1.1 Positive Youth Development

4. Research Studies and Actions

Studies on PYD conducted by Lerner, Phelps and colleagues provide supporting evidence to this model (Lerner et al., 2005; Phelps et al., 2007, 2009): Preadolescents who showed high levels of PYD over time also showed poor outsourcing and insourcing behaviours; those who showed a decrease in the PYD levels were more likely to manifest more negative behaviours.

In addition, longitudinal data have shown that those who increased their PYD levels were more likely to manifest initially high internalization behaviours that decreased over time and maintained a low externalizing behaviour level.  Additionally, Schmid and colleagues’ work (2011) suggest that attitudes toward the future are important in the development of positive outcomes. Hopeful future, for instance, seems to be a strong predictor of higher PYD scores and membership in the most favourable trajectories.

These results suggest that promoting PYD requires to focus on enhancing young people’s strengths, establishing engaging and supportive contexts, and providing opportunities for bidirectional, constructive person-context interactions (Larson, 2000; Lerner, Phelps, Forman, & Bowers, 2009; Snyder & Flay, 2012). Interventions that are grounded in the PYD framework, therefore, must move beyond a problem-oriented focus and address protective and risk factors across family, peer, school, and community environments that affect the successful completion of youths’ developmental tasks (Catalano, Berglund, Ryan, Lonczak, & Hawkins, 2002)

The relevance of working with the context is testified by a systematic review of 25 PYD program evaluations that show PYD interventions operating in family, school, and community settings are effective in promoting positive development in a broad range of outcome domains (Catalano et al., 2002). For example, the authors found that PYD interventions were successful in improving young people’s self-control, interpersonal skills, problem solving, the quality of their peer and adult relationships, commitment to schooling, and academic achievement.

Although these examples of asset development are the key outcomes of interest for PYD, some interventions have also decreased substance use, risk taking, and problem behaviours. PYD interventions, therefore, appear to foster positive outcomes and be able to protect against negative ones.

A variety of specific intervention strategies are compatible with the broad asset development and environmental enhancement orientation of PYD, such as service learning, mental health promotion, and social and emotional learning (SEL; Catalano et al., 2002; Tolan, Ross, Arkin, Godine, & Clark, 2016).

Like the goals of PYD, school based SEL involves implementing practices and policies that help students and adults acquire and apply knowledge, skills, and attitudes that enhance personal development, social relationships, ethical behaviours, and effective, productive work (Elias et al., 2015; Greenberg et al., 2003; Weissberg & O’Brien, 2004).