‘Bridge-builders’ and ‘boundary spanners’: a qualitative study of youth workers’ perceptions of their roles and practices with vulnerable young people in school-based settings
This paper presents a qualitative study of 22 youth workers’ perceptions of their roles and practices in seven school-based settings in a large post-industrial city in regional Australia. Youth workers are often engaged in school-based settings working with vulnerable young people, yet knowledge of...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2024-12-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Adolescence and Youth |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/02673843.2024.2387080 |
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| author | T. Corney J. Gorman B. Woods N. Benedict A. Law |
| author_facet | T. Corney J. Gorman B. Woods N. Benedict A. Law |
| author_sort | T. Corney |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper presents a qualitative study of 22 youth workers’ perceptions of their roles and practices in seven school-based settings in a large post-industrial city in regional Australia. Youth workers are often engaged in school-based settings working with vulnerable young people, yet knowledge of how workers perceive and conceptualize their role and practice in these settings remains limited. Through focus group interviews, youth workers were asked how they engage, and work with vulnerable students, how they conceptualize their roles and the bodies of knowledge to which those practices and roles pertain. We find that youth work in school-based settings requires the dynamic and non-linear application of the practices of youth accompaniment, family support and youth-centred advocacy, underpinned by respect for the dignity, autonomy and agency of the young person. We argue that the complex application of these practices positions youth workers as ‘bridge-builders’ and ‘boundary-spanners’. Bridge-builders assist young people to connect and engage with support services. Boundary-spanners build relationships across service providers to network different organizations and professionals for better collaboration and support of young people. These findings have implications for youth policy and practice in the area of youth work with vulnerable young people in school-based settings. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dac171e11cbe4619b4b609f2f8511b2e |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0267-3843 2164-4527 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Adolescence and Youth |
| spelling | doaj-art-dac171e11cbe4619b4b609f2f8511b2e2025-08-20T02:19:35ZengTaylor & Francis GroupInternational Journal of Adolescence and Youth0267-38432164-45272024-12-0129110.1080/02673843.2024.2387080‘Bridge-builders’ and ‘boundary spanners’: a qualitative study of youth workers’ perceptions of their roles and practices with vulnerable young people in school-based settingsT. Corney0J. Gorman1B. Woods2N. Benedict3A. Law4Institute for Sustainable Industries & Liveable Cities (ISILC), Victoria University, Melbourne, AustraliaInstitute for Sustainable Industries & Liveable Cities (ISILC), Victoria University, Melbourne, AustraliaInstitute for Sustainable Industries & Liveable Cities (ISILC), Victoria University, Melbourne, AustraliaHigher Degree by Research student, Victoria University, Melbourne, AustraliaInstitute for Sustainable Industries & Liveable Cities (ISILC), Victoria University, Melbourne, AustraliaThis paper presents a qualitative study of 22 youth workers’ perceptions of their roles and practices in seven school-based settings in a large post-industrial city in regional Australia. Youth workers are often engaged in school-based settings working with vulnerable young people, yet knowledge of how workers perceive and conceptualize their role and practice in these settings remains limited. Through focus group interviews, youth workers were asked how they engage, and work with vulnerable students, how they conceptualize their roles and the bodies of knowledge to which those practices and roles pertain. We find that youth work in school-based settings requires the dynamic and non-linear application of the practices of youth accompaniment, family support and youth-centred advocacy, underpinned by respect for the dignity, autonomy and agency of the young person. We argue that the complex application of these practices positions youth workers as ‘bridge-builders’ and ‘boundary-spanners’. Bridge-builders assist young people to connect and engage with support services. Boundary-spanners build relationships across service providers to network different organizations and professionals for better collaboration and support of young people. These findings have implications for youth policy and practice in the area of youth work with vulnerable young people in school-based settings.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/02673843.2024.2387080Youth work in schoolsyouth homelessnessboundary spannerbridge buildervulnerable young peopleAustralia |
| spellingShingle | T. Corney J. Gorman B. Woods N. Benedict A. Law ‘Bridge-builders’ and ‘boundary spanners’: a qualitative study of youth workers’ perceptions of their roles and practices with vulnerable young people in school-based settings International Journal of Adolescence and Youth Youth work in schools youth homelessness boundary spanner bridge builder vulnerable young people Australia |
| title | ‘Bridge-builders’ and ‘boundary spanners’: a qualitative study of youth workers’ perceptions of their roles and practices with vulnerable young people in school-based settings |
| title_full | ‘Bridge-builders’ and ‘boundary spanners’: a qualitative study of youth workers’ perceptions of their roles and practices with vulnerable young people in school-based settings |
| title_fullStr | ‘Bridge-builders’ and ‘boundary spanners’: a qualitative study of youth workers’ perceptions of their roles and practices with vulnerable young people in school-based settings |
| title_full_unstemmed | ‘Bridge-builders’ and ‘boundary spanners’: a qualitative study of youth workers’ perceptions of their roles and practices with vulnerable young people in school-based settings |
| title_short | ‘Bridge-builders’ and ‘boundary spanners’: a qualitative study of youth workers’ perceptions of their roles and practices with vulnerable young people in school-based settings |
| title_sort | bridge builders and boundary spanners a qualitative study of youth workers perceptions of their roles and practices with vulnerable young people in school based settings |
| topic | Youth work in schools youth homelessness boundary spanner bridge builder vulnerable young people Australia |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/02673843.2024.2387080 |
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