Low sense of mattering in society and delinquency among young people: An initial investigation.

Background: Studies of mattering and delinquency among young people have, to date, focused solely on whether teenagers think that they matter to each other. No one has yet examined the extent to which young people think that they matter to society generally and how this relates to delinquency.

Aims: To explore relationships between young peoples' sense of being of value to society and their delinquent intentions.