Every day in the United States, 202 children are arrested for violent crimes, and 377 children are arrested for drug crimes. Every day, 2,175 children are confirmed as abused or neglected, and every day, 2,222 high school students drop out. These numbers, according to a study in December 2009 by the Children’s Defense Fund, confirm that at-risk youth is a problem in our country.

At-risk youth can be defined as any person under 18 that faces violence in schools, an unstable family structure, drug abuse, pressure from the media, gang activity or a combination of any of these, according to At-Risk.org. Teenagers who don’t know how to cope with these pressures are more likely to abuse drugs and get involved with crime; many of these teenagers run away and end up in jail or on the streets.

Fortunately for Central Florida, multiple organizations are working to prevent children from becoming at-risk youth and are helping those that are already considered at-risk.

The Cherokee School, located on South Eola Drive in Orlando, is for students that have significant emotional problems. Through the school, faculty addresses behavioral and academic needs and build a curriculum for each student based on those. The school also offers individual counseling, social skill development, mentoring and guest appearances from the staff at the Florida Department of Corrections, according to Marcia Gilliam, the project manager of Orange County Schools’ SEDNET, the Multiagency Network for Students with Severe Emotional Disturbance. She stresses that getting an education is necessary for an at-risk youth.

“Education is the key to their future,” she says. “Dropping out of school is not an option.”

All 63 students at the Cherokee School are at-risk, according to Gilliam. Most students are African-American males of low socioeconomic status living in a single-parent household with the mother working two jobs or making minimum wage. They live in high-risk areas where gangs and drugs exist with extended family members and rarely have their own bed or bedroom. “Most important, [our students] lack a positive male role model,” Gilliam says.

One such student has attended the Cherokee School for four years lacking a positive male role model, but this hasn’t stopped his success. Having a history of attention deficit hyperactivity problems, which would cause him to attack staff and peers, Gilliam says he transitioned in 2009. The school and his family developed an effective behavioral intervention plan that included his parents’ involvement and participation in monthly meetings.

“He was placed on level systems that required him to earn privileges and rewards based on the number of points he earned,” Gilliam says. “He received counseling and had a mentor who believed in him. Being consistent and holding him accountable for his actions allowed him to learn how to take responsibility.”

Another way for at-risk youth to become responsible is by getting a job, a service that Workforce Central Florida has helped at-risk youth do in the past through their Summer Connections Program. The program provides summer work experience in local jobs for young adults ages 16-21 who come from a low socioeconomic status. Last year, 1,200 young adults were placed in the program at 225 local employers, according to Kimberly Cornett, vice president of communications and business development at Workforce Central Florida.

“WCF’s Summer Connection Program is great news for everyone,” Cornett says. “Young adults are exposed to new job opportunities, build their resumes, and earn some cash, while employers can make a difference in their lives by expanding their skills during the internships.”

If you know an at-risk youth, Gilliam suggests making contact with the child and the family as well, if they are willing. She also encourages parents to contact their son or daughter’s school guidance counselor for resources in the community if they believe their child is at-risk. While parents may initiate an intervention, a child has to be the one to finish it.

“Character is so important, because it takes courage,” she says. “It requires doing what is right, not what’s easy or popular.”

Looking for Help?

• If there is no guidance support from the school, contact the school district to talk to the district counselor for elementary, middle or high school at 407-317-3200.

• Student Assistance and Family Empowerment: for middle school resources on bullying, violence, and drugs, 407-317-3327.

• Youth and Family Services Division: for youth and families experiencing crisis or difficulties at home or school, 407-897-6370.

• Workforce Central Florida Summer Connection Program: to apply, www.WorkforceCentralFlorida.com/SummerWork.

Article by Nicole Lauber