Chapter 1
Introduction
At-risk youth programs have been growing on a swift pace in the United States. Most youth programs differ in syllabus, but most emphasize the relationship between a disadvantaged or troubled youngster and a caring adult (Foster, et al, 2002). The relationship basically promotes caring and guidance, with the purpose to educate the youth to view life in a much better perspective and negotiate with it in the best possible way.
As more and more youth are beginning to lose hope for the future, the need for at-risk youth programs arises. Child-care advocates claim that up to 15% of 16-to 19-year-olds are at risk of never reaching their potential and simply becoming lost in society (Stephen, 1997). Others would add to this category children of any age if they were at risk of not becoming self-supporting adults, leading for a life in institutions for delinquency, crime, mental illness, addiction, and dependency. We could also describe as "at risk" those teens and preteens who take on child rearing themselves and drop out of school (Stephen, 1997).
The task of saving at-risk youths has become increasingly formidable. Intensifying the problem are the expanding gap between the rich and poor, the increasing number of single-parent households, the rise of homes where both parents work, the glorification of guns and its accessibility to teenagers, and the recent increase in negative attitudes about children, such as courts that treat younger and younger children as adult criminals.
This results into rebellion and deviancy that would affect the lives of at-risk youth’s future. Some would seek the company of peers, engaging in criminal activities, pre-marital sex, flunking in school and many other negative repercussions.
The important role of at-risks youth programs can be based on these facts. Of course, having youth at risk is not a problem unique to the United States. Wars, social upheaval, rapidly changing economic systems, political instability, and cultural animosity have placed millions of children at risk around the world. Children die of starvation while others wander aimlessly in search of home and family (Stephen, 1997). But with the help of programs specifically conducted to give hope to children at lost, the increasing number of anti-social youth behaviors would likely be countered, and the number of youth who would be educated on how to handle life would increase.
The need to conduct a study about at-risk youth programs stems from the fact that no one could just blatantly say that a particular program is effective. Theoretical and empirical basis is important in actualizing such programs’ claim.
This dissertation study generally focuses on the programs proven to be effective in raising self-esteem in at-risk youth. This includes the discussions of at-risk youth, the causes of at-risk youth, and several programs that specifically enhance at-risk youth capability to excel. Specifically, this dissertation explores the different programs, which aim to raise self-esteem in at-risk youth and to know why some programs fail. At this point, the need of at-risk youth for at-risk youth programs is discussed; while effectiveness of at-risk youth programs to at-risk youth, and the factors that affect the success and effectiveness of a program in terms of raising self-esteem in at-risk youth is examined.
This chapter discusses in detail the background, context and theme of the study. Moreover, the objectives of the study and the research statements are presented. Here, vital concepts, questions and assumptions are stated. Finally, the scope and limitation of the study, overview of the methodology used and the significance of the research are discussed.
Background of the Study
The loose definition of at-risk youth refers to those youth most likely to fail in school and the labor market. Furthermore, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act adopted by Congress defines "youth at risk" as a youth at risk of educational failure or dropping out of school or involvement in delinquent activities (Brown & Sevcik, 1999). Leading to this condition involves many factors. One factor could be the perspective change in environment. Another could be the family background of the youth; drunkard father, nagger mother, broken family, etc. This changes attitudes and behaviors, which sometimes lead to juvenile delinquency. On the other hand, most families of at-risk cannot afford such key social and educational assistance. This was the reason why most youth in the 80s have not been rehabilitated. Their self-esteem has remained very low and their at-risk behavior, which leads to severe antisocial outcomes, continues to occur just like what's happening in today's at-risk who fails to be rehabilitated. Thus, society has felt the destructive manifestations of their actions (Frank, 1996).
The extent to which youth are labeled at-risk varies according to different authorities from psychology, education, sociology, and other fields (Astroh, 1993). Some authorities maintain that all youth are born at high risk (Glenn & Nelsen, 1988). Others estimate that one-quarter of 10-17 year olds are at-risk Dryfoos, 1990). In more recent development, the number of youth in their high-risk years who commit offenses will increase: by 2010, 10- to 14-year-old juvenile offenders are projected to increase by about 6 percent, while ages 15 to 19 are expected to increase nearly 20 percent Brown & Sevcik, 1999).
Effective at-risk youth programs begin with determining who are going to be served. It is through them that programs determine the kinds of designs that are most appropriate for at-risk youth and the policies needed to support an effective high performance youth training system.
According to Astroh (1993), broad generalizations about youth can detract from targeted efforts to address real-not perceived-problems in local communities. The rise in the number of children living in official poverty and the increase in the number of children living in families headed by a single parent have led some to assume that this situation has caused an increase in at-risk behavior b youth (Dalton, 1998). This increase has sought the need for a program that specifically targets the rehabilitation of an at-risk youth.
More specifically, there are some methods in defining at-risk youth such as the Group Characteristics and the Skill Levels (Center for Human Resources, 1993). In the first method, at-risk population is defined in terms of demographic characteristics-having low income, being black or Hispanic, having dropped out of school, or receiving welfare. More recently, behavioral characteristics such as court-involvement, teen parenting and substance abuse have been identified as additional risk factors. At-risk youth, then, are frequently defined in terms of a list of characteristics, or combinations of characteristics (CHR, 1993).
Many states depend exclusively on these kinds of demographic indicators to define the at-risk population, because of the strong research base (CHR, 1993). However, the major drawback to using only group characteristics is that when used in planning, they tend to mask the real skill issues that need to be addressed (CHR, 1993).
The Skill Levels approach defines at-risk youth in terms of specific skill deficits or levels of employability; it focuses much more specifically on skills, which can be matched up more directly with employer expectations (CHR, 1993). However, some practitioners argue that a purely skill-based definition fails to take into account important social and cultural barriers to employment (CHR, 1993).
To address this problem, CHR (1993) comes up with a "hybrid" definition. Here, one might define at-risk youth as those who are dropouts, or minorities, or teen parents and who lack specific educational and/or work skills. The purpose of a hybrid definition is to gain the advantages of the skill approach - that is, targeting those with clearly specified employment skill needs while formally recognizing some of the social factors that exacerbate the risks of failure in the labor market (CHR, 1993). By including demographic and/or social characteristics, the hybrid approach may also make it easier for youth serving agencies to develop common definitions.
According to Astroh (1993), at-risk youth has become a lens through which all young people are viewed so that adolescence itself is seen today as some awful, incurable disease. As Lofquist (1992) observes, the reliance on a deficit-focused, diagnosed problem model to frame youth behavior has fostered an overly negative perspective and a limited vision. The overly negative treatment of the current generation of young people is evident in several areas (Astroh, 1993).
To meet the needs of at-risk youth, the community needs to respond by developing intervention services for them that focus on building self-esteem, alternative leisure patterns, redirecting inappropriate lifestyles or behaviors, developing personal skills, assisting with pre-employment training, development of morals and values and enhancing the quality of life through positive recreation experiences (Brown & Sevcik, 1999).
According to the Association of African American Role Models (2003), one of most overlooked qualities missing in today's at-risk youth is the building, maintaining, and utilizing self-esteem to achieve personal growth and success. Raising low self-esteem can be a difficult process but one that is surely successful with the intervention of an effective program-- empowering and counseling at-risk youth to visualize themselves as productive members of their communities (AAARM, 2003). Moreover, teaching self-esteem becomes a process that is continued by the at-risk youth themselves as their positive and productive attitudes permeate their interactions with those around them (AAARM, 2003).
Brown and Sevcik (1999) state that recreational programs build self-esteem, self-discipline, commitment and teamwork. Moreover, Therapeutic recreation plays an important role in reaching at-risk youth (Brown & Sevcik, 1999). Similarly, the 1992 Decima Report (1992) shows that through cultural alternatives, youth essential life skills including responsibility, self-esteem, cooperation, discipline and patience are built. Cultural activity builds self-discipline and perseverance in our youth; learning to play a musical instrument, rehearsing a play or executing a mosaic mural requires long hours of practice, focus and perseverance, all components of self-discipline, a trait that many at-risk youth are desperately lacking. (Americans for the Arts, 1997)
In a more recent report by the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities (1999), organized youth activities can deter risky behavior in adolescents; students who participate in band, orchestra, chorus or a school play are significantly less likely than non-participants to drop out of school, be arrested, use drugs or engage in binge drinking (SasCultre, 2003).
Under this therapeutic recreational program, three methods of service are combined: Intervention, Diversion, and Prevention (Brown & Sevcik, 1999). The program involves at-risk youth in a school-directed recreational program within the community, developing an awareness of and interest in opportunities available to them outside the school day; enables them to experience fun leisure activities; and to develop healthy friendships, good sportsmanship, mentoring with individuals within the community and healthy leisure interests (Brown & Sevcik, 1999).
Conceptual/Theoretical Framework
This part shows the necessary inputs, processes, and outputs, which this study needs and eventually produce regarding the evaluation of the effectiveness of the programs and its areas of improvement in terms of self-esteem. The input/output model will be used as the theoretical basis.
Figure 1. Conceptual Framework
Objectives of the Study
The primary objective of this study is to explore the different programs, which specifically aim to raise self-esteem in at-risk youth. This study investigates the success of some programs as well as the failure of the others. In addressing this objective, the researcher examines the different strategies and techniques employed in these programs. Literature shows that therapeutic recreation programs and their employment of cultural activities have a positive effect in building self-esteem. In this dissertation, case studies are presented and afterwards, the researcher will try to find what are the areas for improvement in terms of raising self-esteem.
This research also defines "who" is an at-risk youth, and the signs that would give a hint that the youth is at-risk. Its definition is vital to the designing of an effective at-risk youth program. Further, the researcher conducts a survey with at-risk youth in relation to their perception of the programs provided for them. A focus group discussion with those who are working with at-risk youth is also conducted. Based on the results of the research, the researcher provides insightful recommendations in implementing an effective and successful program that is of vast help in raising an at-risk youth's self-esteem.
Statement of the Problem
This researcher finds the necessity for this study because it specifically tackles how successful programs are in raising at-risk youth's self-esteem. This study intends to know why some programs fail. This dissertation study tries to answer the following queries:
1. What are the needs of at-risk youths in a program?
2. What are the factors that affect the success and effectiveness of a
program in terms of raising self-esteem in at-risk youth?
3. How effective is the therapeutic recreation program?
4. What are the measures that should be done to improve a program?
Hypotheses of the Study
1. Most at-risk youth programs are successful in developing the self-
esteem of at-risk youths.
2. Some programs fail because of the minimal number of volunteers and
lack of strategic impact that would persuade the at-risk youth to seek
their programs.
3. The programs can be improved if the walls of traditional schools are
broken down and the leadership of alternative programs understand
the cultural backgrounds that students bring to school as well as the
non-formal methods of such successful programs.
Scope and Limitation
This research study will only cover American male and female at-risk youth who are currently under a program and whose ages range from 13 to 18. Thus, the programs discussed in the entire study are from the United States, although, some programs from other countries might be briefly tackled. This study focuses on the determination of what causes a program intended to raise self-esteem in at-risk youth, to succeed or to fail. Further, this study operates based on its definition of at-risk youth.
The outcome of this study is limited only to the data gathered from sociology books and journals and from the primary data gathered from the result of the questionnaire survey and interview that has been conducted by the researcher.
The conclusion and recommendation will only apply to programs, which specifically aims to boost self-esteem in at-risk youth. Its application to other sociological domain of helping at-risk youth will need further research.
Overview of the Methodology
The primary research and secondary research is used in this study. Primary research was conducted by using questionnaire surveys that has been sent to randomly selected at-risk youth who are currently under a program. Through this questionnaire survey, the researcher tries to find out the level of their self-esteem. The researcher also conducted focus group interview with the social workers who work with these youth. The researcher tries to find out how are they dealing with at-risk youth.
The questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data and the interviews were used to provide qualitative insights into the data collected.
As stated above, this research partially based its findings through quantitative research methods because this permits a flexible and literative approach. In the data gathering, the choice and design of methods were constantly modified, based on ongoing analysis. This has allowed the investigation of important new issues about raising self-esteem in at-risk youth within a program and questions as they arise, and allowed the investigator to drop unproductive areas of research from the original research plan.
This study also employs qualitative research method because it attempts to find and build theories that would explain the relationship of one variable with another variable through qualitative elements in research. Through this method, qualitative elements that do not have standard measures such as behavior, attitudes, opinions, and beliefs within the restaurants were analyzed. Furthermore qualitative research is multimethod in focus, involving an interpretative, naturalistic approach to its subject matter. This means that qualitative researchers study things in their natural settings, attempting to make sense of, or interpret phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to them.
The data collection instrument is a structured questionnaire that is based on Likert scale. A Likert Scale is a rating scale that requires the subject to indicate his or her degree of agreement or disagreement with a statement. By rating scale we mean the scales that are usually used to measure attitudes towards an object, the degree to which an object contains a particular attribute, (Like or dislike), toward some attribute, or the importance attached to an attribute.
The focus group discussion, on the other hand, is conducted with the consent of the administrators.
The secondary sources of data come from published articles from Sociology journals, books and related studies on at-risk youth and programs intended to raise self-esteem in at-risk youth.
For this research design, the researcher gathers data, collates published studies from different local and foreign universities and articles from social science journals; and makes a content analysis of the collected documentary and verbal material. Afterwards, the researcher summarizes all the information; make a conclusion based on the null hypotheses posited and provided insightful recommendations on the dealing with organizational management.
Significance of the StudyThis study will be a significant endeavor in boosting self-esteem in at-risk youth. This study will be helpful to social workers this will serve as a guide for them when dealing with at-risk kids. By understanding the needs of these children, in terms of their self-esteem, and presenting the cause of failures of some programs, administrators will be able to design means in raising self-esteem. This could lead to the success of the program.
Definition of Terms
The researcher has defined the following terms operationally to suit the needs of the academic needs of the study.
At-risk youth refers to those youth most likely to fail in school and the labor market.
At-risk youth programs programs that are specially dedicated in improving the self-esteem of at-risk youth and their place in society.
Juvenile delinquency conduct by a juvenile characterized by antisocial behavior that is beyond parental control and therefore subject to legal action; a violation of the law committed by a juvenile and not punishable by death or life imprisonment.
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act enacted in 1974 to respond to widespread concerns about juvenile crime and the treatment of juveniles in the criminal justice system.
Pre-marital sex teens engaging in sexual activities without the legality of marriage or before the marrying age.
Rehabilitation to restore to a former capacity: to restore to good repute : reestablish the good name of.
Therapeutic recreation a field of broad applications and diverse service populations: translates into a variety of career environments with opportunities for enrichment of depth and new practice at all disability and age levels.
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