Isolation and creativity: strengthening young people in times of crisis!

Isolation and creativity: strengthening young people in times of crisis!

A current study by the Institute for Educational Science University of Münster highlights the social participation of young people in inpatient youth welfare facilities during the corona pandemic. The focus is on the specific challenges that these young people experienced compared to their peers in families. The research, led by Prof. Dr. Claudia Equit and Elisabeth Thomas, is part of a project funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

As part of the study, 40 young people between the ages of 14 and 22 from 27 different institutions were interviewed. The results show that contact with peers provides essential support in coping with the pandemic-related restrictions. The young people examined have developed various coping strategies, including digital contact with friends as well as problematic dealings with school avoidance and drug use.

Social isolation and creative solutions

The strict safety requirements led to significant restrictions on contact with the family of origin, especially for young people in supervised individual apartments. Some young people reported weeks of isolation because personal contact outside of their own four walls was prohibited. Despite these challenges, the young people show remarkable understanding and creativity in dealing with isolation.

However, learning conditions were particularly difficult during the pandemic. There was a lack of adequate technical equipment, such as laptops and internet connections, and many received inadequate support for digital learning. In comparison, young people in foster families reported better conditions, although conflicts and violence were not superficial.

Research approach and long-term goals

The project, which goes by the name JuPa aims to examine in more detail the effects of the corona crisis on the participation and educational conditions of young people in inpatient facilities. Not only the perspectives of young people are taken into account, but also the perspective of youth welfare professionals. The research closes a key research gap around educational disadvantage and social participation during the pandemic.

In order to address this challenge, quality criteria are being developed to promote social participation. These criteria should be incorporated into a handout for specialists who offer specific funding opportunities. The data is collected through qualitative interviews with 40 young people and through standardized online surveys of around 400 youth welfare professionals.

The project incorporates additional findings from the previous project “Participation in organizational cultures of home education” (2019-2022) and uses participatory processes for joint concept development with relevant groups of actors, including looked after young people, parents and specialists. The duration of this current project spans from February 1, 2023 to January 31, 2026 and pursues long-term goals of basic research on disadvantages as well as the development of innovative and practical approaches.

The first results of the study examined have already been published in special issue 19 of the specialist journal “neue praxis” and show the urgency of further improving the social participation and educational conditions of young people in difficult life situations. Around 128,000 young people lived in residential group homes in 2023, while around 87,000 were in foster care, illustrating the scale of this issue.

In summary, the results of the study not only shed light on the challenges of the pandemic for this specific group, but also offer perspectives for future, critical times. They point out the need to promote social participation and actively compensate for educational disadvantages.