The Pathways to Positive Outcomes in Youth Development: Love Character Strength and Parental Communication

Y

31

High School Students; Adolescent Development; Personality; Risk; Health Behavior; Life Satisfaction; Parent Role; Parent Child Relationship; Communication (Thought Transfer); Intimacy; Foreign Countries

2148-225X

In today's world, young people attending high school face many developmental challenges and need a holistic examination of their developmental process, with both positive and negative aspects. Desired outcomes for healthy youth development include individual character strengths such as the strength of love and the contextual characteristics of close relationships such as parental communication that are linked to these strengths. These factors can reduce negative traits such as risk-taking behaviors and increase positive outcomes such as life satisfaction. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of character strengths among high school youth and to reveal the relationship between these strengths and risk-taking behaviors. In addition, based on the need to reveal the effect of individual characteristics based on context, it was aimed to examine the relationship between character strengths of love and parental communication with risky behavior and life satisfaction by including demographic variables. Values in Action Inventory for Youth, Youth Assets Survey, Life Satisfaction Scale, and Demographic Characteristics Form were used in the study. In addition to descriptive statistics, correlation, MANOVA test and structural equation modeling were used in data analysis. According to the findings, some strengths were found to be ranked higher among adolescents. It was noteworthy that demographic variables and some of the character strengths were associated with important outcomes in adolescents' development. Other findings included that relationships with parents had some influence on the relationship between the strength of love and risk-taking behavior and life satisfaction as examined through structural equation. The findings of the research is considered to be useful for institutions and professionals and policy makers working in education and schools, youth centers, social services, police units and aiming to increase the well-being and positive development of young people.

As Provided

2022

EJ1354007