This study is based on longitudinal prospective life-course data (1995-2012) about former Special Educational Need (SEN) students in upper secondary school, addressing changes in spare time related social relationships at age 34. Previous logistic regression analyses show that being solely in special class during upper secondary school gives a far greater chance of being in a small and potentially isolating social network at age 24 compared with the effect of other independent variables such as personal diagnostic characteristics and experienced psychosocial stress in the family. At age 29, the result is different: time distant variables (special class, personal characteristics at school start) loose effect to contemporary independent variables describing a contextually changed life situation which produces patterns of social integration, reducing social marginalisation. A new life situation in adulthood (having work, own family, driver’s license) changes network characteristics and agency from being self-realising and individualistic to becoming more collective, altruistic and self-sacrificing. For the 2012 data set (age 34) we address the qualitative differences between faceless and face-to-face relationships for vulnerable young adults. May faceless relationships function in a compensating manner in forming of social relationships – or is this a fiction? Can faceless relationships strengthen the self-identity?