Today’s youth are facing serious critical risks leading to preventable crisis. There are many factors in their lives causing this downward spiral. Teens who have trouble managing the stresses of life are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, engage in criminal activity, are sexually promiscuous, and attempt suicide. Many of these at-risk teens become the next amber alert living on the streets or eventually behind the bars of a detention center. After-school programs are worthwhile to at-risk youth because they can improve their life chances by providing early prevention, intervention, and diversion.
It is troublesome for impoverished and dysfunctional families to raise children with the skills needed to be a contributing member of society. A large challenge is being able to provide a nourishing environment for adolescents so they can be hopeful about their futures. After-school programs are extremely important to the success of at-risk youth. Statistics provided by Stinson disclose that, “A report issued by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network shows that “in 2002 the Department of Justice reported that the violent crime rate for adolescents ages 16 to 19 was over twice the rate for people ages 25 to 34 and three times the rate for adults ages 35 to 49” (11). In order for teens to create better lives for themselves, adults must support and guide them into believing their future holds many possibilities and obtainable goals.
One of the many benefits at-risk youth receive by attending an after-school program is the ability to build strong connections between themselves and their communities. They can focus on their strengths rather than their deficits and build opportunities that nurture development. This enables them to ...
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...xploration. This is especially true for those who live where capitals may be limited. The nation will only suffer if its youth do not obtain equal opportunities to succeed. Thus, the United States needs to continue to fund these programs.
Works Cited
Stinson, Alicia. "A Review of Cultural Art Programs and Outcomes for At-Risk Youths." Best Practice In Mental Health 5.1 (2009): 10-25. Academic Search Complete. ProQuest. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.
Ersing, Robin L. "Building the Capacity of Youths through Community Cultural Arts: A Positive Youth Development Perspective. "Best Practice In Mental Health 5.1 (2009): 26-43. Academic Search Complete. ProQuest. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.
Witt, Peter, and Dwayne Baker. "Developing After-School Programs for Youth in High Risk Environments." Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance 68.9 (1997): 18-20. ProQuest. Web. 2 Dec. 2013.
...proper guidance and support from such social groups as school and family, juvenile delinquency can come down, and problem youth could lead successful and meaningful lives.
Progar, J. (2012). Review of juveniles at risk: A plea for preventive justice. Journal Of Youth And Adolescence, 41(12), 1702-1704. doi:10.1007/s10964-012-9841-0
Holcomb, Sabrina. "Arts Education." Rss. National Education Association, 17 Jan. 2007. Web. 10 May 2016.
The definition of motivation according to Kennedy (2000), “[t]he internationalist view asserts that internal and external factors influence the change process From this perspective, motivation is seen as an interpersonal process that can be influenced in a positive way by the professional (para.18). A high-risk youth is defined as a male or female between the ages of 12-17 years old who has had some contact with the law or is at risk of becoming an offender. There is a lack of motivation in some high-risk youth to positively change their lives around. According to Stinson (2009), risk factors associated with juvenile delinquency include “poor academic performance, early childhood aggression, and hyperactivity; lack of parental involvement/interaction and inadequate parental supervision and monitoring; and community/environmental factors, including access to drugs and weapons, and lack of access to community resources due to poverty” (p. 11). At risk youth that engage in community based programs in Ridge Meadows, B.C. such as KidStart, Connex, Yardworks, Community Work Service, sports and leisure and counseling, are more successful later on in their young adulthood versus high risk youth who do not attend such programs. The KidStart program is a mentoring and one-on-one program that works with youth who are at-risk and experiencing difficulties in their lives. According to PLEA (2010), “[t]he primary objective of the program is to strengthen the young person's resilience to the risk factors that are known to lead to victimization, violence and criminal activities” (para. 1). Yardworks is a program that provides youth with work experience and life skills to allow them to enter the workforce and work alongside with a PLEA staff membe...
Halperin, R., Kessler, S., & Braunschweiger, D. (2012) Rehabilitation Through The Arts: Impact on Participants’ Engagement in Educational Programs. The Journal of Correctional Education, 63(1), 6-23.
Endless Outreach will network with local schools that have a high number of at-risk students. Provide services such as academic coaching and alternative to suspension programs. The non-profit will also provide training school staff on how to deal with at-risk youth, uninspired students, and how to lower gang activity in the schools. With a firm belief that it takes a village to raise a child, our organization will incorporate the family of the students and as well as school staff to create a plan for success so that the student understand the amount of support he or she has. Endless Outreach understands that much of a child’s problems begin at home. Therefore we will assist parents with employment training, free credit repair and budgeting, and help them receive family counseling from other local agencies in the community.
Programs, policies, and practices are developed for at-risk youth, based on the evidence and research generated from this approach. The basis of such evidence is not to be the deciding factor, as stated above, but to help us identify programs, and policies that benefit our youth in positive ways.
Children are our future and they should be given every possible opportunity to succeed in life even if they are born into disadvantaged situations. Sometimes the families of certain children can’t provide as much as other children’s families and this can create a gap in the achievement and development of these children. Those disadvantaged children need special programing that accommodates for the lack of cognitive and social development that if not properly addressed could lead to poor school performance and delinquency.
Tashea argues, “By investing in recreation centers, we can provide alternatives to delinquency. By providing reception centers, Baltimore could create access to services for our most vulnerable youth” (1). Community centers are safe places for afterschool programs as Wilson and Philip, state, “For many youth, the recreation/drop-in center is a nonthreatening, relatively unstructured place to play sports and hang out in an otherwise high-risk urban area” (73). In Baltimore where the community leaders and stakeholders have brought the at-risk youth problem to the surface, they can start to see some positive outcomes. In positive data about a Baltimore Police Athletic League center Chung, et al., notes, “A study of the Goodnow Police Athletic League (PAL) center in northeast Baltimore, the first center to open in May 1995, also indicated that juvenile arrests dropped nearly 10 percent, the number of armed robberies dropped from 14 to 7, assaults with handguns were eliminated, and common assaults decreased from 32 to 20.3” (16). These statistics further prove that prevention options work effectively, and can greatly improve our American
The majority of youth can be served by these community-based services. Too often incarceration is used as a first step rather than a last resort. By using the money currently spent on incarceration and focusing it on community-based options for treatment and supervision that keep youth close to home should lead to more productive future adults.
Kent, Adam. 2009. “Vulnerable Youth and the Transition to Adulthood.” Table 1. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Office of Human Services Policy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC. http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/09/vulnerableyouth/3/index.pdf.
Because these schools don’t have enough money to provide the resources to educate their students, it is likely they are unable to expend funds on sports activities. This results in sports programs being cut first, right behind music and art. Since many of these programs offer a way for adolescents to escape reality, it is a necessity that we fund these programs. Sports programs are a way for adolescents to experience physical skill development and critical
“Every student in the nation should have an education in the arts.” This is the opening statement of “The Value and Quality of Arts Education: A Statement of Principles,” a document from the nation’s ten most important educational organizations. The basic message is that music and art programs in the schools help our kids and communities in real and substantial ways. There is an abundant amount of facts and information that supports this statement. The benefits of arts education can be narrowed down into 4 basic categories: success in developing intelligence, success in ...
Art Education is not always valued in school settings. Although some may see it as an unnecessary use of school funding, there are many who believe it is beneficial to students in more ways than one. There are many different studies that have been conducted to test the effects that art education has on school-aged children. Some studies have proven that art education can help students to improve in other academic areas. In a journal article from Ohio State University’s “Theory in Practice,” Karen A Hamblen states, “There are linkages between art learning and learning in other subjects areas and that art study can promote creative behaviors, critical thinking skills, and academic achievement.” It has also been found that the arts can teach children better self-regulatory strategies, and even foster more confidence and self-efficacy in school which relates to confidence in academics. Overall, art education in schools has been very beneficial and has proven to ignite creativity, confidence, critical thinking skills, and academic achievement in students.
Teens today face a lot of pressure. Many students deal with difficult life situations that hinder them from focusing on their futures. This can lead to a loss of interest in school and school events, such as a sports, clubs, or after school programs. Teens start to prioritize other things over their education. Every year, over 1.2 million students will leave school without earning a high school diploma in the United States alone (“11”). That’s a student every 26 seconds – or 7,000 a day (“11”). The United States, which used to have the highest graduation rates of any country, now ranks 22nd out of 27 developed countries (“11”). Students may not realize that by dropping out of high school they are more likely to commit crimes, become parents at a young age, use and abuse alcohol and drugs, and live in poverty (“Drop”). Dropouts make up the majority of those