Positive Youth Development "is an approach that goes beyond traditional prevention, intervention, and treatment of dangerous behaviors and problems. Instead of distinguishing between "youth at risk" or "high-risk youth," [positive] youth development builds competence, involvement, and connections to the larger society for all young people."¹ Pittman and Cahill, 1992

• Background
• Resilience Factors
• Why support Positive Youth Development?
• How to be involved in Positive Youth Development
• Does Positive Youth Development work?
• References
• Resources
• Community Organizations involved in Positive Youth Development

The phrase "youth at risk" has been adopted by so many segments of our society that it's almost a household term. "Youth at risk" conjures up mental pictures of pregnant teens, adolescent drug users, gangs, youth succumbing to various addictions, and violence. Youth are termed "at risk" when elements in their lives - family structure, neighborhood, lack of home, peer group - conspire to create a negative environment and limit their choices. However, researchers and youth experts have come to realize that many youth are able to overcome what others may term "risky" home lives and environments, and succeed at school, as community members, and as members of the workforce.

These youth, formerly termed "at-risk," have been found to exhibit resiliency, and researchers and other experts have more recently been concentrating on resiliency factors in the lives of youth that equip them to develop in a positive manner. Positive Youth Development (PYD) is the outcome of this change in research, thinking, and looking at adolescent development, particularly in environments formerly termed "risky."

This youth education, health and development approach, which "builds on their assets and their potential and helps counter the problems that may affect them,"² is "predicated on the understanding that all young people need support, guidance, and opportunities during adolescence, a time of rapid growth and change."³ The approach states that in order for young people succeed in life, individuals and communities must be committed to:

• Providing youth with safe and supportive environments.
• Fostering relationships between young people and caring adults who can mentor and guide them.
• Providing youth with opportunities to pursue their interests and focus on their strengths.
• Supporting the development of youths' knowledge and skills in a variety of ways, including study, tutoring, sports, the arts, vocational education, and service-learning.
• Engaging youth as active partners and leaders who can help move communities forward.
• Providing opportunities for youth to show that they care-about others and about society.
• Promoting healthy lifestyles and teaching positive patterns of social interaction.
• Providing a safety net in times of need.⁴

There are also factors that can help protect young people from developing problems, even under such adverse circumstances as poverty. The term "resilience" is used to refer to having good outcomes despite serious threats to healthy development (Masten, 2001). Resilience can be facilitated not just by reducing the level of risk, but also by promoting competence and strengthening assets.⁵

Stable, Positive Relationship with One Caring Adult
Numerous studies have found that the presence of an adult - a parent or someone other than a parent - with a strong positive, emotional attachment to the child is associated with resilience. Sometimes this is a teacher but it can be an extended family member or mentor, such as those found in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Program.

Religious and Spiritual Anchors
For example, a sense of meaning is one of the major pathways through which violent youth find their way to a constructive future, with religious and spiritual institutions and practices (e.g., prayer) being important vehicles for developing a sense of meaning for these youth.

High, Realistic Academic Expectations and Adequate Support
Schools that provide students with a sense of shared, cooperative responsibility and belonging, convey high expectations for participation, and provide high levels of individual support for students tend to enhance resilience, even in poor communities.

Positive Family Environment
A warm, nurturing parenting style, with both clear limit setting and respect for the growing autonomy of adolescents, appears to be associated with resilience in adolescents. Strong, positive mother-adolescent relations have also been found to be associated with resilience among youth when fathers are absent from the home.

Emotional Intelligence and Ability to Cope With Stress
Although intelligence per se has been reported to be associated with resilience, the factors that may be more important - because they are more amenable to change and are also involved in resilience - are emotional intelligence and the ability to cope with stress.

Many psychologists caution against viewing resilience from an individual framework. Instead, resilience should be seen as a function of developmental experiences that are grounded in a community context. Whether a community is able to offer the relationships, resources, and commitment needed to provide the kind of developmental experiences that result in "hardiness zones" that produce resilient youth depends on many factors, but the primary one is whether the needs of youth are given priority among competing demands.⁶

• Positive youth development helps young people become independent and engaged citizens.
• Young people add tremendous value to dialogues on various issues in the community, offering different perspectives and new ideas.
• Research is beginning to show that the brain undergoes change during adolescence and may be affected, both positively and negatively, by experiences.
• Positive youth development encourages resilience, focusing on youths' strengths to overcome challenging situations.
• Positive youth development helps young people resist negative influences.
• Positive youth development programs can provide prevention services that reach youth identified as at risk in particular communities and that can serve to reduce the incidence of behaviors such as teen pregnancy, drug and alcohol use, dropping out of school, delinquency, and youth violence. Providing opportunities for young people to become independent is a good investment, avoiding potential problems that could be expensive to deal with later.
• Young people are future decision-makers and will become the leaders of our communities.⁷

Many professionals choose to become involved in their communities as members of boards or directors of community organizations or on school boards and other public policy-making agencies. In this way, they are in a position to help decide which programs are developed and funded in their community. For these professionals, it is helpful to know what programs have been evaluated and found to be effective for promoting healthy adolescent development. The characteristics of the most successful programs, for example, tend to encourage youth as early in adolescence as possible, involve at least one adult who is personally attached to each adolescent in a meaningful way, involve parents and peers, be located in schools, and address the varied needs of youth.⁸

Encourage and assist all children and youth to focus on educational and developmental opportunities leading to lifelong learning. (Educational opportunities include guiding young people to master reading in the early grades; math in middle school; and rigorous courses in high school which prepare them for college, other post-secondary education, and employment. Developmental opportunities include a progressive series of activities and experiences that build cognitive skills and help young people become socially, morally, emotionally, and physically competent.)

Work with community-based organizations and schools to build a seamless web of support, services, and opportunities that are culturally sensitive and address the full range of youth needs.

Engage youth as full partners in community-building, including active roles on boards and in program design, implementation, and evaluation.

Encourage public awareness about the positive contributions of youth within communities.

Engage local businesses to establish mentoring programs, apprenticeships, job training and employment opportunities for youth.

Spread the word about positive youth development.⁹

According to a report based on a two year study and released by the National Academy of Sciences, "Community Programs To Promote Youth Development," "adolescents who spend time in communities that are rich in developmental opportunities…experience less risk and show evidence of higher rates of positive development."¹⁰

Because dentists and hygienists so frequently encounter adolescents they have a tremendous potential capacity to raise these issues [Healthy People 5 categories/Grant p.5] with teen patients and their families. They can identify those at high risk for these dire problems and promote appropriate referrals for professional care. By building on the high public regard dentists have as trusted advisors they can also express empathy for adolescents and interest in their behavioral issues. As business owners, they can employ teens and assist in their transition to self-sufficiency. As responsible community leaders and thoughtful individuals, they can act as role models for healthy lifestyles and accomplishment, mentor teens, support youth athletic, social, and intellectual activities, and generally promote the contributions of adolescents. Each of these efforts can become more effective as dental access for at-risk teens is improved.

• American Red Cross
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America
• Camp Fire USA
• Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
• Child Welfare League of America
• Families, 4-H and Nutrition/USDA
• Girl Scouts of the USA
• Girls Incorporated
• National Alliance for Hispanic Health
• National Urban League
• The Salvation Army
• Save the Children
• United Way of America
• YMCA of the USA
• YWCA of the USA