Discovering socially withdrawn youth in Shanghai through the eyes of social workers: A mixed-methods study

Abstract

Summary: The phenomenon of the social withdrawal of youth has been increasingly identified in some developed Asian and Western countries. There is also evidence to suggest that it is an emerging problem among the youth of China. To assess the current status of this youth problem in China, an exploratory mixed-methods study was conducted to collect the views through survey from 364 social workers in Shanghai and five focus group interviews were then conducted.

Findings: Social workers in Shanghai began to identify cases of social withdrawal among youth as early as in 2004. Social workers’ perceptions and intervention approaches were influenced by the extent of their experience in working with the identified youth group. They believed family relationships were a key causal factor in the social withdrawal of youth. The majority of family members of socially withdrawn youth tended to see social workers as the first line of help. Social workers also reported that the fragmentation of existing social services in Shanghai was a significant barrier, with respect to the rendering of timely assistance to this youth population.

Applications: This study can be considered to be the first attempt to explore the extent and nature of youth social withdrawal behaviour in China, from the perspectives of Chinese social workers. It is hoped that the study provides insights into the capacity of the existing youth social services in China to deal with this emerging youth issue.