This special issue highlights recent research on measures of early adolescents' development and the school contexts in which they spend their time. We are particularly interested in measures with direct application--providing actionable data to teachers, principals, parents, school counselors, or the students themselves, in ways that promote…

Farah Pandith is an author, foreign policy strategist, and former diplomat. She served as the first-ever special representative to Muslim communities for the US Department of State. She is the author of "How We Win: How Cutting-Edge Entrepreneurs, Political Visionaries, Enlightened Business Leaders, and Social Media Mavens Can Defeat the…

Background: Adolescents face major developmental tasks such as increasing individuation and establishing autonomy. These developmental tasks increase demands on adolescent self-control, hereby putting youth with poor effortful control at risk for psychopathology. Specific parenting behaviors might be warranted to buffer against this risk.…

Adverse childhood experiences (typically referred to as ACEs) are potentially traumatic experiences and events, ranging from abuse and neglect to parental incarceration. A growing body of research has made it increasingly apparent that ACEs are a critical public health issue that can have negative, lasting effects on health and well-being in…

This timely book features rich examples of students and teachers, defined as learning partners, disrupting hierarchy in education by collaborating on social change projects. At the book's core is Paulo Freire's theorization of students and teachers working together toward co-liberation. Co-written by learning partners, each chapter in this…

An emerging area of research has focused on understanding how the group dynamics of a sport team influence positive youth development (PYD). The identities that youth form through their membership in sport teams (i.e., social identities) have been found to influence teammate behavior and team performance. Yet, minimal work exists on social…

Annette Haines provides a comprehensive overview of concentration across the planes. She first lays the foundation for thinking about student engagement: It must be understood that concentration is found through the interest of the child, which is guided by the sensitive periods. When we understand the child's development in this way, we can offer…

The "5 Cs of PYD Model" is an influential theory involving the role of Intentional Self-Regulation (ISR) in positive youth development (PYD). The model, which was developed with U.S. populations, has recently been used in other cultural contexts and, as such, the measurement invariance of the ISR-PYD model across cultural contexts must…

John Bowlby's (1982) attachment theory can be applied to an existing therapeutic framework to enhance the effectiveness of therapy. Using the Adult Attachment Inventory (AAI), a therapist can identify the type of attachment the client formed with his/her caregivers, and use this to navigate an authentic attachment between client and therapist.…

There has been extensive research on the negative outcomes experienced by homeless youth and the protective role social support plays in typical adolescent development. However, current gaps in the literature are found in regard to potential protective factors for homeless youth, showing a need for further research to examine such possible…

In this thought leader commentary, we review the potential devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people, including trauma, impacts on mental health, socioemotional distress, and changes in academic learning. Stating that 4-H is uniquely positioned to mitigate these effects through intentional positive youth development efforts, we…

This study evaluated self-esteem and emotional regulation as possible mediators of the relationship between authoritative parenting and sociopolitical control in 240 low socioeconomic youths, aged 10 to 16 years (M = 12.48 years, SD = 1.33 years; 122 males, 118 females). Participants completed self-report questionnaires assessing their…

Evidence on girls' transitions through puberty in Madagascar and ways in which menarche influences their educational experiences and future sexual and reproductive health is limited. We conducted qualitative research involving participatory activities with girls in rural and urban Madagascar to explore their transitions through early puberty. Key…

Through strong working relationships and a responsive approach for systems strengthening, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Turkey has been able to effectively integrate its humanitarian and refugee-related programmes into its wider strategic approach to increase the potential for every child to learn. In doing so, UNICEF has worked…

Research shows greater mindfulness is associated with less negative affect and more positive affect. Fewer studies have examined the mediating psychological processes linking mindfulness to these outcomes in adolescents. This three-wave, prospective longitudinal study examines rumination--the tendency to engage in repetitive and negative…