Youth violence and positive psychology: Research potential through integration.

Abstract

Positive psychologists can study the relation between some of the discipline's core dimensions and aversive outcomes, including youth violence. Dimensions such as gratitude, forgiveness, sense of meaning, altruism (or at least apparent altruism), prudence, and humility have received attention within positive psychology, and evidence is reviewed suggesting that these may also deserve empirical attention in terms of their relation to youth violence and even their potential to reduce youth violence.

Influence of character strengths on mental health stigma

“…Snyder et al (1991) found that increasing hope shows positive associations with increased self-esteem, perceived problem-solving capabilities, and positive affectivity. Moreover, a range of character strengths interventions is used across vocational and educational settings to increase well-being and ameliorate societal problems, such as youth violence (Green, Grant, & Rynsaardt, 2007;Quinlan, Swain, & Vella-Brodrick, 2012;Tweed et al, 2011). Therefore, the current study fits well into the growing field of research on promoting positive qualities within individuals and provides insight into the role character strengths interventions can play in the mental health domain.…”

Attachment to Significant Figures, Resilience, and Delinquency Among Adolescents in Orphanages in Jakarta

“…In addition to attachment to significant figures, certain factors within individuals could also act as protectors for delinquency, such as resilience (Tweed, Bhatt, Dooley, Spindler, Douglas, & Viljoen, 2011). Resilience is a form of an individual's ability to be able to utilize psychological, social, and physical resources (in the family environment etc.)…”

An exploration of strengths, promotive, and protective factors among justice involved youth

“…Finally, the term strength is currently most well-known for its association with the positive psychology movement. According to Tweed, Bhatt, Dooley, and Spindler (2011), the term strength is different from those o f resilience or protective factor because it does not imply that the factor is only relevant in the face o f risk. Furthermore, Tweed and colleagues (2011) note that where the term strength is used, there is an emphasis on traditional virtues (studied in positive psychology) that often get ignored in other research claiming to identify/explore protective factors.…”

“…have received significant attention under positive psychology, but are typically ignored in other research (Tweed et al, 2011). Such strengths are relevant to individual well-being and happiness without a preoccupation with risk situations.…”

“…Although research is beginning to accumulate on the correlations between character strengths and appetitive outcomes, researchers o f positive psychology have often neglected to apply positive psychology to more problematic outcomes such as youth violence (Tweed et al, 2011). One area that does typically involve the study o f negative life events, including youth violence, is resilience.…”