Positive Youth Development and Prosocial Behavior: A Systematic Review and Multilevel Meta‐Analysis

ABSTRACT Introduction: Increasing prosocial behavior in youth, especially in those prone to antisocial tendencies, has important implications for both individual and societal well‐being. Positive Youth Development, conceptualized into domains by the Collaborative for Academic and Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL), has been linked to prosocial behavior, however a synthesis of this evidence has been lacking. Therefore, this systematic review and multilevel meta‐analysis investigated the association between (skills within) CASEL domains (i.e., self‐awareness, self‐management, relationship skills , and responsible decision‐making ) and prosocial behavior, in both normative samples and those characterized by or at‐risk of antisocial tendencies. Methods: Searches in PubMed, PsycINFO and Web of Science identified 6,340 unique records, with 121 studies being included. Results: Most studies found positive associations between self‐awareness and self‐management skills and prosocial behavior, with meta‐analyses showing small‐to‐moderate correlations for the skills emotion identification ( r = 0.17), self‐confidence ( r = 0.20), self‐control ( r = 0.24), self‐management ( r = 0.25), and self‐efficacy ( r = 0.29). Moreover, there is some initial evidence suggesting a connection with self‐efficacy, relationship skills and building in antisocial/at‐risk youth. Conclusion: Overall, this review highlights the need for an integrative approach to foster prosocial behavior, emphasizing the role of self‐awareness and self‐management skills in supporting developmental outcomes. However, further research investigating causality and antisocial youth specifically is needed.