Positive Youth Development
Positive youth development is built upon a community-wide focus on providing the kind of caring, supportive environments that help all children grow up to be healthy, self-sufficient, contributing adults. The emphasis on positive youth development not only reduces negative, risk behaviors, it increases involvement in life-enhancing, healthy behaviors.
Positive youth development is defined as the on-going process in which all youth are engaged to meet their basic personal and social needs to be safe, feel cared for and valued, make a contribution, and build skills and competencies that allow them to function successfully in their daily lives.
The fundamental resources needed in communities to support the healthy growth and development of children and youth include: a healthy start, effective education, positive relationships with caring adults, opportunities to pursue interests and build upon strengths, safe places and structured activities, opportunities to serve and be actively engaged in the community, positive role models and supports for a healthy life style, and the availability of a support services.
The presence of these resources that focus on building Developmental Assets™ also work to reduce the impact of risk factors that may exist in the home, school and neighborhood which can often lead to involvement in negative behaviors, such as substance abuse, crime and delinquency, gang activity, and violent behavior.
Factors that may put children and youth at risk for involvement in negative behavior include: low attachment to a neighborhood/low engagement in school, economic deprivation, availability of drugs and/or weapons, family history of problem behavior, family conflict, academic failure, negative peer pressure, early anti-social behavior, and history of abuse.