Do young people get involved in volunteering? School and family play a role

Volunteering not only strengthens social solidarity, but also has a positive effect on the volunteers themselves. They gain practical experience in interpersonal relations and at the same time this activity can contribute positively to their psychological well-being. Do young people get involved in volunteering? Various factors can play a role in the decision, such as family or school background. Has their influence changed over the years as the current democratic society has gradually taken shape?

That is what Dana Seryjová Juhová, Jan Šerek, Petr Macek a Lenka Lacinová found out in a new study. They investigated why young people volunteer and what factors consistently support them in doing so across a changing social context. They compared the conditions of the current democratic environment with those that prevailed in the 1990s in post-communist societies. They evaluated the responses of Czech adolescents aged 14-17, collected in 1995, 2010, and 2019.

What kind of teens volunteer?

Study results suggest that across three cohorts (1995, 2010, and 2019), adolescent volunteering is associated with three factors. The first is involvement in social organizations or associations. Association membership may open doors to volunteering because it allows youth to network and may be approached more frequently to participate in volunteer projects. On the other hand, membership may not be available to all through time and money constraints.

The second constant factor is the democratic climate in the school, which can teach students social skills or caring for others, which then motivates them to help others. However, the effect of this factor has gradually diminished across the measured cohorts. A possible explanation may be the gradual spread of democratic principles in secondary schools. In 2010 and 2019, a democratic climate in schools may have been the expected norm, and its unique effect on volunteering was, therefore, less pronounced than in 1995 when a democratic environment was just taking shape.

Parental influence was also a consistent factor, specifically their pro-social attitude emphasizing the importance of helping others. This effect appeared in all cohorts even though since the communist era, there has been a shift in adolescents' values towards greater individualism and independence from authority.

Surprisingly, other family-related variables such as family cohesion or parental education did not show an effect on volunteering. The economic situation of the family predicted volunteering only in the 2010 sample, with the economic crisis in previous years offering one possible explanation. Thus, some families may have focused more on their own situation precisely because of the worse economic situation in the country.

The study shows that adolescent volunteering is stimulated by an environment that promotes pro-social and democratic values and provides sufficient opportunities to engage in various social activities. This can be an important finding not only for parents but also for teachers and educational system designers to provide opportunities and motivate students to volunteer, which can contribute to social and personal development.

Doporučená citace:

Seryjová Juhová, D., Šerek, J., Macek, P., & Lacinová, L. (2023). Volunteering in three cohorts of Czech adolescents: the socialization roles of family, school, and associations. Applied Developmental Science. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2023.2296684