Social Justice Activism

Social Justice Theory
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populations can contribute to existing work by identifying
the causes and effects of oppression in the larger
society, and by exploring how oppression and its consequences
can be prevented. Examples include studies
on preventing dating violence (Cornelius and
Resseguie 2007), preventing bias against gay and lesbian
youth (Fisher et al. 2008; Morsillo and
Prilleltensky 2007) and promoting career development
for adolescent girls (O’Brien et al. 2000). In sum, in
order to impact issues relevant to social justice in
adolescents, researchers need to work toward developing
effective preventive interventions that address societal
issues of discrimination, and exploitation, such as
bias against people based on their race, ethnicity, sexual
orientation, age, religion, and gender (APA 2003; Perry
and Albee 1994).
The examples of social justice prevention practice
contained in this essay are meant to provide direction
to practitioners, researchers, and theorists in mitigating
the harmful effects of poverty and other inequities on
youth, and in empowering youth to use their skills and
knowledge to engage in creating social change.
A primary avenue for cultivating adolescents’ skills
and awareness is through education about the social
and historical context of social injustice and about
factors that contribute to the well-being of all adolescents.
Roaten and Schmidt (2009) propose beginning
such education as early as elementary school by
integrating experiential activities and self-awareness
exercises into classroom meetings and curricula. Such
activities aim at expanding children’s knowledge of
social inequality and sense of cultural empathy.
They note that such activities not only increase
self-awareness but also lead students to confront
their biases and ethnocentricity (Roaten and Schmidt
2009).
Furthermore, in addition to education about
oppression and to designing preventative interventions
aimed at reducing or eliminating the negative effects of
social injustice on adolescents, scholars and youth
leaders need to engage in substantial policy change to
adequately address pressing social concerns facing adolescents.
For example, professionals can engage in training
of school personnel (e.g., teachers, psychologists) to
assist them with developing skills and knowledge about
implementing prevention projects that target adolescents
(Romano 1997). Youth leaders might also become
actively involved in political initiatives that lend their
expertise as it relates to health promotion and the prevention
of psychological and physical distress among
adolescents. Examples include public advocacy initiatives
and legislation to reduce community and school
violence, to reduce adolescent drug use, and support for
cigarette smoking bans in schools and other places
frequented by youth. Professionals can further advocate
for the support of federal funding priorities that address
adolescent health promotion through agencies such as
the National Institute of Mental Health, Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration,
and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency.
These efforts will work toward ensuring that all youth
are provided with resources and opportunities to
become successful leaders for the next generation.
References
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APA. (2003). Guidelines on multicultural education, training,
research, practice, and organizational change for psychologists.
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Brofrenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments
by nature and design. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University
Press.
Center for Disease Control. (2007). Youth risk behavior survey,
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Conyne, R. K. (2004). Preventive counseling: Helping people to become
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Cornelius, T. L., & Resseguie, N. (2007). Primary and secondary
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Dashiff, C., DiMicco, W., Myers, B., & Sheppard, K. (2009). Poverty
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