Positive Youth Development의 의미와 정책적 시사점 = Meaning of Positive Youth Development and Implication on Youth Policy in Korea

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Facilitating and supporting positive youth development is the important mission of youth policy. Youth policies in Korea are attempting to redesign themselves to be strategies that promote both positive behavior in youth and the general well-being of all young people while simultaneously preventing negative behavior. This paradigm shift toward positive youth development is closely related to the positive youth development framework, undergirded by the bumper-sticker phrase “problem-free is not fully prepared”. But the overall impact of this paradigm shift is uneven-the importance of it challenged by such stories as youth corrections programs that have been renamed “youth development programs” with no concomitant changes in philosophy, programming or staff practices. And positive youth development movement in Korea did not begin as an academic exercise grounded in theory and research. So, It is needed to circle back and focus energy on identifying meaning and strategies of positive youth development to make it not just a buzzword but a powerful public idea. This article investigates the meaning and strategies of positive youth development through the literature reviews. And key issues to become a powerful public idea are summarized as follows: 1) clarify the message, 2) counter negative public perceptions of youth and of the core youth development messages, 3) build vocal constituencies, 4) connect to popular issues, institutions, and strategies, 5) strengthen and interpret the evidence base, 6) encourage monitoring and assessment, 7) define the full range of roles and actors, 8) strengthen and link public and private support systems for youth, 9)build sustainable local and regional infrastructures for funding, planning, training, advocacy, and network development. And implications of the issues were discussed.