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.