Search Results (82)

This study investigated youth’s empowerment through EU-funded climate change projects (CCPs) and the role that social research and public engagement play in that process. The importance of considering youth empowerment in a time of climate change is increasingly recognized. Youth are exposed to interrelated health, socioeconomic, and political vulnerabilities caused by climate change, but they often lack resources to address and navigate these changes. To help address these issues, youth empowerment holds the potential to give youth a greater influence over their lives in the context of an evolving climate. EU-funded CCPs play a crucial role in EU’s climate mitigation and adaptation policies, and the implementation of these projects can have widespread implications for youth across the EU. However, there is little research exploring the local youth implications of EU-funded CCPs. In this paper, we want to start addressing this knowledge gap by exploring how youth empowerment was facilitated, shaped, and restrained over a year-long collaboration with students from a Greek school as part of a Horizon 2020 project on the social acceptance of Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCUS) technologies. The findings indicate that the activities provided the students with opportunities to explore and express different types of concerns, knowledge, and perspectives on issues related to climate change, social acceptance, and CCUS. However, the empowering potential of these activities was also shaped by power differentials and contestations around the validity of different knowledge sources. For meaningful youth engagement through Horizon 2020 initiatives, more longitudinal and meaningful participation is needed. Full article

In fragile and unstable regions, entrepreneurship education is increasingly viewed as the path to economic resilience and youth empowerment. However, research indicates that there is relatively little empirical evidence on how entrepreneurial education promotes entrepreneurial intention and behavior, especially in situations of uncertainty and a lack of resources. This study explores this relationship based on a sample of 402 Palestinian university students and graduates, applying the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The study concludes that entrepreneurial education has a positive influence on students’ self-efficacy, attitudes toward entrepreneurship, and their perception of the entrepreneurial environment. Self-efficacy was found to be the most potent mediating factor of entrepreneurial intent, closely followed by attitude. Although intention is a good predictor of action, the relationship is modest, which illustrates a clear intention-action gap. The study also reports that entrepreneurial education indirectly affects actions by shaping environmental perception, and that its total influence on entrepreneurial action operates primarily through these psychological and contextual pathways. Furthermore, the availability of resources has a significant moderating effect, as students having strong intentions are more likely to act when there is a strong perception that sufficient support and resources are available to them. The research builds on the Theory of Planned Behavior and complements related work on the intention–action gap, by considering a combination of psychological and contextual influences. Additionally, it offers actionable recommendations for policy-makers, educators, and development practitioners working to realize youth aspiration in fragile economies through integrated, context-appropriate entrepreneurship interventions. Full article

Psychological distress remains a significant public health concern, particularly among youth. With the growing integration of mobile and wearable technologies into daily life, digital phenotyping has emerged as a promising approach for early self-detection and intervention in psychological distress. Objectives: The study aims to determine how behavioral and device-derived data can be used to identify early signs of emotional distress and to develop and evaluate a prototype system that enables users to self-detect these early warning signs, ultimately supporting early intervention and improved mental health outcomes. Method: To achieve this, this study involved a multi-phase, mixed-method approach, combining literature review, system design, and user evaluation. It started with a scoping review to guide system design, followed by the design and development of a prototype system (ESFY) and a mixed-method evaluation to assess its feasibility and utility in detecting early signs of psychological distress through digital phenotyping. Results: The results demonstrate the potential of digital phenotyping to support early self-detection for psychological distress while highlighting practical considerations for future deployment. Conclusions: The findings highlight the value of integrating active and passive data streams, prioritizing transparency and user empowerment, and designing adaptable systems that respond to the diverse needs and concerns of end users. The recommendations outlined in this study serve as a foundation for the continued development of scalable, trustworthy, and effective digital mental health solutions. Full article

This paper examines how Marley Dias’ activism on Instagram promotes racial justice, Black feminist thought, and youth mobilization through digital storytelling, representation, and audience engagement. Using a mixed-methods analysis of 744 posts published between 2016 and 2025, the study combined critical thematic coding, temporal mapping, and engagement metrics to analyze the discursive and emotional strategies behind Dias’ activism. Five key themes were identified as central to her activist work: diversity in literature, lack girl empowerment, racial justice, Black representation, and educational advocacy. The findings reveal that Dias strategically tailors her messages to suit Instagram’s unique features, using carousels and videos to enhance visibility, foster intimacy, and provide depth in education. Posts that focused on identity, aesthetics, and empowerment garnered the highest levels of engagement, while posts that concentrated on structural issues received lower, yet still significant, interaction. The paper argues that Dias’ Instagram account serves as a dynamic platform for youth-led Black feminist resistance, where cultural production, civic education, and emotional impact converge. This case underscores the political potential of digital literacies and encourages a reconsideration of how youth-driven digital activism is reshaping contemporary public discourse, agency, and knowledge production in the social media age. Full article

This article explores the notion of “gender empowerment” in relation to feminist claims around collectivity and the real lives of young women and non-binary people who grew up in post-Katrina New Orleans. Drawing on participants’ narratives, the article calls into question the assumption that collectivity and isolation are diametrically opposed experiences. Instead, it offers a more nuanced view of “alone space” as forced aloneness—not as inherently negative or disconnected, but as a vital and generative terrain through which participants navigated recovery, identity, and empowerment. The findings suggest that meaningful collective action and participation often emerged not despite but through moments of solitude that allowed for reflection on individual passions, desires, and agency. In this way, individualist approaches were intricately linked to collectivity. Participants carved out unique spaces for change that were both personal and social, finding that their most powerful engagements with collectivity were often rooted in the growth fostered during periods of isolation. These journeys were nonlinear and fraught with complexity, marked by feelings of insecurity and powerlessness, particularly around decision-making and identity formation in the wake of disaster. Yet, within the altered landscape of post-Katrina New Orleans, the experience of aloneness became an unexpected catalyst for empowerment, offering routes back into collective life on renewed and self-defined terms. Full article

Background/Objectives: Mental disorders that emerge during adolescence frequently extend into adulthood, predicting poor academic and employment outcomes and heavy societal burdens. Novel efforts to improve youth mental health have transitioned from clinical recovery, typically focused on a cure, to a strength-based approach to wellbeing in supporting youth within mental health services. Mental health scholars have appealed for interventions to adopt an ecological system of care approach that integrates the principal caregivers in a young person’s life. Despite preliminary literature indicating the importance of caregivers, little research has focused on the caregiver’s role in supporting personal recovery in youth. Methods: This study sought to understand the role of caregivers in youth recovery by employing a qualitative design to inductively analyze the narratives from nine semi-structured interviews with caregivers. Additionally, deductive analysis explored the core five underpinnings of personal recovery connectedness, hope, identity, meaning, and empowerment (CHIME). Results: A thematic analysis of the literature identified five themes: providing unconditional love and positive regard; encouraging connection with peers; co-creating a sense of purpose, meaning, and hope; supporting assertiveness and advocacy; and promoting strength and opportunity for mastery aligning with the CHIME framework. The findings will allow health services to understand caregivers’ roles better, thus providing information to guide recovery-oriented and family-centered care. Full article

The article compares the young generation’s perspectives on social and environmental problems in Greece and Poland. We examine the visions of young generation representatives for solving these problems and their role in developing sustainable enterprises. A quantitative analysis was conducted using a k-means clustering algorithm in Python to analyze youth perspectives on sustainable enterprises in both countries. The method offers several benefits, including uncovering unexpected patterns, simplifying the data, and highlighting shared views across both countries. The results show that the youth in Greece and Poland widely support the inclusion of social and environmental considerations into business strategies, and despite some differences in the strengths of opinions, they agree that businesses should integrate sustainability into their mission. However, different clusters reveal varying levels of youth knowledge and awareness. Young people believe that businesses should prioritize sustainability, but acknowledge the difficulty of balancing profits with social and environmental goals. Financial support, specific skills, and experience are necessary for establishing sustainable enterprises. An enabling environment and youth empowerment are critical for promoting youth’s sustainable entrepreneurship. Future research could focus on the enabling factors that impact the willingness of youth to engage in sustainable entrepreneurship and on the ways and tools to provide necessary support. Full article

Background: Significant factors impact the wellbeing of South Sudanese youth who settle in Australia. This article proposes a community empowerment framework based on outcomes from research and community feedback undertaken in Melbourne, with South Sudanese youth and elders to improve social connection and community engagement of the youth. Methods: Twenty-three semi-structured interviews, four focus groups and two community forums were conducted using qualitative, case study methodology. Data were collected from South Sudanese youth aged 14 to 21 years, social workers, elders and parents from the South Sudanese community. Inductive thematic analysis was used to gain an understanding of the social issues facing South Sudanese youth, Results: Four themes—health and wellbeing, the experience of racism, sports and intergenerational conflict—were identified during analysis. These themes were then used to develop and propose a Community Empowerment Framework (CEF), that outlines strategies to empower South Sudanese youth to improve their wellbeing at different levels: personal empowerment, career empowerment and community empowerment (both internal and external). Conclusions: The CEF provides a community-informed model for service providers and policy makers to promote positive community engagement and social connection to improve the lives of South Sudanese youth living in Australia. Full article

Background/Objectives: Youth mental health significantly impacts future well-being, with nearly half of mental health disorders emerging during adolescence. Civic engagement is defined as active participation in the community to improve conditions for others or to help shape the community’s future. It offers a unique opportunity to enhance youth mental well-being, acting as a protective factor against mental health struggles. In this line, Relational Developmental Systems Theory posits that positive youth development is positively linked to civic engagement. The main objective of this literature-based paper is to identify, select, assess, and synthesize the existing literature on interventions promoting mental health in the youth through civic engagement, resulting in an up-to-date review. Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, a search was conducted using PsycInfo, Scopus, and Web of Science to gather studies published between 2018 and 2023, based on the combination of key terms: (“civic engagement” OR “social participation”) AND (“mental health” OR “psychological adjustment” OR “well-being”) AND (adolescen* OR teen* OR youth OR “young people”) AND (program* OR intervention OR training OR education). Data extraction and risk-of-bias assessments were performed. Results: Ten studies were included in this review which suggest that civic engagement programs improve youth mental health outcomes, including reduced anxiety, reduced sadness, and increased resilience. These programs foster empowerment, sense of belonging, and social connections, while also enhancing interpersonal skills and career aspirations. Youth also gain valuable skills such as leadership, communication, and problem-solving, contributing to educational and vocational growth. However, challenges such as socio-economic barriers and attendance issues can impact some outcomes, with variations in effectiveness across programs. Conclusions: Youth civic engagement programs should integrate mental health support to mitigate the emotional costs of activism, ensuring greater participation and well-being. It is important to adapt these programs to local contexts and provide flexibility to strengthen participation and community impact. Future research should explore the role of cultural, gender, and socio-economic factors in shaping program outcomes and utilize randomized controlled trials to improve the validity and generalizability of findings. Full article

This paper proposes the application of Yosso’s Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) framework, rooted in the critical race theory (CRT), as a transformative lens for sport-based youth development (SBYD) research. Moving beyond traditional deficit-based models, which often depict youth as problematic or at-risk, CCW emphasizes recognizing and building upon the cultural strengths and assets of marginalized youth. We begin by reviewing the development of theoretical applications within the youth development, positive youth development (PYD), and SBYD literature to highlight the criticisms against conventional deficit-focused approaches. CCW offers an asset-oriented lens by offering six forms of capital—aspirational, linguistic, familial, social, navigational, and resistant—that are typically overlooked in mainstream frameworks. We illustrate how these forms of capital can reposition SBYD programs as spaces for cultivating resilience, identity, and social justice while addressing systemic inequities. By incorporating CCW with participatory research methods and critical theories, such as intersectionality and CRT, researchers can broaden the theoretical and methodological scope of SBYD. This paper concludes by suggesting practical implications for program design, organizational advocacy, and policy development, advocating for culturally responsive, community-led initiatives that prioritize the active engagement and empowerment of marginalized youth. In sum, CCW provides the “why” for critical SBYD research and practice. Full article

Adolescence is a critical period for sociopolitical development, yet research has primarily focused on youth with explicit civic engagement, overlooking the role of community involvement in broader contexts. This mixed-methods study examines how adolescent community involvement—ranging from volunteering and advocacy to participation in sports, religious, and cultural activities—shapes sociopolitical control (SPC) in young adulthood. Using longitudinal quantitative survey data from 352 Canadian families, alongside qualitative interviews with 32 adult participants, we analyze how relationships with parents and peers mediate the link between community involvement and SPC. Regression analyses demonstrate that community involvement in high school predicts SPC at age 25, with parental support and positive peer relationships serving as significant mediators. Mediation analysis further reveals that relationships with mothers exert the strongest indirect effect on SPC, followed by relationships with fathers and peers. Qualitative findings highlight the mechanisms through which relational contexts foster or hinder SPC, illustrating that family values, peer norms, and early exposure to social issues shape long-term civic identity. These results underscore the importance of fostering relationally supportive environments that encourage diverse forms of adolescent community participation, contributing to both individual empowerment and broader democratic engagement. Full article

Background: The mental health crisis among youth, exemplified by the 1.2 million affected in Canada, underscores the urgent need for effective interventions. Research indicates that in-school programs are more successful in addressing common mental health issues and promoting well-being. This evaluation study was performed on the Kids Write Network, an expressive writing intervention that aims to facilitate emotional expression and processing by encouraging individuals to address and reassess adverse life events through writing. This study explores how the cognitive and psychological mechanisms of expressive writing in adolescents can be unveiled through the theoretical approach of empowerment. Methods: Using a multiple case-study design, 50 middle school students from three schools in Montreal, Canada, participated in the expressive writing intervention and were individually interviewed. The data collected from these interviews were analyzed using a comprehensive coding schema to identify the theoretical underpinnings of empowerment. Results: The results demonstrate that writing about one’s negative life event allowed for a better understanding of it through reflection and a clearer understanding of one’s emotions. Conclusions: The findings can inform the development and implementation of school-based empowerment interventions for youth with mental health challenges. Further, our findings emphasize the importance of recognizing and addressing the theoretical approach of empowerment in mental health programs for young individuals. Full article

Youth-led action research has significantly influenced local and statewide policies aimed at supporting students experiencing homelessness in California. This study employs a Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) methodology, summarizing five years of research conducted by high school student cohorts and UC Berkeley graduate students to examine effective strategies for preventing and addressing student homelessness. The research engaged over 260 high school students, nine graduate research fellows, 31 university student mentors, and eight civic and community organizations through data collection, policy analysis, and stakeholder collaboration. Findings indicate that youth-led research strengthens alignment mechanisms, enhances cross-sector collaboration, and improves policy coordination, leading to more effective services and positive educational experiences for students experiencing homelessness. These results underscore the transformative role of youth-driven inquiry in shaping inclusive, evidence-based policies, and demonstrate the need for sustained youth engagement in policymaking to create long-term, systemic change. Full article

This Special Issue examines the links between sociopolitical action and healthy youth development. The 12 featured studies use diverse conceptual and methodological approaches to advance understanding of how the costs and benefits of youth sociopolitical action are dependent on identity, context, and structural factors. Key findings demonstrate that intersectional identities shape youth experiences of activism and that social contexts can exacerbate or buffer against personal risks, underscoring the importance of supportive environments that are attentive to each young person’s experiences of oppression. The contributing authors propose pragmatic strategies to encourage mutually reinforcing associations between personal well-being and sociopolitical action, such as integrating healing-centered approaches into youth programming and contextualizing resistance to systemic oppression as a component of healthy development. This Special Issue calls for future research to refine theoretical models and develop sustainable, health-promotive strategies to support young people in their vital work to advance justice and equity. Full article