The proportion of teenagers engaging in sex has declined in recent decades, and rates of teen births in the United States have reached a historic low (Osterman et al., 2022). However, risky sexual activity, which can result in teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), remains a concern. To help reduce teen pregnancies and STIs…

Background: In 2018, Georgia ranked fourth in the USA for the number of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and first for rate of new HIV diagnoses. Structural barriers to HIV prevention and care include homelessness, inadequate access to healthcare, insufficient sexual health education, HIV criminalisation and incarceration. Objective: Georgia…

Ongoing research and evaluation that produce actionable, widely disseminated evidence are central to the continuous improvement of U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) programs. In addition, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA) requires DOL to conduct periodic, independent evaluations to inform the effective operation of WIOA…

With global conflict currently riding at its highest levels in the past 30 years, the international community has recognised the importance of engaging young women and men in shaping lasting peace. In 2015 the United Nations Security Council passed a ground-breaking resolution, Youth, Peace and Security: Resolution 2250 (United Nations Security…

This study combines research documenting the benefits of positive relationships between youth and caring adults on a young person's positive development with studies on youth voice to examine the mechanisms through which participation in youth programs contributes to positive developmental outcomes. Specifically, the study explores whether youth's…

Since 1969, the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) has improved the diets and food-related behaviors of program participants. Each year EFNEP enrolls more than half a million new program participants. In 2010, EFNEP reached 137,814 adults and 463,530 youth directly and nearly 400,000 family members indirectly. This paper…

This white paper begins by describing recent theory and research on positive development, particularly as it applies to older adolescents and young or â€oeemerging” adults with serious mental health conditions. The next sections of the paper describe a series of empirically-supported and promising programs that are specifically designed to serve…

The violent crime rate among American Indians is twice that of the United States as a whole. Tribal communities are also beset by high rates of domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, alcohol abuse, and gang involvement. Given such factors, it is not surprising that tribal youth are exposed to multiple risk factors for delinquency. Indeed,…

The United Nations General Assembly decided in 1979 to make 1985 International Youth Year (IYY). Several of the central themes of this year (participation, development, and peace) are directly concerned with education and action relative to an improved, sustainable environment, both natural and built. This issue of the Unesco-UNEP (United Nations…

This reference book contains resumes of program descriptions geared toward youth and adults who need or want information on drug abuse prevention programs, locally or nationally. Several major entries include: (1) national program models; (2) evaluated alternative programs from all states; and (3) descriptions of prevention programs. All section…

Given the growing interest in a privatized Social Security system and the lack of adequate retirement planning among many people in the United States, many households are often ill prepared for retirement. The outlook for low-income populations is even bleaker because they are often not privy to the same financial education and asset-building…

Glaring inadequacies and a lack of coordination in the field of youth development stimulated the extensive data collection and analyses presented in this report. Recent and current efforts in the youth development area at the college and university level were surveyed. Among the data reported are: (1) administrative perceptions of youth programs,…

This report summarizes and synthesizes the programs, policies, research, and evaluations that serve or target youth. It examines the youth-serving activities and initiatives of nine federal agencies--the United States Departments of Health and Human Services; Education; Labor; Justice; Agriculture; Interior; Housing and Urban Development; Defense;…

This paper attends to the critical, problematic and massively pervasive question of moving from precise and defensible statements of theoretical validity to equally precise and defensible statements of practical viability. Specifically, the paper presents certain experiences of sociologists engaged in bringing to bear tested propositions of youth…

This brief summarizes the importance of professional development, identifies core competencies for youth workers, highlights professional development training delivery models, and sets fourth next steps for professional development that can benefit youth programs. Programs often attribute their success to effective youth workers, and research…