This study applies the theory of positive youth development (Lerner et al., 2010) and the youth systems framework (Varga & Zaff, 2018) to the examination of supportive peer and adult relationships across multiple Adolescence is a time of significant change (National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine, 2019). As individuals enter adolescence they develop in several critical ways, including socially (Bowers et al., 2014;Carlo et al., 2007). Although multiple factors contribute to development, including biological changes (Branje, 2018), the interactions with other individuals in one's environment are often considered to be the mechanism for most development (Lerner et al., 2010). Many researchers agree: development occurs through relationships (Varga & Zaff, 2018). Individuals learn social skills and develop a sense of identity through interactions with others in their environment (Bowers et al., 2014). During adolescence, the relationships that shape development are shifting, as relationships with parents often change (Branje, 2018), and peers become increasingly important as sources of support (Stotsky & Bowker, 2018).However, although parental relationships change, there is still evidence that supportive relationships with parents remain important for positive development (Muscarà et al., 2018). In addition, research provides evidence that supportive relationships with nonparental adults can also be valuable during adolescence (Yu et al., 2018). As youth age, they begin to interact with more individuals across different contexts of their environment, including with additional adults outside their families (Lerner et al., 2010;Zhang et al., 2018). In an effort to make sense of these multiple relationships, this study examines supportive relationships with peers, parents, and nonparental adults across multiple contexts during adolescence using an ecological perspective and mixed methodology. | REVIEW OF LITERATUREAs adolescents mature, their social networks expand (Zhang et al., 2018), allowing them to interact with more individuals and across multiple contexts. These social networks become important sources of social support, which is essential as youth progress to adulthood (Chu et al., 2010). Social support is generally defined as social resources available or perceived to be available to a person by individuals within their network and is associated with positive youth outcomes such as well-being (Chu et al., 2010). Although social support is often discussed in a holistic way, there are multiple types of support, including companionship (partnership in activities), emotional (source of support with feelings, etc.), informational (provides advice and information about resources), instrumental (provides concrete support and help), and validation support (affirms individual, normalizing behavior and feelings; Wills & Shinar, 2000). The presence of social support has been associated with positive youth outcomes (Lerner et al., 2011), and a youth's perception of support has been found to act as a signif...
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