Flipping the Label: A Qualitative Analysis of How High-Risk Youth Rewrote Their Stories

• In Event: Roundtable: Mental Health

Abstract

As a final writing assignment, Criminology students were asked to reflect on the trajectory of their life and apply criminological theory to explain why they ended up at a point of success. This project explores how students with a history of trauma and adversity (defined as having 5+ Adverse Childhood Experience score )rejected the negative labels often assigned to them and pursued an alternate path—one that led them to higher education. Through thematic analysis of over 100 student papers, we examined how students responded to early labeling, what protective factors influenced their life course, and how they interpreted their own resilience. Preliminary findings suggest that many students were deeply affected by being told they would become “just like” their criminal or addicted parents. Rather than internalizing this label, they used it as motivation to “flip” the narrative and define their own identity. A common factor in these narratives was the presence of one significant adult who offered guidance, support, or modeled a different way of living. These findings contribute to labeling theory by highlighting how early stigmatization can, in some cases, serve as a catalyst for resistance, growth, and positive identity formation.

Author

• Amanda Howerton, Salem State University