Many social critics argue that today's youth face more serious and critical risks than any previous generation. Parents are convinced that their children face a major crisis. Most experts will agree that violence in schools, deteriorating family structure, substance abuse, alarming media images, and gang activity put teens at risk.

     Teenagers who have trouble coping with the stresses of life are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, engage in criminal activity, are sexually promiscuous, and attempt suicide. Many of these at-risk teens run away and eventually find themselves locked up in detention centers or living on the streets.

    If a teen is experiencing more than four of the following warning signs, they could be at risk.

    1. Has the teen ever been suspended, expelled, been truant, or had their grades drop?

    2. Is the teen verbally abusive?

    3. Does the teen struggle with basic family rules and expectations?

    4. Does the parent have difficulty getting the teen to do basic household chores and homework?

    5. Has the teen had problems with the law?

    6. Does the parent have to pick their words carefully when speaking to the teen, so as not to elicit a   verbal attack or even rage from them?

    7. Is the teen in danger of dropping out of high school?

    8. Does the teen associate with a suspect peer group?

    9. Has the teen lost interest in former productive activities, sports, hobbies, or childhood friends?

    10. Has the teen ever displayed any evidence of suicide?

    11. Does the teen seem depressed / withdrawn?

    12. Does the teen ever display violent behavior?

    13. Is the teen sexually promiscuous?

    14. Has the teen's appearance or personal hygiene changed?

    15. Is the teen deceitful and manipulative?

    16. Has the teen been caught stealing money or personal items from their family?

    17. Is the teen severely lacking in motivation?

    18. Does the teen sometimes lie regarding their activities?

    19. Does the teen display outbursts of temper?

    20. Does the teen lack self-worth and self-esteem?

    21. Does the teen defy established rules regardless of the consequences?

    22. When trying to deal with the teen, do the parents feel powerless?

    23. Does the teen have a problem with authority?

    24. Do the parents suspect the teen is experimenting with drugs or alcohol?

What makes a young person at risk? There are many ways of defining 'at risk'. Your child can be involved in a totally different situation to another teen yet both can be at risk. Probably the best way to discover if your teen is at risk is to ask if they fit into one or more of the categories below.

Is this your teen?

Is your teen in trouble at school? Are their grades dropping? Do they clash with other students and/or with members of staff? Are they disinterested in school? Are they playing truant?
Is your teen in trouble at home? Do they refuse to obey their parents? Do they spend long periods of time in their room? Do they argue with their siblings? Are they abusive to family members? Do they refuse to help out with family chores or perform them badly?
Is your teen running around with the wrong crowd? Do you know where your teen is, especially at night? Do you know what your teen is doing when they go out? Do you know the family of the friends your teen hangs out with?
Is your teen in trouble with the law? Obviously if they have been arrested you will know they are in trouble. But has your teen been warned by the police? Are the police keeping an eye on the gang your teen is a part of? Does your teen regard law enforcement officers in a derogatory and prejudicial manner?
Is your teen sick? Taking drugs even the so-called soft drugs can have a bad effect on your child's health. Have they lost their appetite? Do they seem depressed? Have they lost their self-respect? Do they take little or no interest in their appearance?
Is your teen sexually active? Are they aware of the dangers of unprotected sex? Are they mature enough to develop a responsible attitude to intimacy? Are they sexually ignorant and likely to be part of an unwanted pregnancy?
Is your teen a thief? Do you notice money missing from your purse or wallet? Does your teen have items for which they couldn't pay considering their allowance? Do you suspect your teen might be involved in shoplifting or other crimes?
Is your teen involved with drugs and/or alcohol? Have you found evidence of these substances in their room or in their clothes? Does their behavior suggest they are involved with drugs? Do they drink alcohol openly at home?
Is your teen emotionally unstable? Do they fly off the handle? Are they often angry? Do they react strongly when questioned?
Is your teen unable or unwilling to communicate? Have you tried to talk calmly with your teen but hit a brick wall? Does your teen avoid talking to you?

It's easy to see how many young people fall into the at-risk category. The availability of drugs and alcohol, the easy access to motor vehicles and the internet, rave parties and the like provide teens with a host of opportunities to get into trouble. And apart from the tragic human cost, politicians and others can see the economic cost of damaged youth.

It is said that a failed marriage can cost the economy in a number of ways:

Two living areas means an increase in the carbon footprint that family now makes.
An increase in government grants and pensions.
The costs associated with treating young people and others who suffer from family breakdown.

That is why governments of every level are paying attention to the subject. They are looking at how troubled youth are being treated. They are questioning the aims and methods of youth care programs.

The National Initiative Task Force on Youth-at-Risk is a federal initiative and typical of the action being taken regarding young people today and the troubles many find themselves in.

But of course while a national overview is essential, the nitty-gritty of caring for kids happens in the home and at a local level.

The federal government task force may talk long and hard about the role of schools in helping youth and ensuring that adequate funding is available on a continuous basis to support health departments and youth workers, but every parent with a troubled teen wants specific and immediate answers.

That is why such places as wilderness camps have become so popular and so successful. They target youth and address the problems which put the teens in the at-risk scenario.

The programs on offer by such camps have been created by experienced professionals, are tried and tested and are administered by teachers and counselors who are dedicated to their vocation of helping kids.

Sadly these camps and schools for troubled teens have no shortage of clients as more and more kids find themselves in trouble.

Working with at-risk youth has become a booming industry. And it is an industry in which the good survive. The aim of such programs is to not just help the teen during their stay in the camp or school, but to give them the skills, the attitudes and self-esteem to return to their families as a new person for life.

Much time, money and effort has been spent and still is to perfect and hone the programs on offer to at-risk youth. The teens are a precious cargo and their future can be changed for good with the right program in the right facility.

States and counties within states are giving resources and employing specialists to tackle the problem of at-risk youth. Of course the ideal situation would be prevention rather than cure. But if and when a young person gets into trouble, it is pleasing to know there are people, places and programs all designed to get the youth at-risk away from their problems and return them to being a happy and self-respecting young adult.