Who are Disconnected Youth? A Look at Victims of Child Maltreatment

By Mary Bruce Webb, Director, Division of Child and Family Development, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation

Youth are often considered “disconnected” when they are not in school and are detached from work. Because they lack connection to traditional pathways that could help them transition successfully to adulthood, disconnected youth are vulnerable to continued challenges and increased disconnection from mainstream society.

The National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being studies children who have encountered the child welfare system. These are children and youth for whom connectedness to supports may be especially crucial. Conversely, disconnection may be especially damaging for this group of young people. Our recent brief using data from the survey finds that, three years after being reported as a victim of maltreatment, 15 percent of youth ages 16-24 meet the criteria for being “disconnected.”

The brief considers factors that may be associated with disconnectedness. An understanding of the risk factors for disconnectedness can inform the child welfare field on ways to better support youth and prevent disconnectedness.

For example, at the time they were reported for child maltreatment:

• 47 percent of the youth who later became disconnected had major special needs or behavioral problems (compared to 26 percent for their connected peers)
• 40 percent of the youth who later became disconnected had very low cognitive abilities (compared to 15 percent for their connected peers)

Understanding the connection between these factors and disconnectedness can help provide a different lens through which policymakers and practitioners can consider the most effective ways to serve youth involved with the child welfare system.