Research with Disadvantaged, Vulnerable and/or Marginalized Adolescents

Disadvantaged, vulnerable and/or marginalized adolescents (DVMAs) are individuals aged 10–19, who are excluded from social, economic and/or educational opportunities enjoyed by other adolescents in their community due to numerous factors beyond their control. These include factors at the social level (such as economic inequality, violence, stigma, racism, migration), family level (including neglect and abuse) and individual level (e.g. disability, ethnicity). DVMAs include adolescents who are immigrants or refugees; sexual minorities; orphans; incarcerated; those who have run away or been turned out of their homes following neglect and/or abuse; those who are trafficked; and those who belong to a stigmatized indigenous, ethnic, tribal or religious groups. Though gender plays an important role within each of these categories and for the group as a whole, in this brief we do not treat all girls and young women as DVMAs. As a result of their social exclusion, DVMAs suffer from health inequities, or avoidable inequalities in their health and well-being compared to the well-being of other adolescents. Research is needed to inform ways to address these inequities

Dream teens: Adolescents-led participatory project in Portugal in the context of the economic recession

This article describes the implementation process of a nationwide project to enhance young people's participation and active citizenship in the context of Portugal's economic recession. This project used an innovative Positive Youth Development approach that engaged Portuguese youth (aged 11-18 years) through social media tools to facilitate their civic engagement and development. Participants from all over the country were empowered (1) to design and conduct research activities on topics of their choice and about their life contexts and (2) to create ways to improve youth civic participation in their communities, while developing supportive interactions with adults and peers. Overall, youth were engaged in their activities, felt their voices were heard, and felt that they were viewed as experts of their own well-being and living contexts. Youth research actions and preliminary findings were then compiled in a set of recommendations that was formally received by a high commissioner of the Ministry of Health. The article concludes with a discussion of the next steps for the project and its limitations so far.Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian; Portuguese Society for Health Psychology and Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisboninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio