Commentary: Positive Youth Development Goes Mainstream

Abstract

Evidence has accumulated that confirms the success of a positive youth development (PYD) approach. Importantly, a positive development approach is just that-an approach. It is not a particular program or curriculum but a set of practices designed to achieve one or more positive outcomes. As such, PYD practices can be added onto other programs to make positive outcomes more likely. For example, a tutoring program can work hard to hire and train staff to work with students in a trusting, respectful relationship. Camp counselors can be encouraged to build rapport and positive bonds among the campers.

Worries, Mental and Emotional health difficulties of Portuguese University students

“…However, what concerns interventions, it is highlighted that positive youth development is just an approach and not a particular curriculum or program, meaning that it can be additionally included in other programs designed to achieve, more likely, one or more positive outcomes [36] towards an optimistic life plan, and an attainable happy and healthy life [6] . It is crucial to remember that youths are the most important assets in society and it is important to continue the study on the identification of indicators for positive youth development because once it occurs, it can empower not only youths, but also families, communities and societies, with potential benefits for the next generations.…”

<p>Positive youth development: current perspectives</p>

“…Recently, many youth workers have used the positive youth development (PYD) approach to design programs for adolescents (10–18 years) and emerging adults (18–29 years) 1,2. Its vision is to replace the long-held beliefs of the inevitable “storm and stress” in adolescence proposed by Stanley Hall by an emphasis on youth potentials and developmental plasticity 3–5.…”

Refugee Youth Resettlement

“…While there are elements of the youth bulge theory in the YPS resolutions that consider "unmanaged" youth as a threat to global security, the resolutions for the most part take a positive approach in framing a larger youth population as one that, under the right conditions, can have a positive impact. Referred to as Positive Youth Development (PYD), this model frames youth as "assets" or "resources" that can be developed as opposed to being managed (Damon, 2004;Moore, 2017;Sukarieh & Tannock, 2015). Quite often the approach of PYD appears with the ideas of individual or community "resilience" and "potential," downplaying the significance of the structural factors and focusing on the individuals' abilities to deal with adversities and harness their potential (Arnett, 2000;Tannock & Sukarieh, 2015).…”