Youth at Risk: Another Point of View

The major contribution of this article is to address the lack of knowledge regarding homeless youth’s experiences of risk, from their point of view. The youth at-risk field has become a burgeoning area of research that tends to magnify vulnerabilities, yet limits our understanding of complex youth experiences. It is important to highlight another dimension of the homeless youth experience that has rarely been promoted, and that is one of adaptability and creativity encompassed within a framework of survivability and resilience - notions that often necessitate taking risks. Drawing on a longitudinal ethnographic study with 18 homeless youth (aged 16 and 17 years old) in Ottawa (Canada), this article paints a more complex understanding of the struggles youth face, in terms of structural (social assistance, housing) and symbolic (stigma, social representations, and identity constructs) constraints. This analysis adds complexity to youth-at-risk discourses and displays the challenges they encounter and the resilient ways in which they seek to overcome obstacles. This paper supports a movement towards recognizing youth strengths and the heterogeneity of their experiences.

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Text Messaging Reaches Youth at Risk for STDs

Internal Medicine News ◽

10.1016/s1097-8690(07)70923-x ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 40 (15) ◽

pp. 21

Author(s):

JOHN R. BELL

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Text Messaging ◽

Youth At Risk

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Early Identification of Youth at Risk for Suicidal Behavior

Crisis ◽

10.1027/0227-5910/a000569 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 40 (5) ◽

pp. 326-332

Author(s):

Ivonne Andrea Florez ◽

Devon LoParo ◽

Nakia Valentine ◽

Dorian A. Lamis

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Early Identification ◽

Suicide Risk ◽

Psychiatric Symptoms ◽

Demographic Factors ◽

Health Centers ◽

Lack Of Information ◽

Youth At Risk ◽

Logistic Regressions ◽

Lethal Means

Abstract. Background: Early identification and appropriate referral services are priorities to prevent suicide. Aims: The aim of this study was to describe patterns of identification and referrals among three behavioral health centers and determine whether youth demographic factors and type of training received by providers were associated with identification and referral patterns. Method: The Early Identification Referral Forms were used to gather the data of interest among 820 youth aged 10–24 years who were screened for suicide risk (females = 53.8%). Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regressions were conducted to examine significant associations. Results: Significant associations between gender, race, and age and screening positive for suicide were found. Age and race were significantly associated with different patterns of referrals and/or services received by youths. For providers, being trained in Counseling on Access to Lethal Means was positively associated with number of referrals to inpatient services. Limitations: The correlational nature of the study and lack of information about suicide risk and comorbidity of psychiatric symptoms limit the implications of the findings. Conclusion: The results highlight the importance of considering demographic factors when identifying and referring youth at risk to ensure standard yet culturally appropriate procedures to prevent suicide.

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