Gender differences in perceptions of aftercare supports and services

Abstract

Youth depart residential care with many continued risk factors, unique needs, and challenges as they reintegrate into the home, school, and community settings. Currently, there is limited research on needs and best practices in aftercare services and supports for youth departing from residential settings and even less is known about how these differ by gender. While preliminary studies have explored perceptions of need during reintegration and aftercare by youth and caregivers, little is known about how these may differ by gender or if perceptions change over time after experiencing the initial transition period. One way to address this knowledge gap is to identify how prepared males and females feel for reintegration in critical life domains, their beliefs about aftercare, and preferences regarding potential services or supports to aide in the reintegration at discharge. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore if males and females differ on preparedness for reintegration across critical life domains, beliefs about aftercare, and preferences regarding potential services or supports to aide in the reintegration at departure from a residential treatment facility ( N = 132). Overall, very few differences were found between males and females at departure. Implications, limitations, and future research are discussed. • Males indicated feeling more prepared for the transition to independent living. • Females find aftercare programs more important and are more likely to participate. • Few gender differences exist on the importance of supports needed following care. • Developing transitions plans tailored to gender specific needs may not be necessary. • Findings indicate promise in regards to participation in aftercare.