The Key Elements of Effective Practice are intended to describe the features of effective interventions and provide the benchmark for effective practice. For the purposes of this publication, engagement covers the techniques that are concerned with gaining young people’s interest and willing participation in interventions or services intended to prevent or reduce offending. The guidance is structured to cover three main audiences: those involved in delivery, e.g. youth offending team (YOT) practitioners and prison officers; those involved in operational and first-line management; strategic managers in their role as service managers and partnership brokers.
Key elements of effective practice: engaging young people who offend
Ethnic identity, sense of community, and psychological well-being among northern plains American Indian youth
Abstract
Limited research has examined how ethnic identity and sense of community may be associated with psychological well-being in American Indian adolescents. Via survey data, we examined the relationships among ethnic identity, sense of community, psychosomatic symptoms, positive affect, and feelings of depression with students from a tribal high school (N=95; n=37 males; n=58 females; aged 14.4–20.95 years; mean=17.3, SD=1.47 years). A majority of the sample self-identified as American Indian/Native American (85.3%), with small percentages reporting additional ethnic backgrounds. Analyses revealed a significant difference in sense of community and positive affect by ethnic identity group. Post hoc analyses demonstrated adolescents in the “achieved” identity group were significantly higher on sense of community and positive affect than the other three groups. However, there were no significant differences on feelings of depression or psychosomatic symptoms by ethnic identity group. Implications for interventions are discussed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Lions Quest Skills for Adolescence
Lions Quest Skills for Adolescence (SFA) is a multicomponent, comprehensive life skills education program designed for schoolwide and classroom implementation in grades 6-8 (ages 10-14). The goal of Lions Quest programs is to help young people develop positive commitments to their families, schools, peers, and communities and to encourage healthy, drug-free lives. Lions Quest SFA unites educators, parents, and community members to utilize social influence and social cognitive approaches in developing the following skills and competencies in young adolescents: (1) essential social/emotional competencies, (2) good citizenship skills, (3) strong positive character, (4) skills and attitudes consistent with a drug-free lifestyle and (5) an ethic of service to others within a caring and consistent environment. The learning model employs inquiry, presentation, discussion, group work, guided practice, service-learning, and reflection to accomplish the desired outcomes. Lions Quest SFA is comprised of a series of 80 45-minute sequentially developed skill-building sessions, based on a distinct theme, that may be adapted to a variety of settings or formats.