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If you think about it, it seems to be a great privilege to have happy childhood and youth. Such simple things as complete family, normal relationships with parents and siblings, nice neighborhood, good and loyal friends, clear life objectives and expectations, etc., are not that simple and obvious for many teenagers nowadays.
Usually life of a teen is colored by many different aspects – family, school, desires, self-esteem, company, etc. Problems with family can result in low school performance and low self-esteem. These facts can provoke a teen to seek comprehension in different environment – which is not always safe and successful. A good company of loyal friends can help a teenager to develop his/her personality. A large body of young, jobless, aimless and intolerant young people can only harm their peers and environment.
The most common risks that youth is exposed to nowadays are alcohol and substance abuse, violence, involvement in gangs, early sexual contacts and pregnancy. All these situations can be deeply intertwined and be the result of each other. Although it is not truth for 100% teenagers, there are certain factors that place a teen into a risk group. We can divide these factors into such groups:
Individual
- mood disorders;
- ADD / ADHD;
- antisocial beliefs and views;
- early involvement with drugs, alcohol or tobacco;
- involvement into offensive activities;
- low IQ;
- poor behavioral control;
- no long-term goals;
- lack of clear life expectations.
Family
- bad family relationships;
- pressure of parents;
- exposure to violence and family conflicts;
- lack of involvement as a child;
- low parental education and income;
- poor parental control and supervision;
- low emotional attachment to parents.
Peer / school
- associations with delinquent peers;
- school bullying;
- social rejection by peers;
- poor involvement in conventional activities;
- poor academic performance.
Neighborhood / community
- diminished economic opportunities;
- high concentration of poor and/or offensive residents;
- low community participation;
- high level of family disruption.
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