Community and Neighborhood Influences on Prosociality in Children and Youth

doi:10.1017/9781108876681.026

23 - Community and Neighborhood Influences on Prosociality in Children and Youth

from Part III - Development of Prosociality in Context

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 May 2023

Benjamin Edwards and

Jacqueline Allen

Edited by

Tina Malti and

Maayan Davidov

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Tina Malti: Affiliation:
University of Toronto
Maayan Davidov: Affiliation:
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

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Summary

There is limited research examining community and neighborhood influences on prosociality in children and youth. In this chapter we outline three relevant theories that address how neighborhood and community processes influence prosocial behavior and review the empirical literature on the topic. Our review suggests that measures of neighborhood socioeconomic status, demography, and disorder have little direct association with prosociality in children and youth but that adolescent prosocial behavior is linked to social capital and collective efficacy. The community intervention evidence shows that providing increased opportunities for prosocial involvement may support greater prosocial behavior of adolescents, possibly by boosting community social capital. Further development of more specific theoretical models and further empirical research is required to better understand the complex neighborhood and community mechanisms across neighborhoods, cities, nations, and cultures.

Keywords

prosocial behavior child adolescent neighborhood neighborhood socioeconomic status social capital collective efficacy

Type: Chapter
Information: The Cambridge Handbook of Prosociality
Development, Mechanisms, Promotion
, pp. 459 - 476

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108876681.026 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2023

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