Jonathan F Zaff
Biographic Data
| ID | 4370170 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Jonathan F Zaff |
| GIVEN NAMES | Jonathan F |
| FAMILY NAME | Zaff |
| SIGNATURE | ZAFF J F |
| AFFILIATIONS | America's Promise Alliance |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 24 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 127 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 24 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1998 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Development of the Academic Stress Scale for Adolescents and Examination of Perceived Academic Stress Among Chinese Adolescents
Academic stress is a common daily stressor among adolescents worldwide, particularly for secondary school students facing the pressure of preparing for postsecondary admission. Building on existing literature and using a sample of 903 adolescents ( M age = 14.91, SD age = 1.79) attending public secondary schools in China, the current study developed the Academic Stress Scale for Adolescents (ASSA) through a series of exploratory and confirmatory …
“My Story Started When I was Younger. . .”: A Qualitative Analysis of Youth’s Differential Journeys Away From School
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) increase youths’ risk for leaving high school before graduating. However, to our knowledge, no one has examined how youth themselves conceptualize the role of ACEs in their journeys away from school. In this exploratory qualitative study, we used narrative analysis to examine (1) whether youth (n = 27) described ACEs leading them away from school, (2) how early these trajectories began, from youth’s own perspe…
Impact of community well‐being on individual well‐being: A longitudinal multinational study with 155 countries
The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the longitudinal relationship between subjective community well‐being (CWB) (perception of freedom of choice and social support) and subjective individual well‐being (IWB) (positive and negative affect). Using the World Happiness Report (2019), this study examined the subjective IWB and subjective CWB among 155 countries across an 8‐year period. Using Latent Class Growth Analysis the results indicat…
The Impact of Comprehensive Community Initiatives on Population‐Level Child, Youth, and Family Outcomes: A Systematic Review
Comprehensive community initiatives ( CCI s) represent a popular method for creating systemic change, yet there is a dearth of evidence on their effectiveness (Zaff, Pufall Jones, Donlan, Lin, & Anderson, 2016). This article presents a systematic review of the evidence on the population‐level impact of CCI s, focusing specifically on documented effects from studies using an experimental or quasi‐experimental design. Of 1,947 articles identified t…
Adult Reflection on Engaging Youth of Color in Research and Action: A Case Study From Five U.S. Cities
With the proliferation of participatory approaches to promoting youth development such as Youth-Led Participatory Action Research (YPAR), it is more important than ever that researchers and practitioners understand how to create curriculum that will authentically engage youth of color. To that end, there are important lessons public health researchers can learn from the fields of community psychology, education, and social work, among others. We …
Moving Beyond Academics: The Role of Adult Capacity in Keeping Young People in School
The U.S. high school dropout rate continues to decline. Possible reasons for this decline include stronger academic standards, persistent state and district actions, and implementation of programs to help disconnected youth reconnect to educational opportunities. In the current study, we propose a complementary hypothesis for rate improvements: adult capacity. When adults nurture, socialize, and teach youth, youth are more likely to achieve acade…
Dropout typologies: Relating profiles of risk and support to later educational re-engagement
A large body of work has examined factors that push and pull youth to drop out. However, a relatively minimal amount of work has examined whether and how these factors cluster in individuals’ lives preceding or concurrent to leaving school. This study used Latent Class Analysis with a national sample (N = 1,942) to examine how push, pull, and protective experiences clustered in the lives of individuals who left high school without graduating. The…
Self-control and persistence in the transition to adulthood: Employment outcomes among individuals with no credential, a GED, and a high school diploma
Self-control and persistence may predict employment outcomes among individuals who have no credential, a General Educational Development (GED) credential, or a high school diploma. However, less is known about the stability of that relation after accounting for structural factors (e.g., social relationships) and differences in lived experience (e.g., dropout status). Using data from a national survey of young adults in the USA (n = 1282, M = 21.5…
Youth-serving institutional resources and neighborhood safety: Ties with positive youth development
Neighborhoods are critical contexts for adolescent development, but little attention has been paid to how neighborhood characteristics play a role in positive youth development (PYD), notably among predominantly African American youth. This study examined distinct features of the neighborhood, including youth-serving institutional resources (YSI) and safety, as they relate to PYD among adolescents from low-income neighborhoods in an urban setting…
Social Support and Academic Engagement Among Reconnected Youth: Adverse Life Experiences as a Moderator
Using motivational theories of engagement and adopting a multidimensional perspective of academic engagement, the authors investigate the associations among teacher and parent support, students' academic self-efficacy, and academic engagement among a sample of reconnected youth who have returned to academic pursuit after dropping out (N = 938, mean age = 16.50, SD = 1.78). In addition, they examine how youth's adverse life experiences moderate th…
Building relationships between mentors and youth: Development of the TRICS model
Self‐control and Adolescent Internalizing and Externalizing Problems: Neighborhood‐based Differences
Self‐control may act as a protective factor against the development of internalizing and externalizing problems among adolescents. However, little research has examined how self‐control functions within and across different types of communities. Using two cohorts from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods ( N = 1,072; 51.40% female), we examined how self‐control and neighborhood characteristics were independently and jointly a…
Exploring positive youth development among young people who leave school without graduating high school: A focus on social and emotional competencies
Ecology matters: Neighborhood differences in the protective role of self-control and social support for adolescent antisocial behavior
Adolescence can be characterized as a time when aggression, delinquency, and violence (taken together as antisocial behavior) increase. Adolescents who engage in antisocial behavior increase local crime and can create unsafe conditions for families. Understanding the protective factors that mitigate antisocial behavior can help to inform prevention practices. Using data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (n = 1,072, 51…
Reconnecting Disconnected Youth: Examining the Development of Productive Engagement
Little is known about the developmental process of disconnected youth reengaging in more productive aspects of life. For this study, we examined the process of developing productive engagement among 38 disconnected youth who are either gang‐affiliated, involved with juvenile justice, or (and) homeless. These youth were reengaging into educational and workforce experiences through a comprehensive youth development center. Using a dynamic systems a…
A life-span, relational, public health model of self-regulation: Impact on individual and community health
In this chapter, the authors extend the ideas around the development of self-regulation and its impact on development by proposing a life-span, relational, public health model. They propose that the role of self-regulation should be understood across transitions from childhood to adulthood and through an individual and community perspective, including the relational process between the individual, the community, and contextual factors, such as th…
A Cease and Desist Order for School Reform: It is Time for Educational Transformation
Active and Engaged Citizenship: Multi-group and Longitudinal Factorial Analysis of an Integrated Construct of Civic Engagement
Putting Children Front and Center: Building Coordinated Social Policy for America's Children
In this article, we argue that policymakers in America should reference a coherent, comprehensive, and child-centered framework for children. That is, based on an extensive review of the empirical literature on the first two decades of life, we conclude that policies should address the needs of young people throughout the first two decades of life. In addition, public policies should address the multiple contexts within which young people develop…
Predicting Positive Citizenship from Adolescence to Young Adulthood: The Effects of a Civic Context
Researchers have theorized that programs to promote positive citizenship should begin with an opportunity for adolescents to participate in civic activities, such as community service or political volunteering. In this article we extend the theory by arguing that a more systemic approach is needed, in which a civic context is developed to promote citizenship. We hypothesize that living within a consistent civic context leads to civic engagement i…
Promoting Equal Developmental Opportunity and Outcomes Among America’s Children and Youth: Results from the National Promises Study
The influence of father involvement on youth risk behaviors among adolescents: A comparison of native-born and immigrant families
Implications of Extracurricular Activity Participation During Adolescence on Positive Outcomes
The present study was conducted to determine if participation in extracurricular activities predicts multiple positive outcomes such as attending college, voting in national and regional elections, and volunteering for community and religious organizations. From analyses of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988, a nationally representative survey of students, our results suggest that consistent participation in extracurricular activit…
Sense of community in housing for the elderly
The promotion of a psychological sense of community by environmental factors was investigated in this study. Psychosocial factors in high-rise and garden apartments in public housing for the elderly were compared using the Sheltered Care Environment Scale (SCES), the Sense of Community Index (SCI), and a structured interview. Residents of garden apartments were found to have a significantly greater overall sense of community than were those in hi…
Implications of Extracurricular Activity Participation During Adolescence on Positive Outcomes
The present study was conducted to determine if participation in extracurricular activities predicts multiple positive outcomes such as attending college, voting in national and regional elections, and volunteering for community and religious organizations. From analyses of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988, a nationally representative survey of students, our results suggest that consistent participation in extracurricular activit…
Active and Engaged Citizenship: Multi-group and Longitudinal Factorial Analysis of an Integrated Construct of Civic Engagement
The influence of father involvement on youth risk behaviors among adolescents: A comparison of native-born and immigrant families
Building relationships between mentors and youth: Development of the TRICS model
Self‐control and Adolescent Internalizing and Externalizing Problems: Neighborhood‐based Differences
Self‐control may act as a protective factor against the development of internalizing and externalizing problems among adolescents. However, little research has examined how self‐control functions within and across different types of communities. Using two cohorts from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods ( N = 1,072; 51.40% female), we examined how self‐control and neighborhood characteristics were independently and jointly a…
Social Support and Academic Engagement Among Reconnected Youth: Adverse Life Experiences as a Moderator
Using motivational theories of engagement and adopting a multidimensional perspective of academic engagement, the authors investigate the associations among teacher and parent support, students' academic self-efficacy, and academic engagement among a sample of reconnected youth who have returned to academic pursuit after dropping out (N = 938, mean age = 16.50, SD = 1.78). In addition, they examine how youth's adverse life experiences moderate th…
Reconnecting Disconnected Youth: Examining the Development of Productive Engagement
Little is known about the developmental process of disconnected youth reengaging in more productive aspects of life. For this study, we examined the process of developing productive engagement among 38 disconnected youth who are either gang‐affiliated, involved with juvenile justice, or (and) homeless. These youth were reengaging into educational and workforce experiences through a comprehensive youth development center. Using a dynamic systems a…
Adult Reflection on Engaging Youth of Color in Research and Action: A Case Study From Five U.S. Cities
With the proliferation of participatory approaches to promoting youth development such as Youth-Led Participatory Action Research (YPAR), it is more important than ever that researchers and practitioners understand how to create curriculum that will authentically engage youth of color. To that end, there are important lessons public health researchers can learn from the fields of community psychology, education, and social work, among others. We …
Impact of community well‐being on individual well‐being: A longitudinal multinational study with 155 countries
The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the longitudinal relationship between subjective community well‐being (CWB) (perception of freedom of choice and social support) and subjective individual well‐being (IWB) (positive and negative affect). Using the World Happiness Report (2019), this study examined the subjective IWB and subjective CWB among 155 countries across an 8‐year period. Using Latent Class Growth Analysis the results indicat…
Sense of community in housing for the elderly
The promotion of a psychological sense of community by environmental factors was investigated in this study. Psychosocial factors in high-rise and garden apartments in public housing for the elderly were compared using the Sheltered Care Environment Scale (SCES), the Sense of Community Index (SCI), and a structured interview. Residents of garden apartments were found to have a significantly greater overall sense of community than were those in hi…
Implications of Extracurricular Activity Participation During Adolescence on Positive Outcomes
The present study was conducted to determine if participation in extracurricular activities predicts multiple positive outcomes such as attending college, voting in national and regional elections, and volunteering for community and religious organizations. From analyses of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988, a nationally representative survey of students, our results suggest that consistent participation in extracurricular activit…
The influence of father involvement on youth risk behaviors among adolescents: A comparison of native-born and immigrant families
Predicting Positive Citizenship from Adolescence to Young Adulthood: The Effects of a Civic Context
Researchers have theorized that programs to promote positive citizenship should begin with an opportunity for adolescents to participate in civic activities, such as community service or political volunteering. In this article we extend the theory by arguing that a more systemic approach is needed, in which a civic context is developed to promote citizenship. We hypothesize that living within a consistent civic context leads to civic engagement i…
Promoting Equal Developmental Opportunity and Outcomes Among America’s Children and Youth: Results from the National Promises Study
Putting Children Front and Center: Building Coordinated Social Policy for America's Children
In this article, we argue that policymakers in America should reference a coherent, comprehensive, and child-centered framework for children. That is, based on an extensive review of the empirical literature on the first two decades of life, we conclude that policies should address the needs of young people throughout the first two decades of life. In addition, public policies should address the multiple contexts within which young people develop…
Active and Engaged Citizenship: Multi-group and Longitudinal Factorial Analysis of an Integrated Construct of Civic Engagement
A life-span, relational, public health model of self-regulation: Impact on individual and community health
In this chapter, the authors extend the ideas around the development of self-regulation and its impact on development by proposing a life-span, relational, public health model. They propose that the role of self-regulation should be understood across transitions from childhood to adulthood and through an individual and community perspective, including the relational process between the individual, the community, and contextual factors, such as th…
A Cease and Desist Order for School Reform: It is Time for Educational Transformation
Reconnecting Disconnected Youth: Examining the Development of Productive Engagement
Little is known about the developmental process of disconnected youth reengaging in more productive aspects of life. For this study, we examined the process of developing productive engagement among 38 disconnected youth who are either gang‐affiliated, involved with juvenile justice, or (and) homeless. These youth were reengaging into educational and workforce experiences through a comprehensive youth development center. Using a dynamic systems a…
Ecology matters: Neighborhood differences in the protective role of self-control and social support for adolescent antisocial behavior
Adolescence can be characterized as a time when aggression, delinquency, and violence (taken together as antisocial behavior) increase. Adolescents who engage in antisocial behavior increase local crime and can create unsafe conditions for families. Understanding the protective factors that mitigate antisocial behavior can help to inform prevention practices. Using data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (n = 1,072, 51…
Exploring positive youth development among young people who leave school without graduating high school: A focus on social and emotional competencies
Social Support and Academic Engagement Among Reconnected Youth: Adverse Life Experiences as a Moderator
Using motivational theories of engagement and adopting a multidimensional perspective of academic engagement, the authors investigate the associations among teacher and parent support, students' academic self-efficacy, and academic engagement among a sample of reconnected youth who have returned to academic pursuit after dropping out (N = 938, mean age = 16.50, SD = 1.78). In addition, they examine how youth's adverse life experiences moderate th…
Building relationships between mentors and youth: Development of the TRICS model
Self‐control and Adolescent Internalizing and Externalizing Problems: Neighborhood‐based Differences
Self‐control may act as a protective factor against the development of internalizing and externalizing problems among adolescents. However, little research has examined how self‐control functions within and across different types of communities. Using two cohorts from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods ( N = 1,072; 51.40% female), we examined how self‐control and neighborhood characteristics were independently and jointly a…
Dropout typologies: Relating profiles of risk and support to later educational re-engagement
A large body of work has examined factors that push and pull youth to drop out. However, a relatively minimal amount of work has examined whether and how these factors cluster in individuals’ lives preceding or concurrent to leaving school. This study used Latent Class Analysis with a national sample (N = 1,942) to examine how push, pull, and protective experiences clustered in the lives of individuals who left high school without graduating. The…
Self-control and persistence in the transition to adulthood: Employment outcomes among individuals with no credential, a GED, and a high school diploma
Self-control and persistence may predict employment outcomes among individuals who have no credential, a General Educational Development (GED) credential, or a high school diploma. However, less is known about the stability of that relation after accounting for structural factors (e.g., social relationships) and differences in lived experience (e.g., dropout status). Using data from a national survey of young adults in the USA (n = 1282, M = 21.5…
Youth-serving institutional resources and neighborhood safety: Ties with positive youth development
Neighborhoods are critical contexts for adolescent development, but little attention has been paid to how neighborhood characteristics play a role in positive youth development (PYD), notably among predominantly African American youth. This study examined distinct features of the neighborhood, including youth-serving institutional resources (YSI) and safety, as they relate to PYD among adolescents from low-income neighborhoods in an urban setting…
The Impact of Comprehensive Community Initiatives on Population‐Level Child, Youth, and Family Outcomes: A Systematic Review
Comprehensive community initiatives ( CCI s) represent a popular method for creating systemic change, yet there is a dearth of evidence on their effectiveness (Zaff, Pufall Jones, Donlan, Lin, & Anderson, 2016). This article presents a systematic review of the evidence on the population‐level impact of CCI s, focusing specifically on documented effects from studies using an experimental or quasi‐experimental design. Of 1,947 articles identified t…
Adult Reflection on Engaging Youth of Color in Research and Action: A Case Study From Five U.S. Cities
With the proliferation of participatory approaches to promoting youth development such as Youth-Led Participatory Action Research (YPAR), it is more important than ever that researchers and practitioners understand how to create curriculum that will authentically engage youth of color. To that end, there are important lessons public health researchers can learn from the fields of community psychology, education, and social work, among others. We …
Moving Beyond Academics: The Role of Adult Capacity in Keeping Young People in School
The U.S. high school dropout rate continues to decline. Possible reasons for this decline include stronger academic standards, persistent state and district actions, and implementation of programs to help disconnected youth reconnect to educational opportunities. In the current study, we propose a complementary hypothesis for rate improvements: adult capacity. When adults nurture, socialize, and teach youth, youth are more likely to achieve acade…
Impact of community well‐being on individual well‐being: A longitudinal multinational study with 155 countries
The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the longitudinal relationship between subjective community well‐being (CWB) (perception of freedom of choice and social support) and subjective individual well‐being (IWB) (positive and negative affect). Using the World Happiness Report (2019), this study examined the subjective IWB and subjective CWB among 155 countries across an 8‐year period. Using Latent Class Growth Analysis the results indicat…
“My Story Started When I was Younger. . .”: A Qualitative Analysis of Youth’s Differential Journeys Away From School
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) increase youths’ risk for leaving high school before graduating. However, to our knowledge, no one has examined how youth themselves conceptualize the role of ACEs in their journeys away from school. In this exploratory qualitative study, we used narrative analysis to examine (1) whether youth (n = 27) described ACEs leading them away from school, (2) how early these trajectories began, from youth’s own perspe…
Development of the Academic Stress Scale for Adolescents and Examination of Perceived Academic Stress Among Chinese Adolescents
Academic stress is a common daily stressor among adolescents worldwide, particularly for secondary school students facing the pressure of preparing for postsecondary admission. Building on existing literature and using a sample of 903 adolescents ( M age = 14.91, SD age = 1.79) attending public secondary schools in China, the current study developed the Academic Stress Scale for Adolescents (ASSA) through a series of exploratory and confirmatory …
Psychology (22 works) · Developmental psychology (20 works) · Political science (13 works) · Social Psychology (12 works) · Early Childhood Education and Development (11 works) · Youth Development and Social Support (11 works) · Medicine (8 works) · Positive Youth Development (8 works) · Social Psychology (7 works) · Sociology (7 works)