The term “at-risk” is widely used in public safety, but there can be many definitions of the term. This is due to the flexibility of the concept and its application to different populations. Programs need to identify clearly what risks participants face and how the extent and effects of those risks are to be measured. Of course, designing effective programs requires a complete understanding of social structure, historical context, economic inequities, and human behavior. This must include more than an assessment of risk (Catalano et al. 2004; National Research Council 2013). Agencies should devote just as much effort to ensuring protective factors, or what are sometimes called strengths and assets, in a developmental or positive model.
For example, the risks that often hinder adolescent and young adult development are critical intervention targets. Some examples of risks that may affect young people include:
- Negative peer relationships
- Anti-social behavior
- Substance abuse
- Unplanned pregnancy
- Dropping out of school
- Academic disengagement; truancy
- Unemployment; underemployment in young adulthood, and later
- Youth or criminal justice contact, and
- Impaired development of life-skills.
Broadly, the term “at-risk” describes someone who may not have acquired the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes to mature into a successful and responsible member of the community (Dryfoos 1990). Such risks can be exacerbated by a variety of environmental stressors, including but not limited to:
- Low socioeconomic status
- High-crime neighborhood
- Family stress and disruption
- Low individual/parental education levels, and
- Inadequate social support.
Various assessment tools are used by public agencies to identify the environmental stressors and individual risk factors that may be affecting behavior. Assessment tools may also help to match individuals with appropriate interventions. Some interventions may be directly related to the behavior that brought people to the attention of the justice system, but other preventive interventions may be helpful even if they are not court-ordered or court-monitored.
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References
Catalano, Richard F., M. Lisa Berglund, Heather S. Lonczak, and J. David Hawkins (2004). Positive youth development in the United States: Research findings on evaluations of positive youth development programs. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 591(1): 98-124.
Dryfoos, Joy G. (1990). Adolescents at risk: Prevalence and prevention. New York: Oxford University Press.
National Research Council (2013). Reforming juvenile justice: A developmental approach. Richard J. Bonnie, Robert L. Johnson, Betty M. Chemers, and Julie A. Schuck (Editors). Washington, DC: National Research Council of the National Academies.
Rima, Dzhansarayeva, Gulzhan Mukhamadieva, Erbol Alimkulov, Saltanat Duzbayeva and Kevin M. Beaver (2022). An analysis of protective and risk factors associated with no formal contact with the criminal justice system in a nationally representative sample of males and females. Journal of Crime and Justice, 46(2): 267-281.
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