The Relationship between Social Stigma and Resilience of Adolescents Who Use the Out-of-school Youth Support Centers: on the Moderating Effect of Protective Factors

This study analyzed the impact of social stigma on the resilience of out-of-school youth and examined whether self-esteem, family support, and prosocial characteristics of peer groups have moderating effects. A survey was conducted with 320 out-of-school youth from youth support centers in Gyeongsangbuk-do, Daegu, Gangwon-do, Jeollanam-do, and Seoul, targeting those aged 9 to 24. After excluding invalid responses, data from 300 participants were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 and SPSS Process Macro. The results revealed a negative relationship between social stigma and resilience, indicating that higher levels of social stigma correlate with lower resilience. Self-esteem, family support, and prosocial peer group characteristics showed significant moderating effects in mitigating the negative impact of social stigma, while friend support and adult support did not exhibit meaningful moderating effects. Based on these findings, the study highlights the need for interventions that strengthen self-esteem, family support, and peer group connections among out-of-school youth, along with policies to reduce social stigma.