Understanding needs of youth-at-risk in Singapore

Youth at-risk typically refers to those who may be seriously anti-social, homeless, who may have dropped out of school, taken to substance abuse or engaged in illegal activities. The factors that place these young people at risk in the first place, such as poverty, family dysfunction and disturbed neighbourhoods, are often not factored into the equation. Dr Tania Nagpaul and Ms Chen Jinwen from the Lien Centre for Social Innovation at SMU have published a study which used the Self-determination Theory offered by Deci and Ryan in a past research as a lens to better understand the needs of youth-at-risk and their fulfilment from the vantage points of both social service professionals and youth themselves. In this podcast, Dr Tania Nagpaul discusses the key findings of this research and how it generates a nuanced understanding of the needs of youth in Singapore.