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Social Support Among Slovene Minority and Italian Majority Youth in Italy: Links with Positive Identity, Social Competence and Academic Achievement

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Handbook of Positive Youth Development

Part of the book series: Springer Series on Child and Family Studies ((SSCFS))

Abstract

This chapter applies the Positive Youth Development (PYD) framework to explore the influence of social support (family, community and school) on academic achievement and internal assets of PYD (i.e., positive identity and social competence) in a sample of Slovene minority (n = 172, 40% females) and Italian majority youth (n = 354, 43% females) in Northern Italy. A path model suggested that in both groups, social support was positively related to positive identity, social competence and academic achievement such that creating supportive relationships within schools, families and communities can foster PYD. The chapter provides valuable evidence prompting educators, parents, practitioners and policymakers to use PYD approaches to empower youth and optimize their overall well-being.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Scientific-Cultural Institute Mandàla, Gorizia, Doberdò del Lago (GO), Italy

    Marianna Kosic

  2. Department of Psychosocial Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

    Nora Wiium

  3. Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden

    Radosveta Dimitrova

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  1. Marianna Kosic
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  2. Nora Wiium
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Correspondence to Radosveta Dimitrova .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden

    Radosveta Dimitrova

  2. Department of Psychosocial Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

    Nora Wiium

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Kosic, M., Wiium, N., Dimitrova, R. (2021). Social Support Among Slovene Minority and Italian Majority Youth in Italy: Links with Positive Identity, Social Competence and Academic Achievement. In: Dimitrova, R., Wiium, N. (eds) Handbook of Positive Youth Development. Springer Series on Child and Family Studies. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-70262-5_12

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