Features of Positive Developmental Settings

There is very little research that directly specifies what programs can do to facilitate positive adolescent development, or how to tailor these programs to the individual needs of adolescents. However, there is a broad base of knowledge about how development occurs that can be drawn upon. Research demonstrates that certain features of the settings that adolescents experience (such as in the family or classroom) make a tremendous difference in their lives. This article employs this wider base of knowledge from developmental science to generate a list of eight features of adolescents' daily settings and experiences that are known to promote positive youth development.

The eight features that community programs can use in designing programs likely to facilitate positive youth development include physical and psychological safety; clear and consistent structure and appropriate supervision; supportive relationships; opportunities to belong; positive social norms; support for efficacy and mattering; opportunities for skill building; and integration of family, school and community efforts. For each of these features, the authors describe how they may be applied in practice.