Youth Engagement Theory

Researchers have begun to study the interaction between youth engagement and positive development . Youth engagement is defined as "meaningful participation and sustained involvement of a young person in an activity, with a focus outside of themselves " . For the purposes of this article, a community refers to the geographical boundaries established by municipalities , a neighborhood, or a school environment encompassed within larger geographical boundaries.

Past research on youth engagement has been grounded in two theories: 1) youth development theory and 2) attachment theory. First, youth development theory is based on building resilient communities where youth are surrounded by adult support. The idea is that resilient communities will
Attachment theory attempts to explain the function and need of long-term meaningful relationships. Historically, attachment theory has been used in the field of psychology to explain the relationship needs of an infant and a caregiver. This relationship is important because it ensures the proper social and emotional development of the child. Youth attachment to the community can be viewed in almost the same light. As youth get older, they will look for other attachments in addition to the relationship developed with their caregiver. Youth who have developed meaningful positive relationships with other adults in the community have demonstrated better social and emotional development. In addition, these youth also demonstrated increased social participation and community action. Meaningful positive relationships help to transform the community from a shared space to a set of psychological bonds between its
When youth realize their voices and opinions are being considered, they will feel that they are a true part of the community. The community then becomes a place where youth and adults share the common interest of making their shared space a better place. Youth will increasingly become more comfortable with sharing ideas and suggestions because they now see themselves as vital members of the community. Overall, youth internalize the idea that they are making a meaningful contribution to the community and have done so by working productively with other members of the