Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Adolescent Leisure from a Developmental and Prevention Perspective

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Book cover Positive Leisure Science

Abstract

This chapter will examine adolescent leisure from a prevention perspective and will cover two main topics. First, we will address the paradox of how leisure may contribute to adolescent development, health, and well-being but how it also may be a context for risk behavior. Next, we will address the need for leisure education as a means to promote development, health, and well-being and prevent risk behavior. In addressing these two broad topics, we will review current literature and suggest where gaps in knowledge currently exist.

Leisure is a powerful context in which adolescent development may occur. It offers myriad opportunities for the development of many important tasks in adolescence such as identity and autonomy development, experimentation, and development of competence and initiative. It is also a context to promote physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and spiritual health and well-being. At the same time, as a context of relative freedom, decreased direct parental control, and increased importance of and access to peers, leisure also affords opportunities to engage in risk behaviors such as vandalism, sexual risk, and substance misuse.

Prevention science, a relatively young science, focuses on both promotion of health and well-being and prevention of risk. Thus, it naturally provides a framework in which to address the paradox of leisure. Although leisure can be a context for risk behavior, from a prevention perspective, adolescents can be taught the importance of making healthy choices to reap the benefits of leisure and avoid potentially risky behaviors. Leisure education serves to promote self-awareness of the need to gain healthy benefits from leisure (both serious and casual), understand the value of leisure and in particular intrinsically motivated leisure, develop interests, find leisure resources, understand how to plan for and make good decisions about leisure, and overcome constraints that may impede participation and positive experience.

Two prevention-focused leisure education programs, TimeWise: Taking Charge of Leisure Time and HealthWise South Africa: Life Skills for Young Adults, have shown promising evidence that universal prevention programs for middle- or high-school-aged youth can be effective in promoting health and preventing risk. These will be briefly described as examples of how leisure education can be a tool for prevention.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Bartko, W. T., & Eccles, J. (2003). Adolescent participation in structured and unstructured activities: A person-oriented analysis. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 32, 233–241.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bronfenbrenner, U. (1994). Ecological models of human development. International Encyclopedia of Education, 3, 37–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caldwell, L. L. (2004). TimeWise: Taking charge of leisure time curriculum for middle school students. Scotts Valley, CA: ETR Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caldwell, L. L. (2005). Recreation and youth development. In P. Witt & L. Caldwell (Eds.), Recreation and youth development (pp. 169–189). State College, PA: Venture.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caldwell, L. L., Baldwin, C. K., Walls, T., & Smith, E. A. (2004). Preliminary effects of a leisure education program to promote healthy use of free time among middle school adolescents. Journal of Leisure Research, 36, 310–335.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caldwell, L. L., & Darling, N. (1999). Leisure context, parental control, and resistance to peer pressure as predictors of adolescent partying and substance use: An ecological perspective. Journal of Leisure Research, 31, 57–77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caldwell, L. L., Patrick, M., Smith, E. A., Palen, L., & Wegner, L. (2010). Influencing adolescent leisure motivation: Intervention effects of HealthWise South Africa. Journal of Leisure Research, 42, 203–220.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caldwell, L. L., & Smith, E. A. (1995). Health behaviors of leisure alienated youth. Society of Leisure, 18(1), 143–156.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caldwell, L. L., & Smith, E. A. (2006). Leisure as a context for youth development and delinquency prevention. The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 39, 398–418.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caldwell, L. L., Smith, E. A., & Wegner, L. (2004). HealthWise South Africa: Life skills for young adults. Curriculum manual. Funding provided through a grant from the National Institute of Drug Abuse. Author published.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caldwell, L. L., Smith, E. A., & Weissinger, E. (1992). Development of a leisure experience battery for adolescents: Parsimony, stability, and validity. Journal of Leisure Research, 24, 361–376.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caldwell, L. L., Younker, A., Wegner, L., Patrick, M., Vergnani, T., Smith, E. A., et al. (2008). Understanding leisure-related program effects by using process data in the HealthWise South Africa project. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 26, 146–162.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Coatsworth, J. D., Palen, L., Sharp, E. H., & Ferrer-Wreder, L. (2006). Self-defining activities, expressive identity and adolescent wellness. Applied Developmental Psychology, 10, 157–170.

    Google Scholar 

  • Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New York: Harper and Row.

    Google Scholar 

  • Csikszentmihalyi, M., & Larson, R. W. (1984). Being adolescent: Conflict and growth in the teenage years. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Darling, N. (2005). Participation in extracurricular activities and adolescent adjustment: Cross-sectional and longitudinal findings. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 34(5), 493–505.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Durkheim, E. (1897/1951). Suicide: A study in sociology. (J. Spaulding, & G. Simpson, Trans.) New York: The Free Press.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dworkin, J. B., Larson, R., & Hansen, D. (2003). Adolescents’ accounts of growth experiences in youth activities. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 32(1), 17–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eccles, J. S., Barber, L. B., Stone, M., & Hunt, J. (2003). Extracurricular activities and adolescent development. Journal of Social Issues, 59(4), 865–889.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eccles, J. S., & Gootman, J. A. (2002). Features of positive developmental settings. Committee on community-level programs for youth. In J. Eccles & J. A. Gootman (Eds.), Community programs to promote youth development (pp. 86–120). Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elkins, D. (2003, January/February). The overbooked child: Are we pushing our kids too hard? Psychology Today, 36(1), 64–69. Retrieved on-line February 8, 2004, from http://proquest.umi.com.ezproxy.librarieis.psu.edu

  • Fauth, R. C., Roth, J., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2007). Does the neighborhood context alter the link between youth’s after-school time activities and developmental outcomes? A multilevel analysis. Developmental Psychology, 43(3), 760–777.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Galloway, S. (2006). Adventure recreation reconceived: Positive forms of deviant leisure. Leisure/Loisir, 30, 219–232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haggard, L. M., & Williams, D. R. (1992). Identity affirmation through leisure activities: Leisure symbols of the self. Journal of Leisure Research, 24(1), 1–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horst, M. I., Bittanti, M., boyd, d., Herr-Stephenson, B., Lange, P. G., Pascoe, C. J, et al. (2008). Living and learning with new media: Summary of findings from the digital youth project. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation www.macfound.org. Accessed 22 Aug 2008.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunter, J. P., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2003). The positive psychology of interested adolescents. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 32(1), 27–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iso-Ahola, S. E., & Crowley, E. D. (1991). Adolescent substance abuse and leisure boredom. Journal of Leisure Research, 23(3), 260–271.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, E. L. (Ed.). (2005). Constraints to leisure. State College, PA: Venture.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacobs, J. E., Vernon, M. K., & Eccles, J. S. (2005). Activity choices in middle childhood: The roles of gender, self-beliefs, and parents’ influence. In J. Mahoney, R. Larson, & J. Eccles (Eds.), Organized activities as contexts of development: Extracurricular activities, after-school and community programs (pp. 235–254). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kleiber, D. A. (1999). Leisure experience and human development: A dialectical interpretation. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koezuka, N., Koo, M., Allison, K. R., Adlaf, E. M., Dwyer, J. J. M., Faulkner, G., et al. (2006). The relationship between sedentary activities and physical inactivity among adolescents: Results from the Canadian Community Health Survey. Journal of Adolescent Health, 39(4), 515–522.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Larson, R. W. (2000). Toward a psychology of positive youth development. American Psychologist, 55, 170–183.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Larson, R. W. (2006). Positive youth development, willful adolescents, and mentoring. Journal of Community Psychology, 34, 677–689.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Larson, R. W., & Richards, M. H. (1991). Boredom in the middle school years: Blaming schools versus blaming students. American Journal of Education, 99, 418–443.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Larson, R. W., & Verma, S. (1999). How children and adolescents spend time across the world: Work, play, and developmental opportunities. Psychological Bulletin, 25, 701–736.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Larson, R., & Walker, K. (2005). Processes of positive development: Classic theories. In P. Witt & L. Caldwell (Eds.)., Recreation and youth development (pp. 131–148). State College, PA: Venture Publishing.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Larson, R., & Walker, K. (2006). Learning about the “real world” in an urban arts youth program. Journal of Adolescent Research, 21(3), 244–268.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Larson, R., Walker, K., & Pearce, N. (2005). Youth-driven and adult-driven youth development programs: Contrasting models of youth-adult relationships. Journal of Community Psychology, 33, 57–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mahoney, J. L. (2000). School extracurricular activity participation as a moderator in the development of antisocial patterns. Child Development, 71(2), 502–516.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mahoney, J. L., Cairnes, B., & Farmer, T. W. (2003). Promoting interpersonal competence and educational success through extracurricular activity participation. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95(5), 409–418.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mahoney, J. L., Harris, A. L., & Eccles, J. S. (2006). Organized activity participation, positive youth development, and the over-scheduled hypothesis. Society for Research on Child Development: Social Policy Report: Giving Child and Youth Development Knowledge Away, 20, 3–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahoney, J. L., & Stattin, H. (2000). Leisure activities and adolescent antisocial behavior: The role of structure and social context. Journal of Adolescence, 23, 113–127.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mahoney, J., Stattin, H., & Magnusson, D. (2001). Youth recreation centre participation and criminal offending: A 20-year longitudinal study of Swedish boys. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 25(6), 509–520.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mannell, R. C., & Kleiber, D. A. (1997). A social psychology of leisure. State College, PA: Venture.

    Google Scholar 

  • Motl, R. W., McAuley, E., Birnbaum, A. S., & Lytle, L. A. (2006). Naturally occurring changes in time spent watching television are inversely related to frequency of physical activity during early adolescence. Journal of Adolescence, 29(1), 19–32.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. (2003). National survey of American attitudes on substance abuse VIII: Teens and parents. National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. (2002). Features of positive developmental settings. Committee on community-level programs for youth. In J. Eccles & J. A. Gootman (Eds.), Community programs to promote youth development (pp. 86–120). Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Osgood, D. W., Anderson, A. L., & Shaffer, J. N. (2005). Unstructured leisure in the after-school hours. In J. Mahoney, R. Larson, & J. Eccles (Eds.), Organized activities as contexts of development: Extracurricular activities, after-school and community programs (pp. 45–64). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Osgood, D. W., Wilson, J. K., O’Malley, P. M., Bachman, J. G., & Johnston, L. D. (1996). Routine activities and individual deviant behavior. American Sociological Review, 61, 635–655.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pedersen, S., & Seidman, E. (2005). Contexts and correlates of out-of-school activity participation among low-income urban adolescents. In J. Mahoney, R. Larson, & J. Eccles (Eds.), Organized activities as contexts of development: Extracurricular activities, after-school and community programs (pp. 85–109). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Persson, A., Kerr, M., & Stattin, H. (2007). Staying in or moving away from structured activities: Explanation involving parents and peers. Developmental Psychology, 43(1), 197–207.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25, 54–67.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sharp, E., Caldwell, L. L., Graham, J., & Ridenour, T. (2006). Individual motivation and parental influence on adolescents’ experiences of interest in the free time context: A longitudinal examination. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 35, 359–372.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharp, E. H., Coatsworth, J. D., Darling, N., Cumsille, P., & Ranieri, S. (2007). Gender differences in the self-defining activities and identity experiences of adolescents and emerging adults. Journal of Adolescence, 30, 251–269.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sharp, E. H., Coffman, D. L., Caldwell, L. L., Smith, E. A., Wegner, L., Flisher, A. J., et al. (2011). Predicting substance use behavior among South African adolescents: The role of free time experiences. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 35, 343–351.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shaw, S. M., Caldwell, L. L., & Kleiber, D. A. (1996). Boredom, stress and social control in daily activities of adolescents. Journal of Leisure Research, 28(4).

    Google Scholar 

  • Silbereisen, R. K., & Todt, E. (1994). Adolescence in context: The interplay of family, school, peers, and work in adjustment. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sinha, J. W., Cnaan, R. A., & Gelles, R. J. (2007). Adolescent risk behaviors and religion: Findings from a national study. Journal of Adolescence, 30(2), 231–249.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stebbins, R. A. (2006). Serious leisure: A perspective for our time. New Brunswick, NJ: AldineTransaction Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Strycker, L. A., Duncan, S. C., & Pickering, M. A. (2003). The social context of alcohol initiation among African American and White youth. Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, 2(1), 35–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tibbits, M. K., Caldwell, L. L., Smith, E. A., & Flisher, A. (2009, May). Interest and motivation within and across leisure activities: Implications for risk behaviors among South African youth. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Prevention Research, Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tibbits, M. K., Caldwell, L. L., Smith, E. A., & Wegner, L. (2009). The relation between leisure activity participation profiles and substance use among South African youth. World Leisure Journal, 51, 150–159.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zaff, J. F., & Moore, K. A. (2002, October). Promoting well-being among American’s teens. An executive summary of adolescent development research reviews completed for the John S and James L. Knight Foundation. Child Trends.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zaff, J. F., Moore, K. A., Papillo, A. R., & Williams, S. (2003). Implications of extracurricular activity participation during adolescence on positive outcomes. Journal of Adolescent Research, 18(6), 599–630.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Management, Penn State University, University Park, PA, USA

    Linda L. Caldwell

  2. USC Hybrid High School, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Monique Faulk

Authors
  1. Linda L. Caldwell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Monique Faulk
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Linda L. Caldwell .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Educacao e Psicologia, Depto. Psicologia, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Braga, 4710-057, Portugal

    Teresa Freire

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Caldwell, L.L., Faulk, M. (2013). Adolescent Leisure from a Developmental and Prevention Perspective. In: Freire, T. (eds) Positive Leisure Science. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5058-6_3

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation