title: Adolescent civic engagement and adult outcomes: an examination among urban racial minorities.
abstract: Civic engagement in adolescence is encouraged because it is hypothesized to promote better civic, social, and behavioral outcomes. However, few studies have examined the effects of civic engagement on youth development over time. In particular, the long-term association between adolescent civic engagement and development among racial minority youth who are exposed to high levels of risk factors is understudied. Using data from the Chicago Longitudinal Study (CLS; N = 854; 56.6 % were female; 93 % were African Americans and 7 % were Latinos), this study examined the associations between civic engagement in adolescence and outcomes during emerging adulthood among racial minority youth. Regression analyses found that civic engagement in adolescence is related to higher life satisfaction, civic participation, and educational attainment, and is related to lower rates of arrest in emerging adulthood. The findings suggest that adolescent civic engagement is most impactful in affecting civic and educational outcomes in emerging adulthood. The present study contributes to the literature by providing support for the long-term associations between adolescent civic engagement and multiple developmental domains in adulthood among an inner-city minority cohort.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, 140 Decatur Street, Suite 1110, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA, wchan1@gsu.edu.
authors.forename: Wing Yi
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Suh-Ruu
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Ou
authors.forename: Arthur J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Reynolds
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002641:Chicago / Q000453:epidemiology; D003256:Community Participation / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012933:Social Identification; D012941:Social Responsibility; D012945:Social Values; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data