Supporting the Development of Positive Identity in Youth Through Preventive and Educational Interventions
Abstract
Developmental resources are a key issue in the perspective of Positive Youth Development (PYD). They synthesise a wide range of internal and environmental strengths, which, if present, serve to protect against risky behaviour and increase the chance of positive developmental outcomes. The aim of this article is to analyse the issue of positive identity as (a) an individual resource, (b) a goal of prevention and educational activities, and (c) to present strategies useful for designing developmental actions that foster the construction of positive identity projects among young people, including those at risk. Positive identity, as an individual resource, is understood as the internal organisation of a coherent sense of self. It is a combination of e.g. a sense of personal power, adequate self-esteem, a sense of meaning in life and an optimistic vision of the future. This article presents strategies and proposals for prevention and educational activities that foster the development of positive identity based on the GIVE Model (Dutton, et. al., 2010). They can inspire practitioners in their attempts related to design, implementation and evaluation of activities for building more coherent and positive identity projects based on young people’s resources and potentials.
Keywords
positive identity; PYD; youth; prevention and educational interventions
References
[2] Antonovsky A., 1987, Unraveling The Mystery of Health – How People Manage Stress and Stay Well, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publisher. http://doi.org/10.1017/S0714980800007133.
[3] Aquino K., Reed II, A., 2002, The Self-Importance of Midentity, „Journal of Personality and Social Psychology”, 83(6), 1423. http://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.83.6.1423.
[4] Benson P.L., 2007, Developmental assets: An Overview of Ttheory, Research and Practice, [w:] Approaches to Positive Youth Development, (red.) R.K. Silbereisen, R.M. Lerner, Los Angeles, CA: Sage, 33–58. http://doi.org/10.4135/9781446213803.n2.
[5] Benson P.L., Mannes M., Pittman K.J., Farber T., 2004, Youth Development, Developmental Assets, and Public Policy, [w:] Handbook of Adolescent Psychology, (red.) R.M. Lerner, L. Steinberg, Hoboken, NJ: Wiley&Sons, 781–814. http://doi.org/10.1002/9780471726746.ch25.
[6] Benson P.L., Scales P.C., Hamilton S.F., Sesma Jr., A., 2006, Positive Youth Development: Theory, Research, and Applications, [w:] Handbook of Child Psychology (6th ed.), (red.) R.M. Lerner, W. Damon, Vol. 1: Theoretical Models of Human Development, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 894–941. http://doi.org/10.1002/9780470147658.chpsy0116.
[7] Benson P.L., 1992, Religion and Substance Use. In Religion and Mental Health, (red.) John F. Schumaker, London: Oxford University Press. 211–220. http://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195069853.003.0017.
[8] Borba M., Borba C., Reasoner R., 1999, A Research Summary: Effectiveness of Implementing the Esteem Builders Program School-Wide on Elementary Students’ Behavior and Academic Self-Concept. http://www.micheleborba.com/Pages/Pi-lotStudy.htm.
[9] Bronfenbrenner U., 1979, The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design, Harvard University Press.
[10] Bryan C., Adams G., Monin B., 2013, When Cheating Would Make You a Cheater: Implicating the Self Prevents Unethical Behavior, „Journal of Experimental Psychology: General”, 142, 4. http://doi.org/10.1037/a0030655.
[11] Brzezińska A.I., Kofta M., 1974, Stability of Self-Image, Tolerance to Stress and Anxiety, „Polish Psychological Bulletin”, 5(1), 3–10.
[12] Catalano R.F., Berglund M.L., Ryan J.A. M., Lonczak H.S., Hawkins J.D., 2004, Positive Youth Development in the United States: Research Findings on Evaluations of Positive Youth Development Programs, „The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science”, 591(1), 98–124. http://doi.org/10.1037//1522-3736.5.1.515a.
[13] CBOS, 2024, Samopoczucie Polaków. Komunikat z badań, Fundacja Centrum Badania Opinii Społecznej.
[14] Cheng C., Sanchez-Burks J., Lee F., 2008, Connecting the Dots Within: Creative Performance and Identity Integration, „Psychological Science”, 19, 1178–1184. http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02220.x.
[15] Damon W., 2004, What is Positive Youth Development?, „The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science”, 591(1), 13–24. http://doi.org/10.1177/0002716203260092.
[16] Dutton J.E., Roberts L.M., Bednar J., 2010, Pathways for Positive Identity Construction at Work: Four Types of Positive Identity and the Building of Social Resources, „Academy of Management Review”, 35(2), 265–293. http://doi.org/10.5465/AMR.2010.48463334.
[17] Eccles J., Gootman J.A. (red.), 2002, Community Programs to Promote Youth Development. Committee on Community-Level Programs for Youth, Washington: National Academy Press.
[18] Erikson E.H., 1968, Identity: Youth and Crisis, New York: W. W. Norton. http://doi.org/10.1002/bs.3830140209.
[19] Hamilton S.F., Hamilton M.A., Pittman K., 2004, Principles for Youth Development, [w:] The Youth Development Handbook: Coming of Age in American Communities, (red.) S.F. Hamilton, H.M.A. Hamilton, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 3–22. http://doi.org/10.4135/9781452232560.n1.
[20] Hawkins J.D., Catalano R.F., Miller J.Y., 1992, Risk and Protective Factors for Alcohol and Other Drug Problems in Adolescence and Early Adulthood: Implications for Substance Abuse Prevention, „Psychological Bulletin”, 112(1), 64. http://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.112.1.64.
[21] Higgins E.T., 1987, Self-Discrepancy: A Theory Relating Self and Affect, „Psychological Review”, 94(3), 319–340. http://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.94.3.319.
[22] Jessor R., Jessor S., 1977, Problem Behavior and Psychological Development: A Longitudinal Study of Youth, New York: Academic Press. http://doi.org/10.15288/JSA.1978.39.948.
[23] Kellam S.G., Rebok G.W., 1992, Building Developmental and Etiological Theory through Epidemiologically Based Preventive Intervention Trials, [w:] Preventing Antisocial Behavior: Interventions from Birth Through Adolescence, (red.) J. McCord, R.E. Tremblay, Guilford Press, 162–195.
[24] Konopczyński M., 2014, Twórcza resocjalizacja. Zarys koncepcji rozwijania potencjałów, „Resocjalizacja Polska”, 7(1), 13–28.
[25] Leffert N., Benson P.L., Scales P.C., Sharma A.R., Drake D.R., Blyth D.A., 1998, Developmental Assets: Measurement and Prediction of Risk Behaviors Among Adolescents,„Applied Developmental Science”, 2(4), 209–230. http://doi.org/10.1207/s1532480xads0204_4.
[26] Marcia J.E., 1966, Development and Validation of Ego-Identity Status, „Journal of Personality and Social Psychology”, 3(5), 551–558. http://doi.org/10.1037/h0023281.
[27] Masten A.S., Best K.M., Garmezy N., 1990, Resilience and Development: Contributions from the Study of Children who Overcome Adversity, „Development and Psychopathology”, 2(4), 425–444. http://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579400005812.
[28] McWhirter J.J., McWhirter B.T., McWhirter A.M., McWhirter E.H., 2001, Zagrożona młodzież. Warszawa: PARPA.
[29] Motyka M., 2003, Zasoby osobiste determinujące zdrowie, „Sztuka Leczenia”, 9(3–4), 41–46.
[30] NRCIM – National Research Council Institute of Medicine, R. Chalk, D.A. Phillips, 1996, Youth Development and Neighborhood Influences: Challenges and Opportunities; Summary of a Workshop. Report by the Committee on Youth Development, Board on Children, Youth, and Families, Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
[31] NRCIM – National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, 2002, Community Programs to Promote Youth Development: Committee on Community-Level Programs for Youth, eds. J. Eccles, J. A. Gootman [Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, Board on Children, Youth and Families], Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
[32] Ostaszewski K., 2006, Profilaktyka pozytywna, „Świat Problemów”, 3(158), 6–10.
[33] Oyserman D., Terry K., Bybee D., 2002, A Possible Selves Intervention to Enhance School Involvement, „Journal of Adolescence”, 25(3), 313–326. http://doi.org/10.1006/jado.2002.0474.
[34] Oyserman D., Bybee D., Terry K., Hart-Johnson T., 2004, Possible Selves as Roadmaps, „Journal of Research in Personality”, 38(2), 130–149. http://doi.org/10.1016/S0092-6566(03)00057-6.
[35] Pittman K.J., O’Brien R., Kimball M., 1993, Youth Development and Resiliency Research: Making Connections to Substance Abuse Prevention. Report Prepared for The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Center for Youth Development and Policy Research.
[36] Roberts L.M., 2005, Changing Faces: Professional Image Construction in Diverse Organizational Settings, „Academy of Management Review”, 30(4), 685–711. http://doi.org/10.5465/AMBPP.2003.13793023.
[37] Scales P. C., Leffert N., 1999, Developmental Assets: A Synthesis of the Scientific Research on Adolescent Development, Search Institute.
[38] Schwartz D., Mayeux L., Harper J., 2011, Bully/Victim Problem during Adolescence [w:] Encyclopedia of Adolescence, (red.) B.B. Brown, M.J. Prinstein, 25–34, New York: Academic Press. http://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-373951-3.00045-4.
[39] Seligman M.E., 2004, Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment, Simon and Schuster. http://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.161.5.936.
[40] Shek D.T., Siu A.M., Lee T.Y., Cheng H., Tsang S., Chui Y.H., Lung D., 2006, Development and Validation of a Positive Youth Development Scale in Hong Kong, „International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health”, 18(3), 547–558. http://doi.org/10.1515/ijamh.2006.18.3.547.
[41] Sun R.C., Shek D.T., 2010, Life Satisfaction, Positive Youth Development, and Problem Behavior Among Chinese Adolescents in Hong Kong, „Social Indicators Research”, 95, 455–474. http://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-009-9531-9.
[42] W.T. Grant Consortium on the School-Based Promotion of Social Competence, 1992, Drug and Alcohol Prevention Curricula. In Communities that Care: Action for Drug Abuse Prevention, (red.) J. David Hawkins, Richard F. Catalano Jr., et al., 129–48. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
[43] Werner E.E., Smith R.S., 1992, Overcoming the Odds: High Risk Children from Birth to Adulthood, Cornell University Press.
[44] Williams M.K., Agocha V.B., Hudson M., 2010, Identity Consolidation and Health Risk Behaviors in College Students, „American Journal of Health Behavior”, 34(2), 214–224. http://doi.org/10.5993/AJHB.34.2.9.
[45] Wyman P.A., Cowen E.L. , Work W.C., Kerley J.H., 1993, The Role of Children’s Future Expectations in Self-Esteem Functioning and Adjustment to Life Stress: A Prospective Study of Urban At-Risk Children, „Development and Psychopathology” 5, 649–661. http://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579400006210.
Uniwersytet w Białymstoku Poland
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright Notice:
Articles are published in accordance with conditions identical to the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (also called as CC-BY) license conditions, available on http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ and this permission applies to any language version or any later version of the license as published by the Creative Commons organization.
Author retain the copyright to the article, while at the same time he/she transfers the article property rights to the Publisher free of charge (without territorial and time restrictions).
The online edition of the Polish Journal of Social Rehabilitation is published under Open Access, which means that users can read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, and link to the full texts of these articles - are provided with full unrestricted access.
The publisher does not charge for providing access to full versions of articles nor for their use as referred to in above.
