Home
Cross-National Positive Youth Development Network (CN-PYD)
PYD cross-national network

Research

Positive youth development and youth contribution from a global perspective

Main content

PYD cross national network
Within a cross-national network, we examine the extent to which developmental (internal and external) assets (proposed by Peter Benson and the Search Institute, Minneapolis) are available and accessible to young people and how these assets in turn relate to positive youth outcomes. The internal assets represent the intrapersonal competencies, skills, and self-perceptions of young people that develop during interactions with caring adults and peers in their contexts, while the external assets represent the environmental, contextual, and relational features of the socializing systems of young people. In keeping with the Positive Youth Development (PYD) perspective, positive development occurs in the fusion of active, engaged and competent person with receptive, supportive and nurturing ecologies. We conceptualized positive outcomes in line with Richard Lerner’s “5 Cs” of PYD: Competence (academic, social, vocational skills); Confidence (having a sense of mastery and future, positive identity, self-worth and self-efficacy); Character (having integrity, moral commitment, personal values, interpersonal values and skills, respect for societal and cultural rules); Connection (having healthy relationships with community, friends, family and school); and Caring (showing empathy and sympathy). Peter Benson’s thriving indicators (Succeeds in school, Helps others, Values diversity, Maintains good health, Exhibits good leadership, Delays gratification and Overcomes adversity) are also used to assess positive youth outcomes. We examine Creativity as another indicator of thriving as well as various indicators of contribution (to self, family, and community) which is supposed to take place when young people are thriving or exhibiting positive outcomes. Our cross-national research also takes up topics such as risk and health behaviours of young people, emotional difficulties and how they are related to the developmental assets and positive outcomes.

Participants
Over 20,000 adolescents and emerging adults (ages 16 to 29) in Africa (Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa), Asia (China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, The Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand), Australia, Europe (Albania, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Macedonia, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey), The Middle East (Iran, Palestine), North America, South America (Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru) and New Zealand.

Topics of study

  • Internal assets (commitment to learning, positive values, social competencies, and positive identity)
  • External assets (support, empowerment, boundaries and expectations, and constructive use of time)
  • The 7Cs (Competence, Confidence, Character, Connection, Caring, Creativity, and Contribution)
  • Risk behaviours, health behaviours, mental health and other developmental outcomes
  • "Job crafting" indicators in the school context, environmental sustainability
  • Social media and PYD