Negotiating and Constructing Identity: Social Work with Young People Who Experience Adversity

Abstract

This article explores the experiences of at-risk young people. Based on a mixed-methods studyofyoungpeople(n ¼ 605)agedbetweenthirteenandseventeenwhousedmultiple services (child welfare, youth justice, education support and mental health), this article focuses on their processes of identity negotiation and construction. These young people hadexperiencedsustainedexposuretoharmincludingabuse,violence,addictions,disengagementfromschoolandmentalhealthissues.Thearticleconsidershowservicesworked tosupportpositiveidentity development.Threekeythemesemergedasbeingsignificant in contributing to positive identity development: seeking safe and secure connections; finding opportunities to test out identities; and building a sense of agency. The research findings delineate a key role for social workers in supporting young people to mediate their social worlds and create meaning which is at the centre of identity negotiation and construction processes.