Risk Factors Faced by the Youth of Today

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Dear Student,

Hi there and thank you for your patience. In this particular task, you are being asked to put together a paper facing the youth today. There are quite a number and this does not mean listing them all - all it means is to provide a general outlook and then discussing factors and systems that allow them to flourish. I suggest using this simple outline:

1. Overview - 100 words
2. Risk factors (provide 3 or 4) - 300 to 400 words
3. Influential Factors (divide to individual, peer, family & community) 300 words
4. Protective Systems - discuss what the most common are - 200 words

This outline should yield around 800 to 1,000 words which should cover what you need. The information below should get you started. Just let me know via the feedback section if you need further clarification. All the best with your studies!

Sincerely,
AE 105878/Xenia Jones

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Youth Risk Factors

Overview

The topic of youth risk factors is a broad and comprehensive one which requires a lengthy exploration of the subject. Here I will attempt to provide a general overview of the most obvious and commonly assessed youth risk factors that we as a society grapple with today. I have identified 4 of these and looked into the influences that allow them to flourish and create damage, which in some tragic cages are long term and irreversible where no help or intervention is provided. Lastly, I will also discuss the protective and counteractive system measures that we have as a society, either from official government agencies or as part of our reaction from our shared moral and cultural beliefs. This is an overview of a comprehensive topic that will provide a general idea of the varied risks out there to the youth, supporting the idea that intervention, socialization and proactive advocacy can help in limiting the damage that these risk factors might have on the most exposed.

Risk Factors

What are the common risk factors? According to Jenson & Fraser (Sage, 2006) in terms of coming of age in today's America, "Children, youth, and families face enormous challenges in American society," due to "a wide array of positive and negative influences and opportunities." They argue that while, "Most children and youth become healthy adults who participate in positive—or prosocial—activities guided by interests that lead to meaningful and fulfilling lives," there are whose path to adulthood, "is a journey filled with risk and uncertainty," making their futures bleak. In sociology, we refer to these bleak path as 'life chances' - realities of a child's life that can impact their outcomes (i.e. a family in poverty, a gainfully employed parent, a violent ...