Nora Wiium

Today’s youth live in a rapidly changing, global, and digital world characterized by climate change, social inequality, and social polarization. Such issues can both trigger their civic engagement and undermine their mental health. In the present paper, we discuss the need for a contemporary Positive Youth Development (PYD) framework that would live up to its theoretical roots in the relational developmental systems (RDS) theory and adequately consider the challenges and opportunities of today’s youth. Based on expert discussions by the Cross-National Positive Youth Development Network, the following social change indicators were identified as most pressing: (i) digitalization, (ii) inequality and marginalization, (iii) polarization and radicalization, and (iv) climate change. Applying a critical narrative review, we assess the current research trends in youth development and suggest a way forward regarding how the PYD framework can accommodate the challenges and opportunities of today’s youth. Specifically, we suggest adding a social justice lens more explicitly to the current framework, while considering digital context and natural environment as two additional interactive layers of contextual influences. Lastly, we support the inclusion of critical consciousness as a new C in the PYD framework to expand our understanding of the different forms of (non)contribution among today’s youth.

Suicidal ideation assessment requires psychometrically robust measures, particularly in adolescent populations in which risk factors may differ from those of adults. This study examined the psychometric properties of the Frequency of Suicidal Ideation Inventory (FSII) in Peruvian adolescents. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1211 adolescents (50.3% female; M = 14 years, SD = 1.53) from grades 1 to 5 in public schools in Lima (55.3%, surveys administered in Spanish) and Cusco (44.7%, surveys administered in Quechua). Data were collected using self-administered paper-based questionnaires, which included the Frequency of Suicidal Ideation Inventory (FSII), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the unidimensionality of the scale with excellent fit indices [Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.99, Tucker–Lewis Index = 0.99, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation = 0.017, Standardized Root Mean Square residual (SRMR) = 0.005] and high factor loadings (0.82–0.91). Complementing the CFA, Item Response Theory analyses further confirmed the structural robustness of the scale, with excellent model fit (97.6% of response patterns fit the graded response model), strong item discrimination parameters (α > 2.7), and well-targeted difficulty levels across the trait continuum. Measurement invariance testing demonstrated equivalent functioning across gender (girls vs. boys) and ethnolinguistic groups (Spanish-speaking vs. Quechua-speaking) (ΔCFI < 0.010, ΔSRMR < 0.030 at all levels). Moreover, the FSII showed strong convergent validity, with significant correlations with depressive symptoms (r = 0.68) and generalized anxiety (r = 0.65). Reliability was consistently high (ω = 0.90, H = 0.94, rxx = 0.82) and provided precise measurement at moderate-to-high levels of suicidal ideation. These results support the FSII as a psychometrically sound measure for assessing suicidal ideation among adolescents in Peru, with potential utility for identifying individuals at risk.

Externalizing problems represent a major public health concern during adolescence. Reliable and culturally valid screening instruments are essential for ea

The Positive Youth Development (PYD) perspective has expanded since its inception. Today, PYD is gaining interest in communities and research projects across the globe, including the Cross-National Positive Youth Development Network (CN-PYD), which was initiated in 2014 at the University of Bergen, Norway. CN-PYD builds on the central PYD assumptions that thriving is enhanced when there is an alignment between youth strengths (e.g., social competencies) and contextual resources (e.g., opportunities for experience). CN-PYD operates with the overall aim of testing and extending strengths-based perspectives of development with samples and in settings that are often underrepresented in social and behavioral research. Accordingly, CN-PYD’s twofold goal for working with diverse youth and emerging adults is to: (1) explore what is positive development and its determinants, and (2) identify and advance resources and opportunities that facilitate thriving. The pursuit of this goal is to ultimately increase the potential for substantial theoretical innovation within developmental science (which includes the fields of PYD and developmental psychopathology [DP]), contribute to better representation within the global youth evidence base, as well as promote effective interventions and initiatives through policies and partnerships with stakeholders and young people themselves. In this article, we focus on selected highlights from CN-PYD’s research that examine a key assumption of strengths-based frameworks, as well as describe new domains of inquiry, and current PYD research and methodological challenges. This article then addresses how the fields of PYD and DP can inform one another and thereby advance developmental science. Finally, we end with consideration of the implications of CN-PYD research for the wider strengths-based study of youth.

Background: This study was conducted to assess the psychometric soundness of the short form of the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA-45) and its relationship with internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. Methods: Iranian adolescent girls and boys aged 14–17 ( n = 1532; 50% girls; Mean _age = 15.50, SD = .97) were asked to report their attachment security, internalizing and externalizing behavior problems (Youth Self-Report), and demographic characteristics. Results: Results of the confirmatory factor analysis supported the original three-factor first-order model for maternal, paternal, and peer forms, with equivalency across gender and reasonable reliability. Internal construct validity was supported by acceptable correlation coefficients among the three dimensions. The trust and communication subscales of the IPPA-45 were negatively correlated with all subscales of behavioral problems and adolescents’ age, while positively correlated with academic performance. Conversely, the alienation subscale showed significant but weaker correlations with these variables in the opposite direction. Satisfactory discriminant validity was demonstrated through Average Variance Extracted (AVE) for trust and communication, but not for alienation. Gender discrepancies were observed, with boys exhibiting higher attachment security to their parents and girls displaying stronger attachment to their peers. Conclusions: The findings suggest that the IPPA-45 is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing adolescents’ attachments to their parents and peers. Thus, attachment relationships, including peer attachment, appear to be essential for protecting teenagers from behavior problems and should be targeted in intervention programs.

As outlined by the Council of Europe’s Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture (RFCDC), civic competences are core elements for active participation in a democratic society. This study aimed to examine the linkages between four civic competences (empathy, respect, responsibility, and cooperation) and civic engagement (attitudes and behaviors) during adolescence, as well as test the potential role played by gender, both as a covariate and a moderator. We recruited a sample of 446 adolescents (70% females; M _age = 16.51, SD = 1.35) from a high school in Southern Italy and administered a set of online self-report scales: civic attitudes and behaviors were evaluated through the Civic Engagement Scale; empathy was assessed through the Empathic Concern subscale of the Brief Interpersonal Reactivity Index; cooperation was assessed through the Cooperation Scale; responsibility and respect were measured through a set of descriptors provided by the RFCDC. A Structural Equation Model (SEM) was run to test the hypothesized associations, and a series of multiple group SEM was performed to evaluate the moderating role of gender on the relations between civic competences and civic engagement. Our findings showed only empathy and cooperation were positively and significantly related to civic attitudes and civic behaviors. Gender differences were found for empathy, cooperation, and respect, with girls reporting higher levels than boys. Adolescents’ gender was also found to be a significant moderator of relations linking empathy, cooperation and respect with civic engagement. Limitations and implications are discussed.

To assess the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on young people's functioning, relationships, and well‐being, four systematic reviews were put together to shed light on school experiences, family and peer relationships, and civic engagement during the pandemic. The reviews presented research findings on the protective role of several personal and contextual resources including intrinsic motivation, self‐efficacy, family, school, peer, and community support, as well as the harming effect of risk factors, such as poor mental health, COVID‐19‐related stressors, and technological challenges, thus highlighting the significant role of both personal and contextual factors in adolescent development and well‐being. Equally important, the research findings collectively suggested an ecological perspective of the determining factors, although the focus was largely on factors in immediate contexts (family, school, peers, and local community). Adopting a more holistic approach that also considers factors in other ecological contexts (e.g., partnership between immediate contexts, the influence of cultural values and norms along with educational and developmental transitions) can be crucial in addressing the specific needs of young people across diverse contexts and cultures during a pandemic and in general. In addressing their needs, the ever‐growing digital space of young people can be utilized to connect them to services and supportive networks in their contexts including distal ones.

Covering an introductory chapter, a commentary and nine full chapters published as protocol, experimental, theoretical, or empirical studies, this publication depicts the voices, perceptions, experiences and developmental outcomes of adolescents and emerging adults from countries located in four continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America. Individually and collectively, the different book chapters address how social justice and equity can be advanced from a Positive Youth Development perspective during these challenging times of globalization and digitalization, as well as when facing a global health emergency, such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic. The observations and opinions of authors, corresponding to the diverse countries and continents represented in this book, signify the different ways a just and equitable society can be created for young people. Throughout the pages of this book, the importance of including the voices and choices of young people in research, policy and intervention becomes apparent to be able to promote and build a more just society.

Covering an introductory chapter, a commentary and nine full chapters published as protocol, experimental, theoretical, or empirical studies, this publication depicts the voices, perceptions, experiences and developmental outcomes of adolescents and emerging adults from countries located in four continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America. Individually and collectively, the different book chapters address how social justice and equity can be advanced from a Positive Youth Development perspective during these challenging times of globalization and digitalization, as well as when facing a global health emergency, such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic. The observations and opinions of authors, corresponding to the diverse countries and continents represented in this book, signify the different ways a just and equitable society can be created for young people. Throughout the pages of this book, the importance of including the voices and choices of young people in research, policy and intervention becomes apparent to be able to promote and build a more just society.

Covering an introductory chapter, a commentary and nine full chapters published as protocol, experimental, theoretical, or empirical studies, this publication depicts the voices, perceptions, experiences and developmental outcomes of adolescents and emerging adults from countries located in four continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America. Individually and collectively, the different book chapters address how social justice and equity can be advanced from a Positive Youth Development perspective during these challenging times of globalization and digitalization, as well as when facing a global health emergency, such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic. The observations and opinions of authors, corresponding to the diverse countries and continents represented in this book, signify the different ways a just and equitable society can be created for young people. Throughout the pages of this book, the importance of including the voices and choices of young people in research, policy and intervention becomes apparent to be able to promote and build a more just society.