Promoting Positive Changes In Youth - Even At-Risk Youth

Main Category: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Also Included In: Psychology / Psychiatry
Article Date: 21 Apr 2008 - 2:00 PDT

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Millions of dollars are spent annually on research to reduce risky and problem behaviors in youth. Conversely, far less has been directed toward research promoting positive development -- particularly in at-risk youth. The May 2008 special issue of the Journal of Adolescent Research reports the results of nearly two decades of research at the Miami Youth Development Project (YDP), a community-supported positive youth development program of outreach research.

The research published by SAGE in the special issue draws on a perspective called Developmental Intervention Science (DIS) -- a fusion of the literatures of both developmental and intervention sciences. This approach suggests new directions for developing affordable youth interventions that are not only highly cost-effective but also meet the needs of both the community and its youth. The key concepts of the DIS approach include:

• Community supported interventions that meet youth and community needs
  
  
• Developing affordable and sustainable interventions in "real world" settings
  
  
• Targets risky and problem behaviors while promoting positive self development
  
  
• Research that aims to promote both short and long term life course changes

"The Miami Youth Development Project (YDP) represents watershed work in developmental science," observe leading researchers in human development Richard Lerner and Willis Overton in their commentary on the issue. "This special issue of Journal of Adolescent Research gives developmental scientists and the youth they seek to understand a potent example of how researchers can transcend the confines of conceptual reductionism and reliance on a single methodology to help enhance the lives of the diverse young people of America."

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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The special issue of Journal of Adolescent Research, entitled, "Promoting Positive Youth Development: New Directions in Developmental Theory, Methods, and Research" by William M. Kurtines of Florida International University and colleagues is available at no charge for a limited time at http://jar.sagepub.com/current.dtl.

SAGE is a leading international publisher of journals, books, and electronic media for academic, educational, and professional markets. Since 1965, SAGE has helped inform and educate a global community of scholars, practitioners, researchers, and students spanning a wide range of subject areas including business, humanities, social sciences, and science, technology and medicine. A privately owned corporation, SAGE has principal offices in Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, and Singapore. http://www.sagepublications.com/

For over 20 years, the Journal of Adolescent Research (JAR) has been the must-read publication for all academics, practitioners, policy-makers, and journalists interested in a global perspective (not just North America) on adolescence (ages 10-18) and emerging adulthood (ages 18-25). http://jar.sagepub.com/

Source: Jim Gilden
SAGE Publications