scholarly journals International Positive Youth Development: Challenges and Opportunities in Policy and Practice

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Lisa A. Lauxman ◽  
Thomas Archibald ◽  
Elizabeth M. Dowling ◽  
Cassandra Jessee

This special issue of the Journal of Youth Development on international positive youth development brings together diverse perspectives of research, practice, and policy regarding the challenges and opportunities facing international efforts to promote the positive development of youth. To represent a plurality of perspectives on international PYD, the authors sought to represent a variety of continents, countries, genders, races, ethnicities, sectors, and levels of experience with publishing. There is also variety in the types of articles such as case studies, presentations of frameworks and curricula, letter-style commentary by youth, and cutting-edge research methodologies and studies. A few key themes frame the volume, including (a) diversity in definitions of youth and operationalizations of PYD; (b) the multifaceted and multidimensional ways in which PYD is integrated into different sectors, domains, and types of programmatic and organizational contexts; and (c) the importance of and need for an accessible evidence base of PYD informed by rigorous science. Thought leader commentaries are interspersed in the beginning, middle, and end of the issue. The articles represent the current state of the field of PYD internationally with an outlook toward the future and how the integration of PYD research and practice can enhance contributions of youth to equity, social justice, and democracy.

E-psychologie ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 38-39
Author(s):  
Mária Bačíková ◽  

The publication presents the latest findings on the current issue of the theory of PYD (Positive Youth Development) in a specific group of Roma adolescents. The empirical investigation of the situation of Roma adolescents from different cultural and socio-economic contexts is a very important step in promoting their positive development. As the editors state, the book aims to help readers better understand the conditions that promote the optimal development of Roma adolescents, taking into account a variety of familial, community, social, and cultural factors.


Author(s):  
Danica Kragic ◽  
Joakim Gustafson ◽  
Hakan Karaoguz ◽  
Patric Jensfelt ◽  
Robert Krug

Robotic technology has transformed manufacturing industry ever since the first industrial robot was put in use in the beginning of the 60s. The challenge of developing flexible solutions where production lines can be quickly re-planned, adapted and structured for new or slightly changed products is still an important open problem. Industrial robots today are still largely preprogrammed for their tasks, not able to detect errors in their own performance or to robustly interact with a complex environment and a human worker. The challenges are even more serious when it comes to various types of service robots. Full robot autonomy, including natural interaction, learning from and with human, safe and flexible performance for challenging tasks in unstructured environments will remain out of reach for the foreseeable future. In the envisioned future factory setups, home and office environments, humans and robots will share the same workspace and perform different object manipulation tasks in a collaborative manner. We discuss some of the major challenges of developing such systems and provide examples of the current state of the art.


2021 ◽  
pp. 87-108
Author(s):  
Nora Wiium ◽  
Fitim Uka

Consistent with the positive youth development perspective, the experience of internal and external assets is associated with positive development or thriving among young people. This proposal has been developed and tested mainly in the United States but it also appears to be considerably true for Roma youth living in post-communist countries. This chapter examines Roma youth (N = 354) experience of various developmental assets and how these assets are related to thriving. Study results indicated positive relations between the assets and thriving, in general. In addition, the experience of constructive use of time was quite low among Roma youth relative to internal assets, such as commitment to learning, positive values, social competencies, and positive identity, and other external assets such as support, empowerment, and boundaries and expectations. While this low experience of constructive use of time could be a general trend among young people, it could also reflect the discrimination and social exclusion that Roma youth often face. Because Roma youth across Europe form a significant and growing proportion of the school-age population and consequently the future workforce, policies and programs that promote both internal and external assets necessary for thriving are essential because thriving has been associated with the development of self and society.


Author(s):  
Koon Teck Koh ◽  
Martin Camiré

Sport is a very popular activity that provides a context suitable for positive youth development (Danish, Forneris, & Wallace, 2005). Although the acquisition of motor skills and sport-specific abilities are indispensable constituents of sport involvement, other elements contributing to athletes' positive development such as life skills and values must be considered (Carron, Hausenblas, & Estabrooks, 2003; Forneris, Camiré, & Trudel, 2012; Landers & Petruzzelo, 1994). Several studies have examined the effectiveness of sport-based programmes designed for developing life skills and values, but a limited amount of research has specifically addressed how to promote this type of material among youth. There is a need for a review that explores the potential approaches for infusing the learning of life skills and values in sport participation, and improving the effectiveness of structured life skills and values-driven training programmes in order to achieve the desired developmental benefits of sport participation.


2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federica Sancassiani ◽  
Elisa Pintus ◽  
Arne Holte ◽  
Peter Paulus ◽  
Maria Francesca Moro ◽  
...  

Background:The acquisition of social and emotional skills is associated with positive youth development, character education, healthy lifestyle behaviours, reduction in depression and anxiety, conduct disorders, violence, bullying, conflict, and anger. School-based interventions aimed to enhance these skills go beyond a problem-focused approach to embrace a more positive view of health; they could also improve the youth’s wellbeing.Aim:To describe the main features and to establish the effectiveness of universal school-based RCTs for children and the youth, aimed to promote their psychosocial wellbeing, positive development, healthy lifestyle behaviours and/or academic performance by improving their emotional and social skills.Methods:Systematic review by searching for relevant papers in PubMed/Medline with the following key words: “mental health” OR “wellbeing” OR “health promotion” OR “emotional learning” OR “social learning” OR “emotional and social learning” OR “positive youth development” OR “life skills” OR “life skills training” AND “school”. Interval was set from January 2000 to April 2014.Results:1,984 papers were identified through the search. Out of them 22 RCTs were included. While most interventions were characterized by a whole-school approach and SAFE practices, few studies only used standardized measures to assess outcomes, or had collected follow-up data after ≥ 6 months. The results of all these trials were examined and discussed.Conclusion:Universal school-based RCTs to enhance emotional and social skills showed controversial findings, due to some methodological issues mainly. Nevertheless they show promising outcomes that are relatively far-reaching for children and youth wellbeing and therefore are important in the real world.


2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Goda Kaniušonytė ◽  
Rita Žukauskienė

The purpose of this study was to examine the links between relationships with parents, identity styles, and positive youth development (PYD), conceptualized as “contribution” to self, family, and community, in Lithuanian youth during the transition from adolescence to emerging adulthood. In Study I, we sought to examine how positive relationships with parents predict contribution with the potential mediating role of autonomy-supportive parenting. Participants ( N = 153) filled a self-reported questionnaire in the final year of school and 1 year later. In Study II, we aimed at investigating how parental autonomy support is related to the contribution and the potential mediating role of identity processing style. Participants ( N = 254) were assessed 1 year after graduating high school. Overall, the findings indicated that positive relationships with parents play an important role in successful adjustment and that this relationship is partially mediated by identity style. To conclude, the way in which parents respond to their children’s need for autonomy and relatedness affects the adequate identity management and overall positive development during emerging adulthood.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nor Ba’yah Abdul Kadir ◽  
Rusyda Helma Mohd

A substantial body of evidence supports Lerner and colleagues’ 5Cs model of positive youth development (PYD) in the United States (U.S.). Nonetheless, it remains unclear whether the 5Cs can be used to identify positive development in the under-researched Asian contexts, such as Malaysia. Thus, this study examined the 5Cs of PYD (competence, confidence, character, connection, and caring) and their importance to purpose in life, hope, and well-being in a sample of emerging adult undergraduate university students in Malaysia. Data were collected from 400 participants from 15 Malaysian universities (132 males, 268 females; ages ranged from 18 to 26 years old, M = 22). A hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that two of the 5Cs of PYD (confidence and connection) as well as hope were important to explaining variation in well-being. The findings imply that there are strong links between PYD, especially confidence and connection, and well-being, while purpose in life and hope were indirectly related to the 2Cs (confidence and connection) of PYD and well-being. Therefore, mental health professionals are encouraged to review and redefine their treatment design to include confidence, connection, purpose in life and hope when working with Malaysian emerging adult university students.


2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 38-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard M. Lerner ◽  
Jacqueline V. Lerner ◽  
Selva Lewin-Bizan ◽  
Edmond P. Bowers ◽  
Michelle J. Boyd ◽  
...  

Using the tripartite conception of positive youth development (PYD) suggested by Hamilton (1999) – as a developmental process, a philosophy or approach to youth programming, and as instances of youth programs and organizations focused on fostering the healthy or positive development of youth – we review different theoretical models of the developmental process involved in PYD. In addition, we review the ideas for and the features of youth development programs aimed at promoting PYD. We discuss the need for research interrelating different, theoretically-predicated measures of PYD and, as well, the importance of clear links between models of the PYD developmental process and of the youth development programs seeking to enhance PYD among diverse youth. We discuss several conceptual and practical problematics that must be addressed in order to integrate the three facets of PYD scholarship.


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