Differing profiles of developmental experiences across types of organized youth activities.
This study inventoried the types of developmental and negative experiences that youth encounter in different categories of extracurricular and community-based organized activities. A representative sample of 2,280 11th graders from 19 diverse high schools responded to a computer-administered protocol. Youth in faith-based activities reported higher rates of experiences related to identity, emotional regulation, and interpersonal development in comparison with other activities. Sports and arts programs stood out as providing more experiences related to development of initiative, although sports were also related to high stress. Service activities were associated with experiences related to development of teamwork, positive relationships, and social capital. Youth reported all of these positive developmental experiences to occur significantly more often in youth programs than during school classes.
Larson
Reed W
RW
Department of Human and Community Development, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA. larsonr@ad.uiuc.edu
Hansen
David M
DM
Moneta
Giovanni
G
D000293:Adolescent; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006686:Hobbies; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010553:Personality Development; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012574:Schools; D012649:Self Concept; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012931:Social Environment; D012933:Social Identification; D012951:Socialization; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic