Goal pursuit is central to the developmental stage of adolescence. Here, we aimed to study how 14 adolescents in a Youth Offending Service in the United Kingdom think about their personal goal aspirations and future, using semi-structured interviews. Based on a grounded theory approach, an explanatory theoretical framework was developed. Analysis revealed that young people’s perceived personal future and goal aspirations are influenced by their appraisal of past and present life events. Participants also used a range of self-protecting strategies to avoid uncertainty and to reduce the threat of future disappointment. The findings have potentially important clinical and policy implications.
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