Family and friends are not the only important contacts for adolescents and young adults. The people they meet at school, in youth centres, during youth work or in the workplace also play a major role. We took a precise look at this environment beyond family and friends for this section and determined that if teachers, superiors, colleagues and caregivers are open to young people’s concerns, this has a positive impact on their well-being.

For students, teachers are often respected individuals whose role is to pass on knowledge and respond to students’ needs in a differentiated way. In doing so, it is important that teachers are mindful of and attentive to students. However, it is also important for satisfaction at school that the atmosphere in the classroom is right. Most students feel that it is and feel happy at school. However, this is not the case for all: a bad classroom atmosphere or high levels of pressure cause stress for many people in school or the workplace. Mobbing can also be a major problem. If so, it is important that problems are discussed openly and that even personal problems can be brought up. This enables young people to focus once again on their work.

Not all young people are fortunate enough to grow up in an intact family. Luxembourg provides these young people with points of contact and care, for example in homes or managed residential structures. In some cases these can be a good substitute for a family, especially if caregivers treat children and young people as being on an equal footing and listen to their needs.