Venturing Into Discourse– Another Look At The Issue Of Youth At Risk

Abstract

It is said that youth serves as a mirror of the communities they live in so it is no wonder that youth at risk is an issue of concern in many countries around the world. Definitions of youth at risk refer to educational issues (low achievements, low attendance, and dropping out of school), behavioural issues (use of drugs and drinking problems, dangerous and promiscuous behaviours) and social characteristics and deficiencies (such as race, socio-economic status, gender and tendency to get in trouble with the law). Youth is regarded as a transitory (and difficult) period, leading up to adulthood, therefore different educational models are used in order to prepare this youth for adulthood and participation in the mainstream workforce. This paper will provide a short survey of literature regarding mainly educational work conducted with youth at risk in a number of western countries. It will aim to examine discourse on the subject of youth at risk and point out the need to continue and strengthen the process of changing this discourse from a "change-theyouth" approach which places full responsibility on the young individuals, to a "change-the-system" outlook -whereby governments and organizations take the responsibility for initiating change in dealing with youth at risk.