Social Isolation of Youth at Risk: Conceptualizations and Practical Implications

A literature review led to a conceptualization of social isolation as a major factor in determining how youth are increasingly put at risk for both immediate and lifelong difficulties. Three common and particularly troubling at-risk situations that counselors face are specifically examined to better understand the origins and implications affecting assessment and interventions: abuse by peers in the form of bullying and harassment, abuse and neglect of youth by adults, and suicide as a form of self-abuse. The authors present practical implications for how school and mental health counselors can apply this information in practice.