High-risk youth transitions to adulthood: A longitudinal view of youth leaving the residential education in Finland

This paper is based on a Finnish study, where the post-adjustment of the students of the residential education for high-risk adolescents in Finland was followed-up in 2002. On the basis of the qualitative descriptions it is evident that a placement in residential education can be followed by different life courses. These are grouped here as three main pathways, (1) “making it”-pathway, (2) “living on the edge”, and (3) “mixed”-pathway. The results indicate that, in particular, young males are at high risk of cumulative risk behavior during the next years after leaving the institutions. However, in general, the life situations have stabilised during their early 20s, in particular for those young people who have committed a supporting partnership.