An article examined levels of civic engagement among different groups of young people living in areas of socio-economic disadvantage. Young people needed to benefit from genuine opportunities to develop self-efficacy if they were to respond to the demands of 'Big Society' aspirations for localized decision-making.
Source: Carolynne Mason, Hilary Cremin, Paul Warwick, and Tom Harrison, 'Learning to (dis)engage? The socialising experiences of young people living in areas of socio-economic disadvantage', British Journal of Educational Studies, Volume 59 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Dec
The European Commission issued a communication calling on member states to take measures on youth opportunities – including steps to prevent early school leaving; help young people to develop skills relevant to the labour market; ensure work experience and on-the-job training; and help young people find a first good job.
Source: Youth Opportunities Initiative, European Commission
Links: Communication | European Commission press release | ETUC press release
Date: 2011-Dec
An article examined the similarities and differences in the transition to adulthood in European countries. The considerable heterogeneity in institutional arrangements, cultural heritage, and economic life observed across contemporary European societies provided fertile ground for testing hypotheses of various macro-level theories and approaches addressing interactions between micro- and macro-level factors.
Source: Marlis Buchmann and Irene Kriesi, 'Transition to adulthood in Europe', Annual Review of Sociology, Volume 37
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Dec
A study examined the lives of 18 young people growing up in (and sometimes leaving) Northern Ireland during a period of profound social and political change, from the 1990s to 2010.
Source: Sheena McGrellis, Growing Up in Northern Ireland, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Date: 2011-Nov
A report said that proposals by the coalition government to cut legal aid entitlement would lead to significant numbers of children and young people being denied access to justice. Failure to resolve civil legal problems would result in 'knock on' costs in terms of reduced employment prospects, poor mental and physical health, and possibly increased offending.
Source: Not Seen and Not Heard: How children and young people will lose out from cuts to civil legal aid, Sound Off For Justice/JustRights
Links: Report | LCF press release
Date: 2011-Nov
A report examined young people's experiences of civil legal problems. Young people experienced problems at a rate similar to that of the population as a whole. They reported high levels of certain types of problems, including those concerning rented housing, welfare benefits, and debt. They ranked problems concerning education as the most severe, followed closely by family problems. A lack of money, and also violence, were a cause of problems more often than others.
Source: Pascoe Pleasence, Civil Legal Problems: Young People, Social Exclusion and Crime, Law Centres Federation/Youth Access
Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2011-Nov
A new book examined inequality and opportunity for young people in Europe, including the areas of: schooling, employment, social exclusion, labour migration, trafficking, disability, cultural and religious discrimination, youth work, and opposition and resistance.
Source: Serdar Degirmencioglu (ed.), Some Still More Equal Than Others? Or Equal Opportunities for All?, Council of Europe Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Sep
An article examined the proposition that participation in sport inevitably contributed to youth development. There was a need for critical research and theory that identified the processes through which participation in sport was (or was not) linked to subsequent forms of civic engagement.
Source: Jay Coakley, 'Youth sports: what counts as ?positive development??', Journal of Sport and Social Issues, Volume 35 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Sep
An article examined increased heterogeneity in the living arrangements of young adults. Increasing numbers of young adults remained in the parental home, or lived independently of the parental home but outside of a family. The article examined the extent to which these trends were explained by the increased immigration of foreign-born young adults, the expansion in higher education, and the increased economic insecurity faced by young adults.
Source: Juliet Stone, Ann Berrington, and Jane Falkingham, 'The changing determinants of UK young adults? living arrangements', Demographic Research, Volume 25, Article 20
Date: 2011-Sep
An article examined the concept of social exclusion in relation to the lived experiences of young people from deprived interface areas of Belfast.
Source: Owen Hargie, Aodheen O?Donnell, and Christel McMullan, 'Constructions of social exclusion among young people from interface areas of Northern Ireland', Youth and Society, Volume 43 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Sep
A report examined the impact of low aspirations on young people in rural areas. Significant influences on young people's aspirations included: the cost and availability of transport to access post-16 education, training, and employment; parents and positive role models; the availability of employment opportunities; school-business links; and young people's own attitudes towards risk.
Source: Thomas Spielhofer, Sarah Golden, and Kelly Evans, Young People's Aspirations in Rural Areas, National Foundation for Educational Research
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Aug
An article examined young people s involvement in social work research.
Source: Jennie Fleming, 'Young people s involvement in research: still a long way to go?', Qualitative Social Work, Volume 10 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Jun
An article said that the peace process in Northern Ireland had so far failed to address the needs of some of the most vulnerable young people – in particular, those who identified as gay, lesbian, or bisexual.
Source: Dirk Schubotz and Malachai O'Hara, 'A shared future? Exclusion, stigmatization, and mental health of same-sex-attracted young people in Northern Ireland', Youth and Society, Volume 43 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Jun
An article examined how young people conceptualized reconciliation, based on empirical research from Northern Ireland and Bosnia-Herzegovina. A lack of political and economic change was one of the major factors that negatively influenced the potential for reconciliation, as did the lack of intergenerational dialogue.
Source: Clare Magill and Brandon Hamber, ' If they don t start listening to us, the future is going to look the same as the past : young people and reconciliation in Northern Ireland and Bosnia and Herzegovina', Youth and Society, Volume 43 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Jun
A study examined the long-term impacts of youth volunteering. Youth volunteering was associated with positive outcomes in the social/political and economic spheres later in life, particularly in respect of higher education qualifications.
Source: Joana Lopes, David Kerr, and Julie Nelson, Measuring the Impossible? Making a start: exploring the impact of youth volunteering through existing longitudinal research data, V – The National Young Volunteers Service
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-May
A study found that 1 in 4 (26 per cent) of young people aged 16-24 from deprived homes believed that 'few' or 'none' of their career goals were achievable, compared with just 7 per cent of those from affluent families.
Source: Broke, Not Broken: Tackling youth poverty and the aspiration gap, Prince's Trust
Links: Report | Summary | BBC report | Personnel Today report
Date: 2011-May
An article examined how young people's citizenship practices changed over the course of their adolescence, and considered the implications for researching citizenship and citizenship education.
Source: Avril Keating, Tom Benton, and David Kerr, 'Tracing the trends and transitions in young people's citizenship practices: what are the implications for researching citizenship and citizenship education?', Educational Research, Volume 53 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-May
A report presented the findings from a research study into teaching methods – knowledge, skills, teaching practices, and behaviours – that helped to build resilience to 'extremism'.
Source: Joe Bonnell et al., Teaching Approaches that Help to Build Resilience to Extremism Among Young People, Research Report RR119, Department for Education
Links: Report | Brief | Literature review | NFER press release | ACT press release
Date: 2011-May
A study examined the evidence for encouraging participation by children and young people in planning and regeneration, both in the United Kingdom and in an international context.
Source: Laurie Day, Liz Sutton, and Sarah Jenkins, Children and Young People's Participation in Planning and Regeneration, Ecorys
Date: 2011-Apr
A report by a committee of the National Assembly for Wales summarized the work that it had done (since 2007) on issues relating to children and young people.
Source: Legacy Report, Children and Young People Committee, National Assembly for Wales
Links: Report | NAW press release
Date: 2011-Mar
A report examined the main challenges for the protection and promotion of youth rights in Europe.
Source: Mourad Mahidi, The Young and Rightless? The protection of youth rights in Europe, European Youth Forum
Links: Report | EYF press release
Date: 2011-Mar
A report examined the impact of the Treaty of Lisbon in the field of youth, focusing on youth participation. It proposed the creation of a major programme to facilitate youth participation at all levels in the European Union, the introduction of civic education programmes in school curricula, and pilot projects aiming at enabling young people to participate in civic life.
Source: Paolo Ponzano, The Impact of the New Provisions of the Treaty of Lisbon on Youth, European Youth Forum
Links: Report | EYF press release
Date: 2011-Mar
A study examined the attitudes, values, and experiences of sex and religion among young adults. It highlighted the challenges that young people faced in reconciling their sexuality and their religion, and their concerns about the stigmatization of religion and an increasingly 'sexualized' culture.
Source: Andrew Kam-Tuck Yip, Michael Keenan, and Sarah-Jane Page, Religion, Youth and Sexuality: Selected key findings from a multi-faith exploration, University of Nottingham
Links: Report | Nottingham University press release
Date: 2011-Feb
An article examined effective approaches against racism in work with young people. The concept of 'community cohesion' could offer a productive way forward to engage with racism.
Source: Paul Thomas and Tom Henri, 'Changing directions: young people and effective work against racism', Journal of Youth Studies, Volume 14 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Feb
A report presented detailed findings from a convention of 100 young people (aged 16-18) held to discuss the government's public spending plans. Young people were neither particularly pessimistic about their future nor explicitly resentful of older generations. Although there was a pervasive, broadly held sense that politicians privileged the concerns of older generations, there was also evidence that young people put the needs of older people above their own.
Source: Daniel Leighton, Back to the Future, Demos
Date: 2011-Jan