Youth clubs help boost children's self confidence
Last updated 8/16/2010 10:30:43 AM
Youth clubs help boost childrens self confidence
When children belong to a youth club, they gain a stronger sense of who they are as a person and even youngsters who don't attend every day still benefit, according to t he research by Ohio State University.
This study surveyed nearly 300 children from age 9 to 16 in a city in Utah. About three-fourths of the children were members of a local branch of Boys and Girls Clubs of America. The rest were children who weren't members, but lived in the surrounding community.
The children explained how they felt towards their family, neighbourhood, and school; whether they had a strong sense of who they are, and strong self-esteem; whether they earned good grades and whether they felt they received positive reinforcement for good behaviour from their community.
The study revealed that the more children participated in the club, the stronger their sense of self. Participation in the club boosted their social skills, as well as the positive reinforcement they felt they received from their community.Children who experienced all these benefits were less likely to engage in problem behaviours.
Dawn Anderson-Butcher, an associate professor at Ohio State University, said: "Strong relationships are built over time. It takes time for the children to develop an attachment for the club - to feel committed to it, like they have ownership of it. And with that commitment comes the adoption of norms and positive behaviours."
This investigation is the latest in a series of studies in which Dawn has examined the benefits of youth clubs. Her previous studies have shown that just getting children off the streets and into the clubs benefits them greatly. But children who participate in the educational programmes gain an even stronger benefit and form strong bonds with adults who work there, she says.