At-Risk Youth
Published on Dec 14, 2018
No Description
MORE DECKS TO EXPLORE
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Who are At-Risk Youth?
- An at-risk youth can be defined as any child who is less likely to transition successfully to adulthood. (youth.gov)
- All youth can be considered at-risk in one way or another as the definition is very broad.
Youth become at-risk for many reasons. The true definition of at-risk youth is very broad, as youth can be considered at-risk in one way or another. According to youth.gov the at-risk youth are defined as a child who is less likely transition successfully into adulthood. This success can include academic success, financial success, and independent success.
Risk Factors
- Poverty- number one risk factor
- Biological factors
- Psychological factors
- Environmental factors
- Cultural considerations
There are many risk factors that contribute to youth become at-risk. One of the number one reasons is poverty, as it is the leading cause of a youth dealing with other issues. Some other factors are biological, psychological, environmental and cultural considerations.
Vunerability
- Youth become at-risk for many reasons, and are a vulnerable population due to the following contributing factors:
- Material aspects — money, food, clothing, shelter, health care and education; Emotional aspects — care, love, support, space to grieve and containment of emotions; Social aspects — absence of a supportive peer group, of role models to follow, or of guidance in difficult situations, and risks in the immediate environment.
Youth are considered a vulnerable population because they can be disadvantaged in some way or another. The can be disadvantaged when they are exposed to greater risks than their peers, due to deprivation, exploitation, abuse, neglect, violence, and health reasons.
Internal/External Characteristics
- Emotional and behavioral problems.
- Truancy
- Low academic performance
- Lack of interest in academics
- Expressing a disconnection from the school enviornment
- Substance Abuse
- Legal problems
Contributing Factors
- Chronic poverty
- Single Parents
- Poor Parenting Skills
- Large Families
- Poor Schools
- Poor Social Skills
- Low Birth Weight
- Family Substance abuse
- Minority status
- Negative peer influence
Potentional Outcomes of At-Risk Youth
- Drug use
- Teen pregnancy
- Criminal behavior
- Poor academics
- Low socioeconomic status
- Mental problems
Supports and Services
- Mentoring programs
- Academic intervention programs (PBVS, PREPaRE Model, AIS)
- Counseling and treatment program
- Mental Health Services
Supports and services contribute to an at-risk youth being resilient. Although there are so many risk factors that contribute to a youth becoming at-risk. There are many positives that can allow them to be successful. Things that contribute to their resiliency is family, personal characteristics, friends, mentors, schools, and communities.
Untitled Slide
YWRAP (Young Women Reaching Accomplishable Places)
- YWRAP is a mentor program for at-risk youth girls in Kern County.
- It serves youth girls ages 10-18.
- They provide mentorship to girls by trained mentors to motivate, empowerment, and perserverence.
YWRAP (Young Women Reaching Accomplishable Places) is a Mentor Program in Kern County for youth girls’ ages 10-18yrs old. The main purpose of the program is to reach out to youth girls, providing mentorship thru groups to encourage, motivate, educate, and empower them. Helping them to set and establish goals, and take the necessary steps to accomplish them. With guidance and direction and instilling hope; YWRAP helps them to believe in themselves and overcome challenges of adolescence and become successful young women in society.
The program is designed to foster a commitment to youth girls that will promote healthy lifestyles, wellness, friendships, strong interpersonal skills, encouragement, motivation, education and empowerment to improve their overall quality of life. The girls meet monthly with trained mentors and participate in groups, seminars and a host of fun activities that will include but are not limited to: wellness, self-esteem building, hygiene, suicide awareness/prevention, substance abuse awareness/prevention, building healthy relationships, social media, striving for higher education, etc.
The program is designed to foster a commitment to youth girls that will promote healthy lifestyles, wellness, friendships, strong interpersonal skills, encouragement, motivation, education and empowerment to improve their overall quality of life. The girls meet monthly with trained mentors and participate in groups, seminars and a host of fun activities that will include but are not limited to: wellness, self-esteem building, hygiene, suicide awareness/prevention, substance abuse awareness/prevention, building healthy relationships, social media, striving for higher education, etc.
Why Mentoring
- • According to many research studies mentoring programs have been proven to be successful in improving behavior, school attendance, and academic success among youth and especially at-risk-youth. • “Research confirms that quality mentoring relationships have powerful positive effects on young people in a variety of personal, academic, and professional situations.” (mentoring.org) • Mentoring assures youth that they are not alone in dealing with day-to-day life challenges at school, at home, and personally. It makes them feel like someone cares about them and that their lives matter. • Studies show that healthy relationships formed between mentors and mentees are both immediate and long-term and contribute to a host of benefits for mentors and mentees. • Research shows that 1 in 3 young people will grow up without a mentor. • Students who meet regularly with their mentors are 52% less likely than peers to skip a day of school and 37% less likely to skip a class. (Public/Private Ventures Study of Big Brothers Big Sisters)
• Benefits of Youth Mentorship (youth.gov)
o Enhanced self-esteem and self-confidence
o Healthier relationships and lifestyle choices
o Improved behavior, both at home and at school
o Better attitude about school
o Improved interpersonal skills
o Stronger relationships with parents, teachers, and peers.
o Increased high school graduation rates
o Decreased likelihood of initiating drug and alcohol use (Mentor, 2009; Carell, DuBois, Karcher, Keller, and Rhodes, 2009)
Benefits of Mentoring
- • Young adults who were at-risk for falling off track but had a mentor are: o 55% more likely to enroll in college o 78% more likely to volunteer regulary o 90% are interested in becoming a mentor o 130% more likely to hold leadership positions
