NCJ Number
203457
Journal
Youth Studies Australia Volume: 22 Issue: 3 Dated: September 2003 Pages: 36-43
Editor(s)
Sheila Allison
Date Published
September 2003
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This paper discusses the benefits and dilemmas of youth partnership accountability (YPA) from the perspectives of young people, workers, and agencies and identifies areas within which benefits and dilemmas are experienced and negotiated.
Abstract
Youth partnership accountability (YPA) is one of many approaches to youth participation. In YPA, young people have significant control over their personal situation, a service, or project with workers taking up positions as supporters. Through their experience of workers’ accountability, young people benefit by developing skills in honest and direct communication. YPA produces outcomes that are beneficial for agencies. YPA work involves hard yards of some decisionmaking processes that can be frustrating and boring to young people. Within YPA identity and belonging operate at individual, group, and agency levels. This paper is the second in a three-part series which examines critical issues and the implications of YPA, specifically the benefits and dilemmas in the practice of YPA. It outlines the benefits and dilemmas participants may experience. It identifies the four areas within which benefits and dilemmas are experienced and negotiated: valuing outcomes, accountability, hard yards, and identity and belonging. Taking the risk of challenging aspects of common youth participation can result in benefits for workers. However, benefits are gained in the context of dilemmas, and dilemmas create opportunities to unpack what is happening in order to proceed strategically and effectively.