¶ … Adolescence) The Issue of Students of Arab Descent

Scope for Advisory Participation groups

Role of Involvement from Parents as External Stakeholders

Barriers and Facilitators to Parent Involvement

Advisory Participation and Policy Implications

Relation between Parental Involvement and Child Growth

The Role of Native Americans in Interventions

Traditional Parenting Practices

Considerations

Middle Eastern Students: Effect of Advisory Participation in the Adolescent Years - Grades 8-9

It is believed that when children and adolescents take part in group activities, they experience better social and psychological health. Indeed, it has also been documented that participating in team sports leads to positive health outcomes. Analysts observe that such eventuality accrues from the social dimension that team sports provide. The positive involvement by adults and peers enhances such gains (Rochelle M. Eime, Janet A Young, Jack T. Harvey, Melanie J. Charity, & Warren R. Payne, 2013). Reader advisory techniques; applied with youthful patrons present an effective model for encouraging the development of better intrinsic motivation and inspires discussion about reading materials. The new digital advisory tools for readers are exposing new channels beyond the library. It helps when librarians share such tools with teenagers and children (Janet L. Capps, Laura M. Justice, Stephanie Levitt Shaulskiy, & Lynley H. Anderman, 2014). When such a shift in addressing readership is attained, there will be an inclusive programming that has input from the youths in contexts of humanitarian nature.

Although the important role of interpersonal activity for better health has global recognition, there is still little formal information or research in this area in the Arab world. Statistical data indicates that youth aged between 10 and 19 years constitute over 30% of the population in the region. Although such data points to the fact that they are growing in number and that the potential for risky behavior is ever rising, there is little available information with regard to their practices or knowledge. The reason for lack of information and even research in Arab countries emanates possibly from their cultural inclinations. The subject of sexuality is largely taboo or a purely private, guarded affair in the region (Abdul Tawab, Saher, & Nawawi, 2013).

Problem Statement

If there are to be any effective policies developed to improve the health of the youth and attain similar desirable changes, there must be sufficient knowledge that informs such policies. There is need to search for information regarding the reproductive, social and psychological health.

The guide carefully steers away from the scientific debate on the role of nature versus nurture. It shows that development is influenced by both individual and the formal and informal environments where it occurs. There is a constant movement of young people from a range of settings on daily basis. These settings may be family, institution, virtual or informal. Indeed, the range of change in terms of settings increases with the increase in adolescent autonomy. Such movement could go either way. The settings could be a chance for development. Yet, they could also be an opportunity for derailment. It should be noted that cognitive growth does not halt at the ring of the bell at the end of the school day. Similarly, social learning and development is not restricted to the teen center. If society is serious about changing the fortunes of the youth, then opinion shapers in the society must take the lead to allocate more resources and revise the traditional practice (Mcneely & Blanchard, 2014) with an aim of standardizing the advisory participation.

Advisory participation that focuses on adolescents is a research orientation that that ascribes value to equitable collaborations between the youth and researchers. There is a reflection of shared decision-making through the process. It is clear that this approach is now common-place. However, it is unlikely that the youth will be enthusiastic to align themselves as partners.

Purpose of the Study

The practice of adolescent participation has become popular over the years. Although it holds the potential for promoting the development of the youth, enhanced engagement by civil society and encourages change in the community, it has remained, largely, unfamiliar. There is insufficient scholarly information, particularly on community practice and developmental theory. This research is an attempt to fill the gaps by collecting data and insightful input from historical bases of advisory participation, research with a community focus and case study. This paper suggests that the method is a unifying idea. It is distinct from other types of the relationship between the youth and adults. It has four core areas, i.e. natural mentors, authentic decision-making, community connection and reciprocity. There are guidelines, provided, for research in future too.

Research Questions

The questions covered in the area of research include broad range of topic areas. They include essential aspects for the development of adolescents. They are:

i. Competence: the perception of abilities and skills by an individual

ii. Confidence: an innate scale on which one measures their efficacy and self-growth iii. Connection: building relationships...

Character: being able to tell right from wrong; about integrity and sticking to decorum
v. Caring: sympathizing and empathizing.

All discussions are qualitative. Information from journals reviewed by peers and reports with detail have been incorporated and referenced.

Definition of Key Terms (related to adolescence)

The selected terms used in the paper are listed below (Mcneely & Blanchard, 2014).

i. Positive Youth Development: A guideline for the development of strategies and systems to enhance healthy development. It focuses on strengthening the youth with opportunity and experiences for positive to realize positive outcomes.

ii. Health Risk Factors: These are predisposing factors to negative health outcomes. One such health risk factor is unprotected sex.

iii. Puberty: According to the WHO definition, Puberty is the stage when a child experiences hormonal, social, physical and sexual changes; and becomes reproductive. The stage is associated with fast growth and appearance of secondary sexual traits.

iv. Protective Factors: they increase the chances of a positive outcome. For example, when children have a caring adult close by, it is a protective factor that increases the chances of school success.

v. Risk Factors: These factors increase the chances of negative outcome. For instance, smoking is a risk factor that could lead to the incidence of cancer or heart disease. Harsh parenting is also a known risk factor for the condition of depression.

Theoretical Framework

CBPR is a community-based participatory research orientation. The approach values the role of the members of the community and places academicians in the place of partners. Each of these partners is seen to contribute unique inputs to the research process. Unlike the traditional approach in which academicians and researchers develop hypothesis and intrude communities where they conduct their research, Community-based participatory research depend on input from both the experts and the local community at every step of the research journey. There is a whole range of research methods used in CBPR but the central underlying factor in the approach is the participation and incorporation of communities in decision-making, and in making the research relevant to the communities affected (Farrah, Vaughn, & Wagner, 2012).

The wider part of the conversation on the wellbeing of the youth in the country is focused on systems. Such questions as how the juvenile justice system can prevent crime among the youth and how the school system can be improved to increase engagement with learners. These and cross-platform conversations have gained currency? (Mcneely & Blanchard, 2014).

Literature Review

A. The Issue of Students of Arab Descent

i. The challenge of surveying children of Arab-American parentage

It would help to target children from the Middle-East with an aim of instituting prevention and treatment activities. The group mentioned poses a range of challenges. For instance, a high school focused study reveals that a generic program against tobacco did not succeed in WTS cessation among adolescents of Arab-American parentage. Thus, there is apparent need for continued research and innovative approaches in crafted interventions that apply specifically to this group (Primack, et al., 2014).

ii. Culture Shock

This is a personal or social reaction to an experience (usually in an encounter between individuals of different ethnicities) that varies widely from the accepted normative. It may involve working in unfamiliar territory/regions for extended periods or facing your long-held values questioned; yet you have always held them as absolutes. Culture shock occurs in such scenario where these realities take form but one is still expected to function optimally. On their part, international students often experience culture shock through language, the style of communication used in the new school, food or even dressing style (Heyn, 2013)..

iii. Need for Assistance related to Religion

Muslim and Arab students at UC have experienced a lot of global attention by extension because such attention is directed at certain Muslim communities across the globe. The interest in Islam has not eluded universities and their campuses. The Muslims in these institutions have become ever more visible. Many incidents of discriminatory treatment against Muslims, Arabs and those of Arab origin, Sikhs, and people of South Asian descent have been observed since the 9/11 incident. Thus, xenophobia and Islamophobia have become prevalent in American society. Such context extends beyond the universities and college campuses (Turk, Senzaki, Howard, & Rowther, 2012)..

iv. Gender Equality Issues

The journey towards getting rid of gender disparity has been winding…