Duke, N. N., Borowsky, I. W., Pettingell, S. L. (2011). Adult perceptions of
neighborhood: Links to youth engagement. Youth & Society. 44(3), 408-430.
http://yas.sagepub.com.ezproxy.umsl.edu/content/44/3/408.full.pdf+html
Adult Perceptions of Neighborhood: Links to Youth Engagement is a study comparing adult perceptions of their own neighborhood to the amount of youth involvement in their community. I found the comparison of the two to be incredibly interesting, because it is not something that I would immediately look towards comparing. However, their findings appear to be very significant. They found that higher adult perceptions were linked to higher youth involvement and lower adult perceptions were linked to low youth involvement. Neighborhoods with high youth involvement were thought to be safer, have better physical condition, and more resources than neighborhoods that had low youth involvement.
I believe this study gives great insight to how important youth can be in an overall community. As we have discussed in class, perceptions are a large part of a community’s identity and their ability to succeed. This study shows how important youth involvement is and encourages those looking to change a community to begin with the neighborhood youth.
Did you find this article interesting or surprising in any way? Can you see how youth involvement can impact a neighborhood’s perception? Would this information help guide you in a community intervention?
Your findings are similar to studies indicating adult's belief in the own ability to have opportunities to volunteer and voice their thoughts create a more positive perception of their community. Cheri
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