Risk reduction and increased resiliency can be fostered by utilizing positive youth development principles and practices with youth and communities of different ethnicities, races, and cultures. It's been shown that common risk factors surface among all youth regardless of their race or ethnicity.
From an international perspective, similar studies confirm the effectiveness of positive youth development practices.
Positive experiences, positive relationships, and positive environments—regardless of culture or ethnicity—can contribute to positive youth development.
Kegler, M., Young, K., Marshall, L., Bui, D., & Rodine, S. (2005). Positive youth development linked with prevention in a Vietnamese-American community: Successes, challenges, and lessons learned. Journal of Adolescent Health, 37, 69-79.
Kliewer, W., & Murrelle, L. (2007). Risk and protective factors for adolescent substance use: Findings from a study in selected Central American countries. Journal of Adolescent Health, 40, 448-455.
Wong, K., & Lee, T. (2005). Professional discourse of social workers working with at-risk young people in Hong Kong: Risk or resilience. In M. Ungar (Ed.), Handbook for working with children and youth: Pathways to resilience across cultures and contexts (pp. 313-327). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Zimmerman, M., & Arunkumar, R. (1994). Resiliency research: Implications for school and policy. Social Policy Report, 8, Ann Arbor, MI: Society for Research on Child Development.
Map My Community is a tool designed specifically to assist you in locating resources in your community to help you build and strengthen your youth program. Get ideas for new partnerships, identify gaps in your community, and learn about resources to avoid duplication of effort.
FindYouthInfo.gov is the U.S. government Web site that helps you create, maintain, and strengthen effective youth programs. Included are youth facts, funding information, and tools to help you assess community assets, generate maps of local and federal resources, search for evidence-based youth programs, and keep up-to-date on the latest, youth-related news.