Two Systems of Youth Service: Determinants of Voluntary and Required Youth Community Service

• NCJ Number: 199144
• Journal: Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 32 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2003 Pages: 47-58
• Author(s): Jeffrey A. McLellan; James Youniss
• Editor(s): Daniel Offer
• Date Published: February 2003
• Length: 12 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article discusses a study that measured the benefits to youth of performing community service that is required in either a structured or laissez-faire fashion by their high schools as compared to performing community service that is voluntary.

Abstract

A brief overview of the history of community service in American schools is provided, along with a discussion of school policies that encourage or require community service/service learning to stimulate citizenship activities and attitudes on the part of students. Two different approaches by two high schools are compared. The first, A, integrated required service into the curriculum, whereas the second, B, left choice of service to individual students. The students in school A were more apt to do the kinds of service that engaged them cognitively and emotionally and involved them in reflection on politics and morals. Four areas of focus discussed here are the apples-oranges problem wherein service includes a variety of different activities; the structure or absence of structure of required service; the voluntary system; and what is gained from required and volunteer service. Tables provide information on percentage of students in schools A and B and for each type of required and voluntary service; hierarchical logistic regression analyses predicting required social service; hierarchical logistic regression analyses predicting volunteering; hierarchical logistic regression analyses predicting voluntary social service; student required service category by friend voluntary service category; student voluntary service category by parent voluntary service category; and student voluntary service category by friend voluntary service category. In conclusion, it was found that required service that is structured within the school curriculum may yield as many benefits to youth that participate in it as voluntary service does. A list of references is included.