Introduction to the Special Section of Child Development on Positive Youth Development in Diverse and Global Contexts

Abstract

Positive youth development (PYD) research seeks to understand and promote positive aspects of development in young people. In this the special section, focused upon youth from diverse racial-ethnic backgrounds around the globe, we describe the origins and development of the field, identify key and emerging themes, and present the challenges for work in the area in the years ahead. Central to these are elements that are inherent in many of the articles that constitute the section: These include a need to articulate more clearly the role of social and cultural context in positive development, a need to refine the measures and methods used for collecting data, the significance of social identities, and engagement with other fields of study and with policymakers.

Positive Youth Development Across Cultures: Introduction to the Special Issue

“…The rise in scope and significance of PYD has led to an increased attention and related work in the fields of developmental, educational, and acculturation psychology. Such considerable expansion has witnessed similar special sections adopting a PYD framework in Child Development focusing on PYD in diverse and global contexts (Leman et al 2017), Child Development's Perspectives on minority children (Cabrera et al 2012), and Journal of Adolescence's Positive adaptation of immigrant and minority youth (Titzmann et al 2018). These scholarly contributions inform PYD research, intervention, global and local policy by enhancing optimal well-being, thriving and success among marginalized and culturally diverse youth.…”

“…PYD argues that an alignment of youth personal skills and competencies with the positive developmental experiences of relationship and opportunities in their contexts will facilitate the development of self and society (Lerner et al 2015). This assertion has been studied mainly in US samples although recent publications have seen growing interest of the PYD perspective in non-US research (e.g., Leman et al 2017). The six articles in the present special issue extend PYD research beyond the US context and adopt such perspective in a global international context.…”

Puberty Education in a Global Context: Knowledge Gaps, Opportunities, and Implications for Policy

“…Because the effects of sexual education programs are often short‐lived, many prevention scientists recommend PYD programs to produce more lasting effects on youth behavior (Gavin, Catalano, & Markham, ; Leman, Smith, & Petersen, ). PYD programs are designed to foster youths’ general competencies and psychological resources while also creating support for PYD in families, schools, and communities.…”

Foundations for the Future: Building an Integrated, Cohesive Field of Youth Development

“…We end by echoing the clarion call of many youth leaders that youth must remain the central focus of all youth work and policy setting. Given that positive youth development focuses on young people's skills and abilities, we must attend to the contributions of youth themselves (Leman et al, 2017) to our programs and our field. Youth-led initiatives can lead to new programs, policy change, and institution building that strengthen the community (Christens & Dolan, 2011).…”