Posts Tagged ‘teen risk’
At Risk Teens
There are many organizations and programs that target the at-risk community, aiming to help those who deal with issues like disease, low income, homelessness, abuse, drug addiction and other situations that interfere with daily living. This community has also been referred to as the “disadvantaged,” but terms like these are now less frequently used due to concerns of political correctness and attributing detrimental labels to a population that already deals with significant troubles. People at risk are indeed disadvantaged, but calling them such might perpetuate a sense of inferiority and stigmatize them. “At-risk” is a more appropriate term because it signifies that the individual needs help, but that they aren’t necessarily helpless.
The at risk community includes people of all ages, but some programs focus on at risk teens in particular because adolescence is seen as a crucial age where individuals are leaving childhood and taking greater responsibility, but they haven’t yet reached the age where they have to take on the responsibilities of adults.