At-Risk Youth Definitions
I recently heard an educator say, "Show me a youth, and I'll show you a youth at risk."
At-risk youth has been a bit of a catch-all phrase for any so called, "troubled" or "lost" kid. This can mean that they come from a household that makes under a certain amount of money, or their parents use drugs. It could also be that the kids themselves use drugs or alcohol. Maybe they're skipping school, running away, or just not coming home. It could be that they are sexually active, or participating in other questionable activities. Maybe the child is exhibiting signs of family conflict, gang affiliation, abuse, or emotional outbursts. In some cases, I even hear at-risk youth being youth that come from a household where no one has graduated from high school. There are many reasons that a youth can be considered being at risk.
If any of these above descriptions sounds like someone you know and you live in the Snohomish County area,
you may want to become familiar with the resources available for At-Risk Youth and their families.
At-risk youth has been a bit of a catch-all phrase for any so called, "troubled" or "lost" kid. This can mean that they come from a household that makes under a certain amount of money, or their parents use drugs. It could also be that the kids themselves use drugs or alcohol. Maybe they're skipping school, running away, or just not coming home. It could be that they are sexually active, or participating in other questionable activities. Maybe the child is exhibiting signs of family conflict, gang affiliation, abuse, or emotional outbursts. In some cases, I even hear at-risk youth being youth that come from a household where no one has graduated from high school. There are many reasons that a youth can be considered being at risk.
If any of these above descriptions sounds like someone you know and you live in the Snohomish County area,
you may want to become familiar with the resources available for At-Risk Youth and their families.
