Educational research from the German-speaking area has recently begun to focus more strongly on dropouts. In this regard, however, it is rarely examined who these dropouts actually are and whether they possibly differ from one another. The current article addresses this question. On the basis of an empirical typology, it was possible to identify four different types of school dropouts: quiet outsiders, school failures, the school-weary, and rebels. In view of the diff erent personal and social risk factors, these results demonstrate the necessity to differentiate between school dropouts according to different profiles. Against this background, the article also discusses the importance of various different prevention strategies.

Keywords
dropout, risk students, heterogeneity, prevention