduction among youth and women's groups. The study recommends enhanced financial literacy programs to enable entrepreneurs to save and accumulate sufficient capital for business investments. Additionally, the government, through youth and women empowerment programs, should continue providing training, particularly to those without technical skills, focusing on new production techniques, efficient fund allocation, and marketing strategies to ensure sustainable impacts.

An investigation of coach autonomy support, life skills acquisition, and the five Cs among junior and senior secondary school athletes in Botswana

ABSTRACT Guided by models of positive youth development (PYD), this study examined the associations among perceived coach autonomy support, life skills acquisition, and the Five Cs of PYD. Cross-sectional data were collected from a purposive sample of 300 youth athletes (M age = 17.16, SD = 1.28, male = 53.5%) recruited from public junior and secondary schools in Botswana. Participants completed measures of coach autonomy support, life skills acquisition, and the Five Cs. Results from regression analyses indicated that perceived coach autonomy support was significantly associated with the perceived acquisition of eight life skills through sport (e.g., teamwork, goal setting), as well as character (B = .10, p = .001), connection (B = .15, p < .001), and caring/compassion (B = .10, p = .006) dimensions of PYD. Of the eight sport-specific life skills examined, perceived acquisition of teamwork was significantly related to athletes’ perceptions of competence (B = 0.21, p = .023), confidence (B = 0.14, p = .009), and connection (B = 0.16, p = .012), while perceived acquisition of social skills was significantly related to athletes’ perception of character (B = 0.11, p = .022). These findings highlight perceived coach autonomy support as important to life skills acquisition and positive developmental outcomes among Botswana youth athletes. Importantly, in this African context, sport appears to be a compelling pathway through which youth can attain valuable competencies, such as teamwork and social skills, that promote positive personal (i.e., competence, confidence, character) and social outcomes (i.e., connection) external to sport.

Enhancing Snooker Player Development in China: A Comprehensive Analysis of Training System and Competition Setup

This paper explores the development of snooker in China, focusing on the proliferation and challenges faced by snooker in China. It examines the inequalities in snooker popularity and specialization in China. By comparing youth development mechanisms in other sports, this paper argues that snooker needs better screening and development mechanisms to improve the quality and quantity of players. Also, Chinese snooker needs more tournaments held by local clubs to screen players for the higher levels of the game.