Neighborhood social connectedness and adolescent civic engagement: An integrative model

The pathways through which the neighborhood can influence civic development in adolescence are not fully understood. The present study aims to develop an integrative model linking neighborhood social connectedness (neighborhood intergenerational closure, neighborhood trust and reciprocity, social relationships with neighbors and neighborhood friends) and different components of youth civic engagement (local and global civic responsibility, civic competencies, civic behaviors), taking into account the mediating effects of attachment to the neighborhood and non-parental adults' network. Participants were 403 early- and middle-adolescents (47.9% males), randomly selected, coming from a mid-sized Italian city. The theoretical model proposed in the current study was partially validated. Neighborhood social connectedness is associated with higher levels of civic engagement in adolescence, and adolescents' network of adults and their levels of attachment to the neighborhood mediate this association. The results offer important implications for future research and prevention programs that aim to impact social systems to nurture adolescents' civic engagement. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.