Predicting high-risk situations among marginalized young women navigating towards adulthood: Protective and accelerating factors

Abstract

This study focuses on marginalized young women, participating in programs designed to meet their personal, vocational and social needs. The study's aims were to include gender-related aspects in the exploration of the prevalence of risk situations and to test a predicting model for risk situations based on the young women's demographic characteristics, human capital characteristics, and personal and social capital factors. Data were collected from 151 young Jewish and Bedouin women. The most prevalent risk situations were thoughts of or attempted suicide. Multiple regression analysis revealed that mothers and Bedouin women reported fewer risk situations. Additionally, higher self-esteem and informal social support appeared to reduce risk situations. Greater economic distress was the strongest predictor of more risk situations. The findings show that it is important to develop tools to learn about the unique risk situations among marginalized young women and to develop policies and interventions addressing these risks and their predictors.