Every teacher, youth leader, school administrator, lawmaker, patent, businessperson, and the civic leader needs to be concerned about the high number of youth who are at risk in our nation.
- According to the National Institute of Health, fifteen to twenty percent of our youth have some form of learning disability that causes significant difficulty in listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning, or mathematical ability and affects their success in school, family life, friendships, and daily routines.
- Over 8 out of 100 young people ages 16-24 are high school drop-outs. The unemployment rate for youth ages 16-24 is 10.3 percent for young men, 9.9 percent for young women, 8.1 percent for white youth, and 21.9 percent for black youth. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, July 1999)
- America is considered the richest nation in the world, but 20 to 25 percent of our youth under age 18 live in poverty. (Current Population Survey, March 1999)
- Current teen pregnancy studies indicate 1 out of 20 young women, ages 12-19 will have a baby this year. (National Vital Statistics reports)
- One in five teens feels “alienated” from home and society. One teen in eight reports that he or she has been physically abused – intentionally harmed by physical violence such as beating, hitting, or kicking. One-third (36 percent) of our teens “worry a lot about death”. (Gallup Polls, April 1999
- Suicide is the fifth major leading cause of death among 5 to 14 year-olds and the third major leading cause of death for 15 to 24 year-olds and the third major leading cause of death for 15-24 year olds. (Center for Disease Control and Prevention)
What Can We Do?
There is no simple cure-all for the problem of at-risk youth. Every person who is concerned about America’s teens must begin where they are, assesses the needs of youth in schools, churches, families, and communities, and begin working to help teens overcome the obstacles that threaten them.
There is no simple cure-all for the problem of at-risk youth. Every person who is concerned about America’s teens must begin where they are, assesses the needs of youth in schools, churches, families, and communities, and begin working to help teens overcome the obstacles that threaten them.
YoungBiz offers a number of resources for teachers, parents, and youth leaders who want to help teens avoid the pitfalls of drug abuse, gang activity, pregnancy, crime, and low performance in school. You’re the Boss Lifeskills and entrepreneurship Program is a curriculum tool that uses proven education methods to achieve these positive outcomes for teens:
- Increase economic literacy and freedom
- Increase self-esteem
- Improves math, reading, and writing in school
- Inspires at-risk youth to stay in school
- Combats Involvement in negative activities, such as substance abuse and violence
- Reduces likelihood of teen pregnancy
- Inspires the desire for higher education
- Increases career opportunities
