What does this mean for those working with justice-involved youth? The benefits of social connection are even greater for justice-involved youth, suggesting a need for more opportunities for such youth to engage in social contact, even if that contact is only possible through phone or video calls.

Social connection with others is a critical need - particularly during sensitive periods of development, like adolescence. These findings reveal the potential power for social connection to enhance well-being for particularly vulnerable youth, specifically those who are justice-involved.

We found that justice-involved youth especially benefitted from social connections during the pandemic, as they had better self-conceptions and stronger feelings of social connection (although more loneliness as well) on days with virtual social contact.

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