Complex psychosocial risk profiles amongst high school students: A review and discussion of implications for early intervention

International research consistently shows that high school disengagement is related to lower subsequent participation in paid work, fewer employment opportunities, and lower engagement in further education. In Australia, the number of people who do not complete high school varies from 16 to 26%, and the average fiscal and social/community costs of high school noncompletion are approximately $1 million per individual over a lifetime. High school exclusion is a key marker and potential driver of high school noncompletion. The overall objective of this chapter is to examine empirical literature on how complex adolescent behavioural risk and protective profiles impact on high school engagement and performance and to overview empirical approaches to systemic intervention and prevention. Understanding complex determinants will provide much better information on the timing and focus of policies and programs designed to support schools in improving education outcomes for at-risk adolescents. The chapter will make a series of evidence-based recommendations about the detection of students most at risk of exclusion and disengagement, and design features of programs most likely to work for at-risk youth.