What is positive youth development?
Abstract
This article explores the recent approach to youth research and practice that has been called positive youth development. The author makes the case that the approach grew out of dissatisfaction with a predominant view that underestimated the true capacities of young people by focusing on their deficits rather than their developmental potentials. The article examines three areas of research that have been transformed by the positive youth approach: the nature of the child; the interaction between the child and the community; and moral growth. It concludes with the point that positive youth development does not simply mean an examination of anything that appears to be beneficial for young people. Rather, it is an approach with strong defining assumptions about what is important to look at if we are to accurately capture the full potential of all young people to learn and thrive in the diverse settings where they live.
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Competence development stems from the fact that meaningful civic engagement improves civic, personal, and social competences and generates social capital.
“Competence development stems from the fact that meaningful civic engagement improves civic, personal, and social competences and generates social capital (Damon, 2004; Youniss et al., 2002).”
From Between promise and practice: a scoping review of the democratic outcomes of youth participation in local governance (2026) · cites this paper as Damon, 2004
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- Authors
- Damon, W.
- Affiliations
- Stanford University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Damon, William
- ORCID
- Damon, William
- Venue
- The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2004-01
- Volume
- 591
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 13-24
- ISSN
- 0002-7162 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-3349
- OpenAlex
- W2106465800
- Cited by
- 1,026
- References
- 24
- Citations by year
- 2026: 39 · 2025: 57 · 2024: 50 · 2023: 44 · 2022: 51 · 2021: 60 · 2020: 73 · 2019: 41 · 2018: 55 · 2017: 49 · 2016: 64 · 2015: 47 · 2014: 57 · 2013: 60 · 2012: 66
- FWCI
- 45.48
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Youth Development and Social Support
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Children's Rights and Participation
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Adolescent Health and Behaviors
- Keywords
- positive youth development, youth studies, child development, moral development
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