Young people face many obstacles that make their journey towards autonomy more difficult and longer and reduce their ability to act in the society. The social inclusion is even more difficult for young people with less opportunity (JAMO), from underprivileged backgrounds, or with few or no qualifications.

The inter-ministerial delegation for the prevention and fight against poverty considers that "more than an age group, youth is a period of transition towards autonomy, i.e. professional integration, access to housing, financial autonomy and sometimes neo-parenthood. This autonomy is made up of many comings and goings and takes diverse forms and temporalities characterised by strong social and geographical disparities".

Social action policies dedicated to young people aim at facilitating vocational integration, improving living conditions and reducing social disparities between young people. They rely on joint work between public authorities (State and local authorities), which, among other things, elaborate and regulate policies and the association sector which both implements social policies but also performs mediation functions between the publics (young people), schemes and social action structures.