Service role commitment among participants in centers for children and youth

Promoting youths' commitment to a service role to serve the community is a developmental goal of both psychological and political significance. Children and youth (C and Y) centers in Hong Kong shoulder this developmental goal. To amass more thorough evidence, this study analyzed data from 1068 participants in these centers, drawn from a representative sample of high school students in Hong Kong. Results of regression analysis showed that, among all predictors, the youths' participation in developmental activities such as community service and leadership training was most strongly related to service role commitment. Their participation in socializing activities such as friendship groups and skills training was also significantly related to service role commitment. That developmental activities are most influential supports a social learning interpretation. The participation effects were unlikely to be affected by respondents' liking for the staff of the C and Y center. This result does not countenance a social integration interpretation. © 2000 Sage Publications