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Indicators of Child Well-Being: the Promise for Positive Youth Development

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  • Kristin Anderson Moore
  • Laura Lippman
  • Brett Brown

Abstract

In the current U.S. indicators system, measures of child well-being focus primarily on negative outcomes and problems. We measure and track those behaviors that adults wish to prevent. For the most part, the indicators system does not monitor positive development and outcomes. Such a system of child well-being indicators lacks the breadth and balance required in a science-based measurement system. Moreover, it lacks measures of the kinds of constructs that resonate among adolescents themselves and adults. Measures are needed for multiple domains of development, including educational achievement and cognitive attainment, health and safety, social and emotional development, and self-sufficiency. Positive outcomes are often critiqued as soft, highlighting the importance of rigorous conceptualization and measurement, including conceptual clarity and face validity, age appropriate measures, and psychometric rigor. In addition, constructs and measures need to be presented in ways that are understandable to policy makers and the public and that work across varied subgroups and levels of governance. Ideally, comparable measures will be used for indicators, for program evaluation, and in basic research studies of child and adolescent development.

Suggested Citation

  • Kristin Anderson Moore & Laura Lippman & Brett Brown, 2004. "Indicators of Child Well-Being: the Promise for Positive Youth Development," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 591(1), pages 125-145, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:anname:v:591:y:2004:i:1:p:125-145
    DOI: 10.1177/0002716203260103
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    Cited by:

    1. Christopher Peterson, 2004. "Positive Social Science," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 591(1), pages 186-201, January.
    2. Renee Ryberg & Lisa Wiggins & Kristin A. Moore & Sarah Daily & Gabriel Piña & Ami Klin, 2022. "Measuring state-level infant and toddler well-being in the United States: Gaps in data lead to gaps in understanding," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 15(3), pages 1063-1102, June.
    3. Christopher Peterson, 2004. "Preface," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 591(1), pages 6-12, January.
    4. Yiwei Zhang & Ning He & Yanfeng Xu, 2023. "Parenting and Adolescents’ Subjective Psychological Well-Being: Does Immigration Background Matter?," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 16(4), pages 1709-1732, August.

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