Notion of At-Risk Youth

The notion of at-risk youth is difficult in a sense that people of different ideologies interpret them in different ways. At-risk youth are labelled as deprived, alienated, disadvantaged, underprivileged, and marginalized group of children. Vulnerable in nature, the marginalized youth have some common problems destroying their prospect of life: poverty, disintegration of family ties, addiction to drug, want of literacy in the family, and lack of good parenting. Many believe that these ill-fated youth and their families account for their de-motivation. Even teachers blame and stigmatize these youth for their de-motivation, and thus, they accelerate the process of marginalization of the youth already marginalized either structurally or culturally. However, some opine otherwise. According to them, there is no wrong with students; the wrong is with schools which fail to give what students want and need. The syllabus, system of education, the ways the teachers teach cannot interest students. So, they (students) feel de-motivated to study.  Social   structure does also account for the predicament of the marginalized youth. To elucidate, social system accelerates the process of their marginalization, and wedges them to not unify with and integrate into the mainstream of the society. The marginalized youth share the legacy of marginalization that plagues their families for years, and as such, they are in a perpetual chasm from which they cannot get out. It's a big challenge for schools to deal with the marginalized youth or youth "at risk". To de-marginalize the marginalized is a mammoth task for schools because all schools don't have physical and material ability to extend all sorts of supports needed by the troubled youth. To protect the at-risk youth from ruin, alternative syllabus and active participation of teachers, administrators, parents, and policy makers are needed.