Shaping the Future Orientation of At-Risk Young Adults: The Role of Social Networks

Although future orientation (FO) is considered an important resiliencepromoting factor among at-risk youth, little is known concerning the FO of at-risk young adults. The current study explored the FO of at-risk young adults, including its motivational, cognitive and behavioral components, and investigated the contribution of various attributes of youths’ social networks. Participants were 230 at-risk young adults (18–25) who participated in Yated, the national program for at-risk young people in Israel. Results indicated relatively high levels of FO across its three components, with motivational FO being significantly higher than the behavioral and cognitive components. Attributes of the social network contributed significantly to young people’s FO. Specifically, adequacy of support was associated with motivational and behavioral FO, whereas having larger networks predicted higher levels of cognitive and behavioral FO. These findings highlight the multifaceted nature of FO and the significant yet differential impact of attributes of at-risk youths’ social networks.