What we know about the stigma of systems-involved youth: A scoping review of intersectional research with marginalised youth in contact with social services

Young people in contact with social services such as out-of-home care, juvenile justice centres and homeless shelters (here named systems-involved youth) represent a heterogeneous group, whose identities are subject to multiple systems of oppression, such as adultism, racism, heterosexism, and ableism. Hence, this scoping review aims to analyse studies taking an intersectional view when analysing youth’s everyday experiences, particularly when it comes to the associated stigmatisation they face, which has detrimental effects in their interactions with each system.

We searched Web of Science, SCOPUS and EBSCO, first on the 20th of June of 2023 and once more on the 21st of December 2023, to retrieve empirical studies, including journal articles and PhD theses. Out of a possible 407 articles, this scoping review considered 37 studies that addressed the topic of youth stigma through an intersectional lens. We analysed methodological approaches, the categories of difference explored (axes) and the role of stigma tracked by the research. We identified some gaps in the literature, including a dearth of research emerging from the Global South, as well as a limited number of quantitative studies. We also noted unexplored categories of difference including disability and class, and limited research into the role of stigma resulting specifically from being in out-of-home care. The review concludes with some recommendations for future research, including maintaining a critical view when conducting intersectional studies, so they actively challenge existing structures and shed light on less explored axes of difference and sociocultural backgrounds.