The Impact of Youth Work for Young People: A Systematic Review for the Health Council of New Zealand and the Ministry of Youth Development

Abstract

Internationally there is an increasing commitment and investment to support the provision of youth work services as it is believed that effective youth work has the potential to increase benefits (both tangible and intangible) in the life of the young person, their significant others and their communities. The main objective of this research was to systematically review the available research evidence on the impact and outcomes of youth work for young people as relevant to the Aotearoa/New Zealand context. This review was based upon primary research studies reporting on interventions defined by the authors of the publications as ‘youth work’ which had young people as participants or focus of the intervention. This review aimed to answer the review question “What is the impact of ‘youth work’ for young people?” and employed a systematic search for all studies meeting the specified inclusion criteria.