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Person‐Environment Fit and Positive Youth Development in the Context of High School Gay–Straight Alliances
Author(s) -
Calzo Jerel P.,
Poteat V. Paul,
Yoshikawa Hirokazu,
Russell Stephen T.,
Bogart Laura M.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of research on adolescence
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.342
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1532-7795
pISSN - 1050-8392
DOI - 10.1111/jora.12456
Subject(s) - agency (philosophy) , psychology , positive youth development , context (archaeology) , sample (material) , social psychology , developmental psychology , sociology , social science , paleontology , chemistry , chromatography , biology
Drawing from a person‐environment fit framework, we identified profiles of youth in gay–straight alliances ( GSA s) based on the extent to which they received information/resources, socializing/support, and advocacy opportunities in their GSA s and the extent to which this matched what they desired from their GSA along these three functions. Further, we examined profile differences in positive developmental competencies while accounting for community‐contextual factors. In a sample of 290 youth from 42 Massachusetts GSA s, latent profile analyses identified five subgroups. Overall, youth receiving less from their GSA s than they desired, particularly regarding opportunities for advocacy, reported lower levels of self‐reflection, bravery, civic engagement, and agency than youth who received information, socializing/support, and advocacy that matched or exceeded what they desired.