Preventing youthful disconnectedness

Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, this article examines the characteristics (and later life histories) of 16- to 23-year-olds who, during the 1980s, were "disconnected" from mainstream society, that is, they were not enrolled in school, not gainfully employed, not in the military, and not married to someone who was "connected" in one of these ways. One in three youths were disconnected for at least half of a calendar year. As adults, youths who were disconnected for a short time (in only one or two years) did not differ substantially from those who were never disconnected an terms of educational attainment, work history, family income, reliance on government programs, and marital status. However, those who were disconnected in three or more years experienced significantly greater hardships. This article suggests that school-related interventions (such as career-oriented education, after-school "safe havens," and targeting individual deficits) might help prevent youthful disconnectedness.