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Articles 1 - 30 of 841
Full-Text Articles in Developmental Psychology
Why Sports Participation Matters For Girls In Urban Core Public Schools, David Mcleod, Angela B. Pharris, David Crynes, Emmy Hufnagel, Eddie Wright, Sabrina Hynd, Tim Mclaughlin
Why Sports Participation Matters For Girls In Urban Core Public Schools, David Mcleod, Angela B. Pharris, David Crynes, Emmy Hufnagel, Eddie Wright, Sabrina Hynd, Tim Mclaughlin
Journal of Youth Development
Sports participation plays a critical role in supporting academic success, school engagement, and social-emotional well-being, particularly for girls in urban core public school settings. This study examines the relationship between athletic participation and academic outcomes, attendance, and social-emotional functioning in a large urban public school district during the post-COVID period. Findings indicate that student-athletes outperform non-athlete peers across multiple indicators, including grade point average, enrollment in advanced coursework, and school attendance. Female athletes, in particular, demonstrate stronger academic performance and more favorable social-emotional outcomes compared to female non-athletes. Despite these advantages, a pronounced decline in girls’ sports participation occurs between …
Connected But Disconnected: A Covid-19 Youth Participatory Action Research Study, Vianney Atugonza, Jodi Dworkin, Stacey S. Horn, Joanna A. Tzenis, Samantha Lebouef
Connected But Disconnected: A Covid-19 Youth Participatory Action Research Study, Vianney Atugonza, Jodi Dworkin, Stacey S. Horn, Joanna A. Tzenis, Samantha Lebouef
Journal of Youth Development
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced most schools across the U.S. to close and transition to remote learning. Families were forced to transform their homes into classrooms while facing challenges to their health, finances, and social connections. To better understand how young people experienced these changes, a Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) project was employed to engage young people in naming, exploring, and sharing their experiences during this time. Nine high school youth leaders were trained as researchers to conduct interviews with their peers. These youth scholars were also trained on how to code, sort, and disseminate data and results. …
Exploring 21st-Century Skills In A Summer Camp: A Qualitative Methodological Triangulation Approach, Alexander Bowman, Jing Song
Exploring 21st-Century Skills In A Summer Camp: A Qualitative Methodological Triangulation Approach, Alexander Bowman, Jing Song
Journal of Youth Development
Despite the recognized importance of 21st-century skills and the substantial body of research on these skills, little is known about how to identify growth in these skills. The lack of reliable methods to measure 21st-century skill growth presents a challenge for the design of relevant learning environments and for evaluating if such learning environments are effective. Using a qualitative methodological triangulation approach, this study explored camp counselors’ learning processes. Using a systematic data integration method, field observations were synthesized with participant reflections about how their skills develop. Data were collected from 13 high-school-aged junior camp counselors at a summer camp …
Becoming Who I Am: How Youth Leadership Experiences Shape Lifelong Leadership Journeys, Dustin Evatt, Deborah Acker, Parker R. Watson, Jennifer T. Peters
Becoming Who I Am: How Youth Leadership Experiences Shape Lifelong Leadership Journeys, Dustin Evatt, Deborah Acker, Parker R. Watson, Jennifer T. Peters
Journal of Youth Development
Youth leadership experiences have the power to shape individuals’ values, identities, and leadership behaviors well into adulthood, yet limited empirical research has examined how these formative experiences contribute to leadership development over time. This study examines the long-term impact of youth leadership experiences using the six-stage Leadership Identity Development (LID) model as a guiding and interpretive framework by exploring the journeys of alumni from the Shelton Challenge, a six-day immersive high school leadership program at NC State University rooted in values-based and positive youth development (PYD) principles. Using narrative inquiry, we conducted interviews and focus groups with 30 alumni ages …
4-H Program Staff Perceptions Of Including Youth With Disabilities, Brittney Muschetto, Amy Leman
4-H Program Staff Perceptions Of Including Youth With Disabilities, Brittney Muschetto, Amy Leman
Journal of Youth Development
This study’s focus is to examine 4-H youth development county program staff’s perceptions of the inclusion of youth with disabilities in the Illinois 4-H program. The majority of program staff identified positive perceptions about including youth with disabilities in 4-H. However, they also noted that there was a need for more staff training to adequately include youth with disabilities in 4-H programming. As more youth are being diagnosed with disabilities, 4-H must continue to improve its knowledge and skills to make 4-H inclusive to all youth.
A Hip-Hop-Based Workshop Cultivates Urban Underserved Youths’ Critical Consciousness Around Food Systems, Jacob Rowell, Hannah Scherer, Kim Niewolny, Anthony Kwame Harrison, Kendrick Spencer
A Hip-Hop-Based Workshop Cultivates Urban Underserved Youths’ Critical Consciousness Around Food Systems, Jacob Rowell, Hannah Scherer, Kim Niewolny, Anthony Kwame Harrison, Kendrick Spencer
Journal of Youth Development
Hip hop is social commentary and critique that highlights the complexity of issues within society, including systemic inequity in the food system, which disproportionately affects urban and African American populations. After-school and non-formal programs are innovative educational opportunities to engage youth in learning about and addressing local problems through culturally-relevant program design and enactment of critical pedagogy. To meaningfully connect middle-school-aged urban youth, their lived experiences, and inequities in the food system, we designed a hip-hop-based workshop and delivered it in an established afterschool program. In this qualitative case study, we explored participants’ critical consciousness related to the food system …
Joining Forces:A Research-Practice Partnership For Out-Of-School Time, Julián C. Alonso Restrepo, Trevor Bopp, Diedre F. Houchen, Chanae Jackson, Sunshine Moss, Rose M. Pringle, Christine Wegner
Joining Forces:A Research-Practice Partnership For Out-Of-School Time, Julián C. Alonso Restrepo, Trevor Bopp, Diedre F. Houchen, Chanae Jackson, Sunshine Moss, Rose M. Pringle, Christine Wegner
Journal of Youth Development
This article describes the development and early implementation of the Youth Development Research-Practice Partnership (YDRPP), a collaboration between university researchers and the Better Out-of-School Time (BOOST) Alliance in Alachua County, Florida. Established to address persistent racial and socioeconomic disparities affecting youth, the partnership used a collaborative qualitative assessment to identify local youth needs, program strengths, and organizational challenges. Findings revealed that practitioners viewed academic support, mental health, social-emotional development, positive adult relationships, physical activity, life skills, and workforce preparation as the most pressing needs of youth. Programs responded through holistic offerings that included tutoring, mentoring, trauma-informed practices, recreation, career readiness, …
A Billion People In The Shadows: Understanding Disability, Kelly Dziak
A Billion People In The Shadows: Understanding Disability, Kelly Dziak
Journal of Youth Development
The disability community is the largest minority group and encompasses people of all ages and backgrounds. Despite its size, members of this community frequently encounter social, educational, and economic barriers that limit opportunities for full participation. Youth development programs have the potential to support skill-building and foster a sense of belonging. However, professionals often face challenges to effectively support individuals with disabilities including limited training and accessibility barriers. A Billion People in the Shadows: The Ultimate 1-Hour Guide to Understanding Disability by Doug McCullough provides practical guidance for improving understanding and support for this population. Drawing on personal experiences with …
Table Of Contents, Journal Of Youth Development
Table Of Contents, Journal Of Youth Development
Journal of Youth Development
No abstract provided.
4-H Builds Work Readiness Skills In Youth, Mike Knutz
4-H Builds Work Readiness Skills In Youth, Mike Knutz
Journal of Youth Development
4-H Programs provide work readiness skills like teamwork, respect, leadership, critical thinking, work ethics, and communication. Supported studies are highlighted as well as results from an evaluation of youth participants from a Know Your Government statewide program. Data was collected from middle and high school age youth to measure their self-reported increase in work readiness skills as well as knowledge of government. Results are discussed in terms of their relevance to life skill theory and measurement. The study supports the value of 4-H Youth Development Programs as a means for youth to acquire work readiness skills.
Full Issue, Volume 21, Issue 3, Journal Of Youth Development
Full Issue, Volume 21, Issue 3, Journal Of Youth Development
Journal of Youth Development
No abstract provided.
Teaching Personal And Social Responsibility Through A Mountain Biking After-School Program, Kayla Marsh, Kelly L. Simonton, Victoria Shiver, Tristan Wallhead
Teaching Personal And Social Responsibility Through A Mountain Biking After-School Program, Kayla Marsh, Kelly L. Simonton, Victoria Shiver, Tristan Wallhead
Journal of Youth Development
The Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR) model has been identified as an evidence-based structure that can support social-emotional learning (SEL) competencies in after-school settings. However, much of the research includes general physical fitness and skill activity-based programs, and not activities students identify with as meaningful in their lives. The current study targeted a mountain biking afterschool-program which has the potential to promote meaningful transfer of knowledge and skills. The purpose of this study was two-fold: (a) to explore adolescents’ beliefs and understandings of SEL skills in a mountain biking TPSR program and (b) to explore the perceptions of potential …
Nihilistic Violence Aesthetics In Public Online Communication, Heath Nicholas Landress
Nihilistic Violence Aesthetics In Public Online Communication, Heath Nicholas Landress
Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences
Public online communication has increasingly included violence-related content that is meme-based, ironic, visually stylized, multimodal, and only partially ideological. This comprehensive literature review synthesized research on online extremism, extremist memes, toxic multimodal content, dehumanizing digital communication, nihilistic violent extremism, warning behaviors, platform affordances, and youth-facing online environments. The purpose was to clarify what the literature had established; identify where the scholarship remained fragmented; and map research domains relevant to social, behavioral, public safety, and human services scholarship. The review used a structured, comprehensive literature review strategy supported by integrative synthesis procedures. The final corpus contained 34 scholarly sources, including 32 …
“When I’M Not Heard, I Feel Like I Don’T Matter”: Advancing Equity In Disability Policy Through Critical Participatory Action Research With People With Intellectual Disability, Cris Marchionne
Student Theses
People with intellectual disability deserve a system that offers flexible, timely, and person-centered support — one that is innovative, sustainable, and holistic in enabling them to live fulfilling lives. This qualitative study, grounded in Critical Participatory Action Research (CPAR), examines how people with intellectual disability experience participation in decision-making within New York State's disability service system. By centering lived experience, the study identifies factors that facilitate or hinder participation in decision-making and examines structural, social, and policy-related barriers that limit agency. Through six focus groups and a Photovoice project with self-advocates receiving OPWDD services, participants described systemic barriers that limited …
A Poetic Call For And A Reflection And Commentary On Clarity, Understanding, Hope, Courage, And Compassion, Carroy U. Ferguson
A Poetic Call For And A Reflection And Commentary On Clarity, Understanding, Hope, Courage, And Compassion, Carroy U. Ferguson
Psychology Faculty Publication Series
Finding a published poem I had written as a teenager, titled “The Heavens Weep.” this article uses that poem as the basis for a commentary that reflects on the state of the world today (2026), As a commentary, the article uses the poetic and metaphoric words in the poem as a relevant "reality check" for what is still going on today. In essence, the commentary is about a call for Clarity, Understanding, Hope, Courage, and Compassion, or what I call Archetypal Energies, Higher Vibrational Energies that operate deep within our individual and collective psyches to creatively urge us to "see" …
Pathways To The Streets: A Proposed Model Examining The Factors Influencing Gang Affiliation And Involvement Among Young Black Men In The United States, Ceauna L. Juarez
Pathways To The Streets: A Proposed Model Examining The Factors Influencing Gang Affiliation And Involvement Among Young Black Men In The United States, Ceauna L. Juarez
Dissertations
This literature review examined gang involvement among young Black men in the United States and explored the factors that contribute to joining gangs and the consequences that may follow. The first chapter provides a brief history of gang involvement in Black communities and introduces Erikson’s development model, self-determination theory, and the minorities’ diminished returns as the three theoretical frameworks. The second chapter discusses common challenges faced by young Black men who are currently involved in gangs or are at risk of joining. The chapter explores issues such as life expectancy after gang involvement, adverse childhood experiences, mental health concerns, and …
Black Protection: Black Social Media Competency And Urban, Black Adolescents On Social Media, Taylor A. Williams
Black Protection: Black Social Media Competency And Urban, Black Adolescents On Social Media, Taylor A. Williams
Dissertations
While urban, Black adolescents interact with racial identity content on social media, their identity is primarily shaped through offline experiences and later reflected or reinforced online. Through the concept of Black social media competency (B-SMC), this study examined the relationships between Black urban adolescents’ social media use, exposure to race-related content, and experiences navigating the digital environment. The study used a qualitative design, grounded in the phenomenological and ecological frameworks, with 21 adolescents recruited from two urban, Midwestern schools and programs to participate in semi-structured interviews, and data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns in how the participants …
The Role Of Social Emotional Learning In Utah’S Implementation Of Essa, Sharon Walles
The Role Of Social Emotional Learning In Utah’S Implementation Of Essa, Sharon Walles
Transforming Communities
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), as a policy, offers an additional tool to address the escalating adolescent mental health crisis. By acknowledging the critical link between student well-being, academic success, and evidence-based practices, this policy analysis explores how funding from ESSA can be leveraged to integrate Social Emotional Learning (SEL) within Utah’s schools. Experts, educators, and parents can be voices to combat misinformation surrounding the recent politicization of SEL and its implementation. This analysis connects Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory, which highlights the interconnectedness of the environment, with the importance of prioritizing mental health within schools to help adolescents with issues …
Determinants Of Corporal Punishment And Severe Physical Punishment In Egypt: A Mixed-Methods Analysis For Child Protection Policy, Marwa Moustafa Nassef
Determinants Of Corporal Punishment And Severe Physical Punishment In Egypt: A Mixed-Methods Analysis For Child Protection Policy, Marwa Moustafa Nassef
Theses and Dissertations
Corporal punishment (CP) and severe physical punishment (SPP) remain a major public health, child rights, and child protection policy concern. In Egypt, despite legislative reforms, survey-weighted analysis of the 2021 Egypt Family Health Survey (EFHS) 2021 (CAPMAS, 2022) reveals prevalence rates of 60.5% for CP and 27.4% for SPP among children aged 1–14 (author’s calculations using EFHS-2021, n=7623), yet evidence distinguishing the determinants of routine corporal punishment from escalation to severe physical punishment remains limited in low- and middle-income contexts. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological framework, this mixed-methods study identifies key drivers of CP and its escalation to SPP among Egyptian …
The Heart Of Camp: Belonging, Relationships, And Growth Of Character And Skills, Alecia Moser, Nila Rosen, Maurice Elias, Sarah R. Sprayberry, Andrea Vest Ettekal
The Heart Of Camp: Belonging, Relationships, And Growth Of Character And Skills, Alecia Moser, Nila Rosen, Maurice Elias, Sarah R. Sprayberry, Andrea Vest Ettekal
Journal of Youth Development
This study examined how campers’ experiences of belonging, counselor support, and new close friendships relate to life skill and character development in North American Jewish youth. Residential summer camps are relational settings that promote positive youth development. Although belonging and supportive relationships are theorized to drive such development, few studies have tested these camp features in current camper populations, and less is known about how friendship formation and perceptions of counselors distinctly interact with belonging to shape development. In this study, end-of-summer surveys were administered to middle- and high-school-aged campers at five Jewish residential summer camps. Measures included assessing belonging, …
How Lesson Type Shapes First-Grade Scienceengagement And Enjoyment, Stella Cybulski, Brooke Towner, Joy James
How Lesson Type Shapes First-Grade Scienceengagement And Enjoyment, Stella Cybulski, Brooke Towner, Joy James
Journal of Youth Development
Although traditional classroom instruction often emphasizes passive forms of learning, growing evidence highlights the value of active play in promoting curiosity and conceptual development. Grounded in guided play theory, this study investigated how young learners experience science lessons across three instructional contexts: indoor inactive, indoor active, and outdoor active. Thirty-two first-grade students in a Title I laboratory school completed an enjoyment survey and drawing task following each lesson type. Results demonstrated that active play, particularly in outdoor contexts, was associated with higher enjoyment and more dynamic depictions of science learning. Thematic analysis of drawings indicated that students connected more deeply …
Rhode Island Teen Institute Remains Impactful After More Than A Decade Hiatus, Tayla Von Ash, Anusha Gupta, Michael J. Thompson, Jennifer Stevens, Terese Gregg, Sandra Del Sesto
Rhode Island Teen Institute Remains Impactful After More Than A Decade Hiatus, Tayla Von Ash, Anusha Gupta, Michael J. Thompson, Jennifer Stevens, Terese Gregg, Sandra Del Sesto
Journal of Youth Development
Rhode Island Teen Institute (RITI) is a 5-day residential program based on the Positive Youth Development approach that exposes participants to intensive training in individual and community advocacy, decision-making, interpersonal communication, and leadership development. Results from prior iterations of RITI (2002-2009) demonstrated that the program was efficacious at improving leadership and other related skills among participants. However, unfortunately due to loss of funding, the program did not run from 2010-2023. The present study assesses the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the 2023 implementation of RITI after more than a decade-long hiatus. The program was successfully implemented with 44 youth …
Understanding Adolescents’ Attitudes Toward Disabilitiesto Improve Out-Of-School Programs, Vanessa Spero, David C. Diehl, John M. Diaz, Serap Gorucu
Understanding Adolescents’ Attitudes Toward Disabilitiesto Improve Out-Of-School Programs, Vanessa Spero, David C. Diehl, John M. Diaz, Serap Gorucu
Journal of Youth Development
This study explores adolescents’ attitudes and perceptions toward individuals with disabilities in out-of-school time (OST) settings. Gaining insight into these attitudes can help inform future initiatives and interventions to develop programs that foster inclusion and greater participation of people with disabilities in OST programs. This study employed quantitative methods using the Brief Questionnaire for Adolescents on Attitudes Toward Persons with a Disability (CBAD-12A), developed by Álvarez-Delgado et al. (2020), to survey adolescents about their attitudes and perceptions toward individuals with disabilities. The results of the study revealed no statistically significant differences in attitudes toward individuals with disabilities based on whether …
Table Of Contents, Journal Of Youth Development
Table Of Contents, Journal Of Youth Development
Journal of Youth Development
No abstract provided.
4‑H Efforts Toward Demographic Representation, 1980–2025: Next Directions (Part 2), Jeremy Elliott-Engel, Jeff Wayne Howard
4‑H Efforts Toward Demographic Representation, 1980–2025: Next Directions (Part 2), Jeremy Elliott-Engel, Jeff Wayne Howard
Journal of Youth Development
This article builds on Part 1 of this study, a state-of-the-art review that synthesizes 45 years of scholarship (1980–2025) on 4-H’s efforts to equitably serve a demographically representative youth population (see Elliott-Engel & Howard, 2026). This article examines the findings that draw from the previously discussed 99 articles and provides the next directions for achieving a demographically representative 4-H program by synthesizing crosscutting themes from 45 years of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging scholarship. Despite meaningful progress, persistent gaps remain in participation, professional readiness, and systemlevel integration. Our review highlights the need for culturally responsive recruitment, familycentered engagement, and program …
Bridges: Youth Organizing In Memphis, Caitlin A. Caswell, Maddie Smith, Elizabeth Thomas
Bridges: Youth Organizing In Memphis, Caitlin A. Caswell, Maddie Smith, Elizabeth Thomas
Journal of Youth Development
Youth organizing is a practice that enables young people and adults to work together towards individual thriving and community change. In youth organizing, young people identify and address social issues that affect their lives and lead change related to those issues. The objective of this case study is to illustrate one successful model for youth organizing grounded in positive youth development theory and youth-adult partnership, developed through the organization BRIDGES USA in Memphis, Tennessee. We discuss youth-adult partnerships and elaborate components and strengths of youth organizing. We then describe the history and context of BRIDGES, the cycle of work in …
Full Issue, Volume 21, Issue 2, Journal Of Youth Development
Full Issue, Volume 21, Issue 2, Journal Of Youth Development
Journal of Youth Development
No abstract provided.
4‑H Efforts Toward Demographic Representation, 1980–2025: A State‑Of‑The‑Art Review (Part 1), Jeremy Elliott-Engel, Jeff Wayne Howard
4‑H Efforts Toward Demographic Representation, 1980–2025: A State‑Of‑The‑Art Review (Part 1), Jeremy Elliott-Engel, Jeff Wayne Howard
Journal of Youth Development
This state-of-the-art review synthesizes 45 years of scholarship (1980–2025) to assess how effectively the 4-H program has worked to serve a demographically representative youth population. Drawing on academic and gray literature (n=99) sources, the review traces 4-H’s evolution from its segregated land grant origins to contemporary efforts focused on access, equity, inclusion, and belonging. It documents progress in culturally responsive programming and national diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) initiatives while highlighting persistent disparities in participation and benefit distribution. The review identifies effective strategies, enduring structural barriers, and areas where research and practice remain limited, offering a comprehensive foundation for understanding 4-H’s …
Uplifting Youth Voice Through Multi‑Level Features To Make A Splash For Positive Youth Development, Sylvia Y. Gutierrez, Kellie A. Walters, Jayne A, Fulkerson, Nancy Sherwood, Eydie Kramer-Kostecka
Uplifting Youth Voice Through Multi‑Level Features To Make A Splash For Positive Youth Development, Sylvia Y. Gutierrez, Kellie A. Walters, Jayne A, Fulkerson, Nancy Sherwood, Eydie Kramer-Kostecka
Journal of Youth Development
This study explored how a multicomponent health promotion program for pre-adolescent girls could be adapted to support positive youth development across diverse cultural and community contexts. In summer 2022, trained research staff conducted six focus groups with 27 girls from urban and rural communities in the Midwestern United States. Participants reviewed the original program curriculum and provided feedback on program activities, structure, relationships, and implementation strategies. Sessions were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically using qualitative software and manual review. Girls provided feedback on multiple program components, resulting in 12 themes aligned with eight established features of positive developmental …
How Adults Can Bridge The Trust Gap With Youth, Dana Mitra, Ghadir Al Saghir, Ashley Boat, Jerusha O. Conner, Samantha Holquist
How Adults Can Bridge The Trust Gap With Youth, Dana Mitra, Ghadir Al Saghir, Ashley Boat, Jerusha O. Conner, Samantha Holquist
Journal of Youth Development
Research has established positive relationships and trust as cornerstones for successful youth-adult partnerships (YAPs), yet limited work addresses how to sustain struggling partnerships, particularly in low-trust environments. Using an explanatory, sequential mixed-methods design, this study first quantitatively affirmed the importance of strong teacher-student relationships as precursors for the formation of classroom YAPs (known here as Student Voice Partnerships or SVPs). Subsequent qualitative data explains that youth define these relationships through the lens of trust, actively assessing adults to determine their trustworthiness—a process aligning with concepts of discernment and calculation. Drawing on organizational trust and relational resilience frameworks, this study offers …