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Professional youth workers and their organizations pursue further improvement of quality and transparency in their work. Political developments require to demonstrate the added value of professional youth work to active citizenship. Due to the complex, dynamic and interactive nature of professional youth work, the body of knowledge has been poorly developed. In this paper, we will present a conceptual model for methodic acting of professional youth work. The conceptual model is based on a mixed method design of literature review, document analyses, observations, in depth interviews with youth workers (77), and questionnaires (259 with youth that participate within youth work and 270 control group). Data is collected in 8 different youth work organisations in Amsterdam, Utrecht and Zaandam in the Netherlands. The result is a conceptual model for methodic acting of professional youth work: a multi-methodic approach that consists of thirteen methodical principles. These principles guide the interactions of youth workers with young people. There are indications that the combined use of methods contributes to personal and social development of youth, social support, and youth participation. This conceptual model is a promising framework for professional youth work that allows to legitimize the profession. Because the model is based on the integration of different studies, it is needed to test this model. In the study Power of Youth Work started May 2017, we examine this model together with 100 youth workers, 1600 young people and 11 youth work providers.

Previous research has suggested that professional youth work settings empower socially vulnerable youngsters, strengthening their personal development and social participation. It is expected that youth work can prevent personal and social problems of youngsters, which may have longer term positive social returns. How the underlying methodical way of acting of youth workers contributes to prevention-focused outcomes remains unclear. This article presents a four-wave longitudinal cohort study (16 months) that investigated longitudinal associations between 12 individual methodical principles that youth workers apply in interactions with youngsters and four prevention-focused outcomes: prosocial skills, self-mastery, social network and civic participation. The sample consisted of 1,597 Dutch youngsters with a mean age of 16.5 years (SD = 3.60). Findings: Linear mixed models analysis found that all individual methodical principles were longitudinally associated with one or more outcome. The strongest associations were observed with regard to prosocial skills and civic participation. Depending on the outcome measure, methodical principles seem to be more effective for boys, for youngsters who participate for 3 years or longer in youth work settings and for youngsters between 10 and 19 years old. With regard to the effect of methodical principles on improving self-mastery, 9 of the 12 principles appeared to play no positive role in increasing self-mastery of youngsters. Applications: This study provides youth workers with a better understanding of which methodical principles are positively associated with prevention-focused outcomes as well as reinforcing the evidence-based practice of professional youth work.

AbstractThis article focuses on how length of participation in professional youth work is associated with five outcome variables: prosocial skills, self-mastery, social network, civic participation (volunteering and organizing activities) and finding support from social care services. The study was designed as a longitudinal cohort study of four waves during a 16-month period, gathering the data of 1597 youngsters aged 10–24 who participated in Dutch professional youth work. The results show that, on average, youngsters who participated longer in youth work scored significantly higher on the outcome variables. Respondents did not show individual improvements on outcome variables over the period, but the results demonstrate a cautious positive trend over time in volunteering. Referring youngsters (33%) by youth workers to care services could prevent an exacerbation of existing problems. The results provide knowledge that legitimizes the role of professional youth workers and which can be used by them to improve the support of socially vulnerable youngsters in their personal development and social participation.