Youth Power

The social and family context in which an adolescent grows up has a significant impact on their development, their future opportunities and their emotional well-being. In disadvantaged neighborhoods, where poverty and social inequality are more evident, young people face enormous challenges: a poor relational environment, harmful normative models and strong social pressure are factors that can negatively influence behavior and growth. A new study, published by Sule Alan and Elif Kubilay in the American Economic Review, explores an innovative approach to improving the school life of adolescents in disadvantaged contexts, focusing on a program that directly involves adolescents themselves in improving their school.

The central idea of the program is that adolescent empowerment, through responsibility and self-persuasion, can lead to positive and lasting change. The study selected high school students with high emotional intelligence and a good social network to become "student teachers." These students were then tasked with guiding their younger peers through a curriculum designed to help them improve their school and community. The program was structured around nine themes, such as the importance of having positive interpersonal relationships, understanding the dangers of violence, and being aware of how one's actions can impact the social environment.

The key to this approach is that the "student teachers" are not simply taught what to teach their peers; rather, they are trained so that their teaching is an act of self-persuasion, helping them internalize the messages they convey. In other words, the "student teachers" are in charge of presenting a curriculum to their peers, and the mere act of teaching and reflecting on these topics leads them to change their beliefs and behaviors, with the effect of improving their emotional management skills and their conduct. The idea is that, by making the content they teach their own and reflecting on it, students are persuaded to adopt new, more positive and prosocial behaviors.

The program, implemented in schools in Diyarbakir, Turkey, involved over 20,000 students. The results were remarkable. First, significant drops in antisocial behavior, disciplinary punishments, and conflicts between students were observed. This positive effect also extended to schoolmates who were part of the social network of the students involved, suggesting a certain positive "domino effect" generated by this program. Furthermore, the program increased the probability of admission of the "student teachers" to particularly selective high schools, significantly improving their chances of accessing a higher quality education.

A key aspect of this program is that it is relatively inexpensive. With a cost of only $20 per student per year, the program stands out for its sustainability compared to other interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy or mentorship programs. To achieve significant changes in adolescents' behaviors and educational opportunities, therefore, it seems necessary to rethink the way in which adolescents themselves are involved in educational and social improvement programs. It is not just about teaching them what to do, but about making them responsible, recognizing and enhancing their social status within the school. This approach has changed not only the behavior of students, but also their vision of themselves, increasing self-efficacy, social responsibility and emotional well-being.


Pierluigi Conzo
NP January 2025