Community youth development and prevention research promotes principles of both positive youth development and prevention science as core approaches to community development. Positive youth development is an asset-based approach to development, which builds upon the strengths of youth, residents, and in the community. Prevention science focuses on reducing risk and increasing protective factors that promotes resiliency and engagement of youth and residents in pro-social behaviors. Through a positive youth development approach, protective factors are increased at multiple social-ecological levels to reduce the likelihood for youth and individuals to engage in problem behaviors.
