High Risk Lifestyles Among Youths in Los Angeles

High Risk Youths in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is one of the cities that have had numerous challenges, particularly violence that has been a major issue for more than two decades. While the city is relatively safe and tranquil, unprecedented violence in some of its high crime zones continues to be a problem. The situation of gang violence and crime has reached unprecedented levels and requires significant response. One of the major factors that have characterized increased crime levels in Los Angeles is high risk youths. Actually, many youths in this city are engaged in criminal behaviors and activities that continue to raise numerous questions and concerns on how to effectively deal with crime and violence problem in Los Angeles. The most suitable approach for dealing with this problem involves examining the challenges faced by youths in this city that lead to high risk lifestyles and how education can be a helpful tool in addressing the problem.

Challenges Faced by Youths in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is a city with one of the extremely high rates of crime and incarceration, especially among young people. While law enforcement agencies and personnel have made several efforts to deal with this problem, the city is still characterized by high risk youths. Gang prevention programs and comprehensive intervention measures and strategies that have been adopted by the agencies have been relatively ineffective in dealing with high risk youths ("Citywide Gang Activity Reduction Strategy," n.d.). The major reason for high risk youths and high rates of crime in Los Angeles is because of challenges experienced by young people that are specific to its demographic.

One of the major challenges faced by youths leading high risk lifestyles in the Los Angeles demographic is distorted family foundations. Family problems have been at the center of criminal activity and include various factors such as history of criminal activity within the family. Distorted family foundation is a major issue for high risk youths that culminate in criminal behavior and involvement in Los Angeles. In a study that profiled youths in Los Angeles in 2013, distorted family foundations were found to be one of the major causes of juvenile delinquency in the city (Bogie, Ereth & Healy, 2013). Based on the study's findings, over two thirds of families in the city were characterized by destructive or insufficient parenting skills. Moreover, approximately 50% of caregivers of families were experiencing mental health problems. Some of the major problems facing caregivers include household relationship issues, minimal social support or drug or alcohol problems. As a result, youths in Los Angeles continue to experience family problems like neglect, abuse, poor relationships, and lack of social support, which in turn leads to high risk lifestyles.

Secondly, youths in Los Angeles face risks and temptations posed by the streets such as gangs and criminal lifestyles, sex, and drugs. As previously mentioned, Los Angeles city is characterized by increased gang membership across the streets. These gangs engage in high risk lifestyles and violence, which has become a routine and part of their daily normal lives. Actually, nearly 75% of gang problems like homicide among youths in California have taken place in Los Angeles County ("Citywide Gang Activity Reduction Strategy, n.d.). While huge amounts of money have been spent on the war on gangs, Los Angeles has nearly six times as many gangs and twice the number of gang members across all cities in California. Therefore, gang lifestyle is a challenge facing youths in Los Angeles leading to high risk lifestyles.

Third, youths in Lost Angeles are highly vulnerable to drug and substance abuse, which is common in the streets. Drug and substance abuse is one of the major factors that contribute to juvenile delinquency and high risk lifestyles in Los Angeles. Youths in this city are not only likely involved in sale and/or possession of drugs and other substances but are also highly likely to utilize them. Since the streets of Los Angeles are filled with people abusing drugs and other substances, youths in the city are more likely to engage in drug and substance, which in turn generates high risk lifestyles. However, the motivations behind an individual's involvement in drug and substance abuse vary and include poor family relationships and poverty.

The other challenge faced by youths leading to high risk lifestyles in Los Angeles is homelessness, which is strongly linked to drug and substance abuse. Actually, Los Angeles is a city with more than 40,000 homeless people living on the streets and is regarded as United States' homeless capital. Most of homeless men and women in the streets of Los Angeles live in Skid Row and are increasingly likely to engage in high risk lifestyles including crime and gang violence. As youths engage in drug and substance abuse, they are increasingly likely to start living in the streets, which in turn becomes an avenue for high risk lifestyles. Therefore, homelessness is a major challenge that youths have to contend with in Lost Angeles and leads to engagement in high risk lifestyles.

Importance of Education

Law enforcements agencies in LA have attempted to address the problem through various initiatives like gang prevention programs, school-centered initiatives, comprehensive intervention strategies, and community development ("Citywide Gang Activity Reduction Strategy, n.d.). However, these initiatives have been largely unsuccessful since youths in this city continue to grapple with challenges leading to high-risk lifestyles. In light of these factors, an academic restructure of education that is centered on transformative experience would be the ideal strategy to address the problem.

The educational program should create links between school curricular and social support programs. The current education system in Los Angeles does not link school curricular to social support programs, which has contributed to the significant failure of at-risk programs. In essence, Los Angeles education system focuses on promoting academic success and achievement for all students. While these factors are important, the existing school curricular does not address the challenges these youths face in light of the city's demographic. As a result, the current structure of the education system is ineffective in dealing with at-risk factors and challenges facing the youth.