On Community Programs for Youth and Complexity of Transition to Adulthood

Community Programs to Promote Youth Development/National Academy Press, 2002.
http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=cIoUoTeBZqwC&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=youth+developmentots=tKs2ISNPocsig=muXHJ2zm5BM2Uhg180WLPUubEbw#v=onepage&q&f=true

Adolescence is an important period between childhood and adulthood.  It is the time when youth need to acquire attitudes, competencies, values, and social skills that will carry them forward to a successful adulthood. That is why adolescents need a great amount of help, guidance, instruction, and discipline to help them make their way to adulthood.  Community programs for youth provide these sources of supports. They exist in many forms: special clubs, service programs,sport leagues, academic enrichment programs, etc.

Today such programs receive increased funding from diverse federal agencies, and state and local governments.  Private foundations have also expanded their support of community programs for youth. Besides, there is an increased public understanding that organized programs for youth can prevent problem behavior in children and adolescents, as well as promote their health, development, and well-being. 

Youth in 1960s and today

Adolescent development has become increasingly complex. The author gives a very interesting comparison of young people living in the 1960's and today's youth. Back in the early 60s, young people finished high school and either went to college or entered the job market. They usually got married and began families n early 20s. Which means adolescents launched into adulthood in early 20s. Now it is not the case at all. Rapid demographic, sociocultural, and labor-market changes have extended adolescents well into the 20s. The median age for marriage is in the late 20s. The number of youth involved in postsecondary education have increased dramatically. 

Risks confronted by youth 
One of the problems that enhances complexity of transition to adulthood is widespread risks that youth confront.  For example, in the U.S. in the past decade the use and access to alcohol and drugs have increased. Here the author makes some observations which I found especially interesting:

Alcohol 

• Ecstasy has become the most frequently mentioned drug in telephone calls to the Poison Control Center;
• A review of top-selling popular songs found alcohol mentioned in 47% of rap music lyrics;
• In television shows, 9 out of 10 drinkers of alcohol are portrayed as experiencing no negative effect, moreover, positive social and personal outcomes are shown.

Violence

• By age 18, average young person will have viewed an estimated 200,000 acts of violence on television alone;
• The incidence of gangs in schools has almost doubled in the last 10 years, which has been linked with increased gun possession among adolescents. 

Programs to combat these trends may be helpful. The idea of positive youth development programs has emerged other time based on the idea that schools have to be supported and complemented by partners in the local communities. 

The reading is very interesting in general, the only drawback I saw is that most of the data go back to 1990s, so there is no recent data.