Protective and risk factors for social withdrawal in adolescence. A mixed-method study of Italian students' wellbeing

This research project is aimed at identifying risk and protective factors of social withdrawal, by studying some areas of young people's psychological wellbeing. The study took place in a medium-sized town in the north-west of Italy. A total of 1,102 students participated in the study. An online survey was sent to all the students attending the second year of local high schools, then the results were combined with those from two focus groups involving young people and adults. The findings indicate that socio-cultural factors may be the reasons why social disengagement is so widespread. The societal pressure to be successful in every life domain may push young people, unable to conform, out of the competition. Bullying, negative school experiences and stress are associated with an over-investment of time on the internet, a harbinger of social isolation. This study's findings suggest the need to plan student initiatives, to identify the warning signals of the phenomenon.