Generate reforms in youth (8)
I believe the answer is:
teenager
'youth' is the definition.
(thesaurus)
'generate reforms' is the wordplay.
'reforms' indicates anagramming the letters.
'generate' anagrammed gives 'TEENAGER'.
'in' is the link.
(Other definitions for teenager that I've seen before include "hormonal problem?" , "Adolescent" , "one no longer twelve?" , "Young person" , "Youngster" .)