Striving and Dreaming: A Grounded Theory of the Transition to Adulthood for Cross-Systems Youth

Abstract

<jats:p> The transition to adulthood is an underresearched topic for cross-systems youth, defined as young people who have experienced homelessness, child welfare system involvement, and educational challenges. This qualitative study explored processes of resilience in the transition to adulthood for cross-systems youth aged 18 to 24 ( n = 20). Analysis of in-depth interviews using a grounded theory open coding process revealed two thematic concepts, striving and dreaming. As illustrated in two case studies, striving was characterized by participants having specific educational and career goals and making strategic choices about programs and resources. In contrast, the dreaming concept indicated participants having little understanding of the steps and resources needed to achieve their goals. Implications for practice include the importance of helping cross-systems youth maintain supportive relationships with families of origin and peers to enhance striving, and the use of motivational interviewing to assist emerging adults in gauging their readiness and motivation to set and pursue goals. </jats:p>

Resilience of Emerging Adults After Adverse Childhood Experiences: A Qualitative Systematic Review

“…Thirteen studies reported data of 277 young adults from six countries including eight studies from the United States (Banyard & Williams, 2007; Bickelhaupt et al, 2019; Bowen et al, 2018; Hines et al, 2005; Luther, 2015; Samuels & Pryce, 2008; Suzuki et al, 2008; Thomas & Woodside, 2011), one from Canada (Schofield, 2001), one from Hong Kong (Ho et al, 2019), one from South Korea (Park & Schepp, 2018), one from South Africa (Bain & Durbach, 2018), and one from Israel (Rafaeli, 2017). Concerning the type of ACEs covered, all but two studies (Bowen et al, 2018; Ho et al, 2019) reported on a single type.…”

Toward Many Emerging Adulthoods: A Theory-Based Examination of the Features of Emerging Adulthood for Cross-Systems Youth

“…Our study also highlights the need for policies and programs targeted toward emerging adults who are not engaged in higher education. Participants reported personal and career aspirations that were meaningful but not associated with furthering their education, as well as feeling disconnected or uncertain about how to achieve their educational goals (E. A. Bowen et al, 2020).…”

“…Participants reported personal and career aspirations that were meaningful but not associated with furthering their education, as well as feeling disconnected or uncertain about how to achieve their educational goals (E. A. Bowen et al, 2020). Currently, there is a void in the social safety net for emerging adults who are unconnected to educational systems, particularly for those who experience family instability (Sakala et al, 2020).…”

“…Study 2 addressed the question, “How do cross-systems youth reflect on their life course experiences and navigate services in the transition to adulthood?” The sample ( N = 20) consisted of emerging adults (age 18–24) who had experienced cross-systems involvement in childhood, defined as being homeless, involved in the child welfare system, and having educational challenges at any point prior to age 18 (E. A. Bowen et al, 2020; Semanchin Jones et al, 2018).…”

“…The sample (N ¼ 20) consisted of emerging adults (age 18-24) who had experienced cross-systems involvement in childhood, defined as being homeless, involved in the child welfare system, and having educational challenges at any point prior to age 18 (E. A. Bowen et al, 2020;Semanchin Jones et al, 2018). Data collection occurred from July to November 2016.…”