Youth, which refers to people ages 10 to 24, is a dynamic time of life, as many physical, social, and psychological changes that occur during our lifetimes occur during this timeframe. Between childhood and adulthood, attitudes are defined, long-term skills are acquired, health behaviors are formed, and life courses are charted. This is the period when youth aspirations and capabilities can be nurtured. The development challenge is to capitalize on the assets of youth, while modifying those behaviors, cultural norms, and social conditions that threaten their health and well-being For most young people, change of behavior is viewed as being hard and unattainable. Our experience demonstrates that a gap exists between knowledge and information on one hand and change of behavior on the other. Helping individuals develop and internalize life skills can bridge this gap. Life skills, in this case, act as a link between mitigating factors, that is knowledge of positive behavior and their benefit and behavior change, which is action.
