Seven million youngsters have only limited potential for becoming productive adults because they are at high risk for encountering serious problems at home, in school, or in their communities. This is one of the disturbing findings in this overview of what is known about young people aged 10 to 17 growing up in the US today. This text explores four problem areas that are the subject of a great deal of public interest & social concern: delinquency, substance abuse, teen pregnancy, & school failure. In examining these problem areas, Dryfoos has three objectives: to present a more cogent picture of youngsters who are at risk of problem behaviours & where they fit in society; to synthesize the experience of programs that have been successful in changing various aspects of these behaviours; & to propose strategies for using this knowledge base to implement more effective approaches to helping youngsters succeed. |