Staying Online, Staying Connected: Exploring the Effect of Online Chatting on Adolescents’ Psychological Well-being during COVID-19 Quarantine

Rooted in scholarship of social connectedness and social support, this research raises the question: Can online chatting help mitigate the negative psychological influence of physical distancing during COVID-19? By a correlational and cross-sectional research design, the current study testified the mediating role of two factors—social connectedness and perceived social support in the relationship between online chatting and three indicators of psychological well-being (happiness, self-esteem, and loneliness) for adolescents. This research demonstrated the potential of online chatting in mitigating the severity of quarantine from the supplementary perspective of online communication effects on adolescents, which provided a further insight into understanding the ways in which adolescents use media during school closure. Possible contingent factors that should be paid special attention to in future researches are discussed.

The Impact of Education on Youth Employability: The Case of Selected Southeastern European Countries

This paper focuses on the processes of school-to-work transitions in a selected group of countries from South-eastern Europe (SEE), namely: Bosnia and Herzegovina; Croatia; Montenegro; North Macedonia; Serbia; and, Slovenia. Each of these countries display the same roots of development in their educational systems: however, due to their transition and integration processes within the European Union, they implemented different concepts of reforms within their educational systems. In addition, the challenges of youth employability are a common problem for each of the selected countries, and the effectiveness of the processes of school-to-work-transition varies across the countries. By using panel data and multiple linear regression models, this paper estimates the impact of different educational levels on youth employability and changes in the rates of NEET population (aged 15–24) in the selected group of countries over the period 2009 to 2019. The results suggest that the impact of the attained level of education has an ambiguous effect on the rates of youth employment; moreover, the relationship with changes in NEET rates are statistically significant and negative in most of the selected group of countries.

The Mediation of Family Context and Youth Depressive Symptoms by Adolescent Emotion Regulation

During adolescence, young people develop crucial capacity for emotion regulation, and family context can be a risk or protective factor for adolescents developing affective disorders. We leveraged data from the Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey ( N = 7664) to propose adolescent emotion regulation as a mediator between family conflict, family protection, and adolescent depressive symptoms in the social development model. Latent moderated structural equation modeling revealed that adolescent regulation of negative emotions mediated the relationship between family conflict and depressive symptoms—adolescents with higher family conflict had more emotion regulation difficulties and more depressive symptoms. Adolescent age was a moderator such that associations between family protective factors and reduced depression, and between family conflict and emotion regulation difficulties were weaker in high school compared to middle school. Findings highlight the importance of youth emotion regulation processes and family emotional context in reducing adolescent depressive symptoms.

Social Norms of Pregnancy and Pregnancy Attitudes Among Youth Experiencing Homelessness

Building upon literature that considers social network influences on health attitudes and behaviors among youth experiencing homelessness, this study assessed associations regarding social norms of pregnancy, perceived by youth experiencing homelessness (ages 13–25; N = 304) as endorsed by their network members, and youths’ pregnancy attitudes. Multivariate results revealed that youth who perceived their street peers as more objecting to (versus encouraging of) them becoming involved in a pregnancy were 51% less likely to endorse pro-pregnancy attitudes ( OR = 0.49, p < .01). Youth who perceived their serious partners as more objecting to their pregnancy involvement were 74% less likely to endorse pro-pregnancy attitudes ( OR = 0.26, p < .01). Results suggest utility in exploring peer-based and dyadic approaches to prevention efforts with this group.

Navigating Disconnected Social Circles: Experiences and Personal Networks of Latino/a Adolescents in the U.S. Rural South

Informed by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model of development, this mixed-methods study’s aims are to: (1) describe rural Latino/a adolescents’ ( N = 62) narratives and lived social experiences in the context of rurality, and (2) examine their personal networks to better understand their social interactions (subset of 30 adolescents). Rural Latino/a adolescents move in limited social circles and experience geographic, cultural, and social isolation due to immigration status problems, socioeconomic issues, racial discrimination, and family dynamics. This limitation is reflected by personal networks that tend to be homogenous in terms of ethnicity, age, and sociodemographic characteristics. School, although characterized by weak social ties often disconnected from community and family contacts, emerged as the dominant context of sociability where adolescents build their social identity outside the circle of dense family ties. Findings suggest a critical need for interventions to reduce isolation and enhance social connectedness between family, school, and rural community in this population.

A National Survey of Children’s Experiences of Parental Separation and Support Needs in Australia

We used a mixed-methods online survey to recruit 616 young Australians whose parents had separated, to understand their experiences and how to better support them throughout the separation process. Persistent themes included conflict, lack of communication and agency, mental health concerns, and feelings of confusion, frustration, loss, and grief. Some suggested it would have been useful to talk about reasons for the separation, their rights, opinions and feelings, with some indicating the separation process affected their ongoing mental health and relationships. There was a general preference for face-to-face counseling, closely followed by online counseling and online peer-to-peer support, indicating that a “one size fits all” approach is not suitable for young people. Young people should be offered services early in the separation process that can be extended in content to other issues such as new partners, school life and mental health, and continued beyond the timeframe of the separation process.

Outreach Practices of Public Employment Services Targeted at NEET Youth in Poland

This paper contributes to our understanding of whether, and if so, how public employment services in Poland are attempting to reach young NEETs, and whether they fail or succeed in their efforts. The study shows that most NEETs below 25 years of age in Poland, including rural NEETs, remain beyond the reach of the PES registers. The coverage rate is particularly low amongst those individuals who are outside the labor force. Effective outreach strategies may prevent them from moving into long-term inactivity. The study shows that the PES offices do not cooperate closely with local institutions: moreover, they use methods for approaching the hardest-to-reach individuals and residents of remote areas infrequently. The article discusses the obstacles to the effective functioning of the PES, the factors that contribute to the PES’ successes and failures, and the consequences for young NEETs of remaining outside of institutional support systems.

Surviving the Strain of Youth Organizing: Youth and Organizational Responses

Youth of Color in the United States are often leaders in movements for social justice. Evidence suggests that organizing has a positive macro-therapeutic effect on the mental health of young organizers; however, they can also experience strain and become targets of the very systems they are trying to change. In a community-based participatory action research study, three organizations that train youth of Color in organizing in Brooklyn, New York City held focus groups with youth and adult staff. The focus groups examined the strains experienced by youth organizers and the strategies adult partners use to prepare organizers to maintain hope and well-being. Findings suggest four key emergent strategies: (a) provide an emotional homespace to process the rub between worlds, (b) actively shape the long view on systems change, (c) increase self-care skills and emotional preparation for organizing, and (d) promote healing by building leader(full) communities.

Unsolicited Sexts and Unwanted Requests for Sexts: Reflecting on the Online Sexual Harassment of Youth

The purpose of this qualitative study was to obtain youth perspectives on consensual and non-consensual sexting. We began this study on young people’s (12–19) sexting practices in a large urban center. Before the study was put on pause due to COVID-19 physical distancing measures, we conducted 12 focus groups with 62 participants (47 girls, 15 boys). A key finding was that many girls had received unsolicited sexts (e.g., “dick pics”) or unwanted requests for sexts. Analysis revealed four interconnected themes: (1) unsolicited sexts; (2) unwanted requests for sexts; (3) complexity associated with saying “no”; and (4) general lack of adult support. Using our findings from before COVID-19, we discuss the potential impact of COVID-19 on teens’ sexting experiences and outline the ways in which social workers and other mental health practitioners can support adolescents and their parents in navigating this new context of sexting during and beyond the global pandemic.