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Fostering the well-being of Latin American and Caribbean youth is vital to the region’s success. Despite their significant presence in the population, many youth face extraordinary challenges, such as poverty, exposure to violence, and lack of access to quality education. We review some successful interventions from an ecological perspective that address the needs of at-risk youth in the region. Interventions in a variety of countries have been aimed at altering the microsystems or ecosystems of youth as well as involving them directly. Direct interventions with youth must involve them in meaningful activities that provide a sense of empowerment. The lessons learned from these interventions reveal the outstanding potential of youth to thrive despite the obstacles they face.

The Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption, designed to protect the best interests of the child in intercountry adoption, has been signed by 83 nations. We evaluate both the strengths and the weaknesses of the Convention in achieving this purpose and also in protecting a second vulnerable population, birth families. A case study example of the United States’ implementation of the Hague requirements reveals several weaknesses with respect to non-Convention countries as sending nations, financial oversight, and oversight of foreign collaborators. International birth families, especially birth mothers giving consent to an adoption, are often vulnerable because of a lack of power and resources, as well as different cultural understandings of the nature of family and adoption. We conclude that in order to protect vulnerable children and birth families, individual sending and receiving countries need to supplement the Hague Convention with specific, contextually appropriate laws and regulations.

Fomentar el bienestar de los jóvenes de Latinoamérica y el Caribe es vital para lograr el éxito en la región. A pesar de que tienen una presencia significativa en la población, muchos jóvenes enfrentan desafíos extraordinarios, tales como la pobreza, la exposición a la violencia y la falta de acceso a una educación de buena calidad. Hacemos una revisión desde una perspectiva ecológica de algunas intervenciones que abordan las necesidades de los jóvenes en riesgo en la región. Las intervenciones en una gama de países se enfocan en alterar los micro sistemas o ecosistemas de la juventud, así como involucrar a los jóvenes directamente. La intervención directa con los jóvenes debe involucrarlos en actividades que tienen sentido para ellos y brindarles empoderamiento. Las lecciones aprendidas a partir de estas intervenciones revelan el potencial excepcional de la juventud para prosperar a pesar de los obstáculos que afrontan.

Intercountry adoptions from Guatemala were highly controversial, because of the large numbers of children being adopted to the USA, along with evidence of corruption and child theft. Since the implementation of the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption in 2008, Guatemala’s central authority for adoption has prioritized domestic placements for children over intercountry adoption. A possible attitudinal barrier to domestic adoption in Guatemala—negative attitudes and prejudice against Indigenous people—was investigated through questionnaires measuring attitudes toward adoption and attitudes toward and social distance from the two major ethnic groups (Ladino and Indigenous). Guatemalan university students ( N  = 177, 61 % men) were recruited from basic required courses at a private university. Results showed that attitudes toward adoption in general were more favorable than toward interethnic adoption, with the most negative attitudes toward adoption of Ladino children by Indigenous parents. Multiple regression and analysis of covariance models revealed that female gender, experience with adoption and more positive attitudes about Indigenous persons were associated with more positive attitudes toward adoption. The findings imply that negative attitudes toward Indigenous persons are associated with negative attitudes toward adoption, and serve as barriers to promoting domestic adoption in Guatemala.

Individualism and collectivism in Mexico and the United States of America were investigated. It was hypothesized that Mexican university students would be more collectivistic than university students in the United States. Specifically, this difference was expected to be found in relationships with parents, spouses, extended family members, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and classmates. University students in Mexico and in the United States completed the Individualism-Collectivism Scale (Hui, 1988), which measures the degree of individualistic or collectivistic tendencies in various interpersonal relationships. Analysis of variance revealed a country difference on the general Collectivism Index; students in Mexico were significantly more collectivistic than students in the United States. A multiple analysis of variance revealed country differences on the Parents, Spouse, and Co-Workers/Classmate subscales, with Mexican students' responses again significantly more collectivistic than those of the U.S. students.

Self-construal among 191 older children and young adolescents (ages 9 through 16) from private and public schools in Madras, India, was assessed. Individuality in self-construal did not increase with age across all groups but was mediated by socioeconomic strata (SES, as indexed by school) and gender. Boys from high SES schools best conformed to the Western conceptualization of self-concept development. Boys from lower SES schools exhibited opposite patterns with higher group responses in the older age group. (Original abstract - amended)

School communities around the world have been impacted by the COVID19 pandemic. School leaders, teachers, and students have experienced sudden and unprecedented ruptures to their personal and professional or academic lives. The purpose of the present case study was to investigate the response of a school community in Guatemala to the changes imposed by the pandemic. Essays written by 197 members of the bilingual school community (administrators, teachers, and students in Grades 4-12) about their pandemic experiences were anonymized and coded according to thematic analysis. The first reactions to the lockdown and health threats were negative emotions including fear and anxiety. However, students and faculty marshaled personal strengths, cultural values, and community and family support to explore new opportunities and gain new insights. For teachers, teamwork was key. Elementary and middle school students relied on parents to introduce new activities. High school students used the pandemic for self-reflection and growth. Potential approaches for addressing future crises in a way that promotes growth through adversity are outlined. Those include a focus on the social-emotional well-being of all community members, the engagement of parents in their children's education, and the utilization of cultural strengths to enhance community efforts.

Fomentar el bienestar de los jóvenes de Latinoamérica y el Caribe es vital para lograr el éxito en la región. A pesar de que tienen una presencia significativa en la población, muchos jóvenes enfrentan desafíos extraordinarios, tales como la pobreza, la exposición a la violencia y la falta de acceso a una educación de buena calidad. Hacemos una revisión desde una perspectiva ecológica de algunas intervenciones que abordan las necesidades de los jóvenes en riesgo en la región. Las intervenciones en una gama de países se enfocan en alterar los micro sistemas o ecosistemas de la juventud, así como involucrar a los jóvenes directamente. La intervención directa con los jóvenes debe involucrarlos en actividades que tienen sentido para ellos y brindarles empoderamiento. Las lecciones aprendidas a partir de estas intervenciones revelan el potencial excepcional de la juventud para prosperar a pesar de los obstáculos que afrontan. Palabras clave: jóvenes en riesgo, intervenciones, Latinoamérica, empoderamiento. Fostering the well-being of Latin American and Caribbean youth is vital to the region's success. Despite their significant presence in the population, many youth face extraordinary challenges, such as poverty, exposure to violence, and lack of access to quality education. We review some successful interventions from an ecological perspective that address the needs of at-risk youth in the region. Interventions in a variety of countries have been aimed at altering the microsystems or ecosystems of youth as well as involving them directly. Direct interventions with youth must involve them in meaningful activities that provide a sense of empowerment. The lessons learned from these interventions reveal the outstanding potential of youth to thrive despite the obstacles they face. Keywords: at-risk youth, interventions, Latin America, empowerment. Promover o bem-estar dos jovens na América Latina e no Caribe é vital para o sucesso na regiao. Apesar de ter uma presenta significativa na populapao, muitos jovens enfrentam desafios extraordinarios como a pobreza, a exposipao a violencia ea falta de acesso a educapao de qualidade. Nós revisamos a partir de uma perspectiva ecológica de algumas intervenpoes que abordam as necessidades dos jovens em risco na regiao. Intervenpoes em uma série de países foco em micro sistemas ou alterando ecossistemas jovens e envolver os jovens diretamente. Intervenpao direta com os jovens devem participar de atividades que fazem sentido para eles e fornecer capacitapao. As lipoes aprendidas com essas intervenpoes revelam o potencial excepcional de jovens a prosperar, apesar dos obstáculos que enfrentam. Palavras-chave: jovens em risco, as intervenpoes, a América Latina, a capacitapao.