Using the social development strategy to unleash the power of prevention

Disproportionate poverty rates among racial minority populations contribute to disparities in education and physical and behavioral health. To meet the Grand Challenge to Ensure Healthy Development for All Youth by reducing health disparities in behavioral outcomes by 20%, we will need to address issues of poverty and inequality in the United States, which have widespread implications for youth development and the future of our society. This paper describes the social development strategy (SDS), a theoretical framework for preventing problem behavior and promoting healthy youth development. We explore the extent to which SDS-inspired interventions can provide effective strategies that move beyond problematizing individual youth behaviors toward a broader understanding of the ways in which social structures negatively impact healthy youth development. The SDS organizes the role of systemic inequities by defining two key constructs: position in the social structure based on race, socioeconomic status, age, and gender; and external constraints, including neighborhood factors such as safety and informal social controls. The SDS further organizes a process for the development of healthy behaviors that hinges on opportunities, skills, and recognition for youth to become bonded with their families, schools, and communities. We provide examples of several practical SDS-inspired interventions.