Effectiveness of Positive Youth Development Interventions: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Abstract
Positive youth development is thought to be essential to the prevention of adolescent risk behavior and the promotion of thriving. This meta-analysis examined the effects of positive youth development interventions in promoting positive outcomes and reducing risk behavior. Ten databases and grey literature were scanned using a predefined search strategy. We included studies that focused on young people aged 10-19 years, implemented a positive youth development intervention, were outside school hours, and utilized a randomized controlled design. Twenty-four studies, involving 23,258 participants, met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. The impact of the interventions on outcomes including behavioral problems, sexual risk behavior, academic achievement, prosocial behavior and psychological adjustment were assessed. Positive youth development interventions had a small but significant effect on academic achievement and psychological adjustment. No significant effects were found for sexual risk behaviors, problem behavior or positive social behaviors. Intervention effects were independent of program characteristics and participant age. Low-risk young people derived more benefit from positive youth development interventions than high-risk youth. The studies examined had several methodological flaws, which weakened the ability to draw conclusions. Substantial progress has been made in the theoretical understanding of youth development in the past two decades. T…
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Interventions which develop the 5Cs have a positive effect on youth's academic achievement and psychological adjustment.
“Research has shown that interventions which develop the 5Cs (Confidence, Connection, Competence, Compassion, and Character) have a positive effect on youth's academic achievement and psychological adjustment (36, 37).”
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“Interventions that were delivered primarily during school hours were excluded, as these were the focus of a recent review (Durlak et al. 2011).”
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“Previous meta-analyses dealt with multiple behavioral outcomes similar to prosocial behavior, such as positive youth development programs (Ciocanel et al., 2017), social and emotional learning interventions (Durlak et al., 2011), and social skills interventions (January et al., 2011).”
Background
- Authors
- Ciocanel, O., Power, K., Eriksen, A., & Gillings, K.
- Affiliations
- NHS Tayside (GB)
- University of Stirling (GB)
- NHS Fife (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Gillings, Kirsty
- Venue
- Journal of Youth and Adolescence
- Published
- 2016-08-12
- Volume
- 46
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 483-504
- ISSN
- 0047-2891 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-6601
- OpenAlex
- W2517210039
- Cited by
- 179
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 41 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 3
- FWCI
- 2.75
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Youth and Adolescence (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Youth Development and Social Support
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Crime Patterns and Interventions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Keywords
- positive youth development, adolescent risk behavior, sexual risk behavior, academic performance, psychological adjustment, prosocial behavior, behavioral problems, intervention effectiveness, out-of-school time programs
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent Health, Adolescent, Female, Health Promotion, Humans, Male, Schools, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Harm Reduction, Adolescent Development
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