Youth at Risk in Latin America and the Caribbean Understanding the Causes, Realizing the Potential

by Cunningham, Wendy; Mcginnis, Linda; Verdu, Rodrigo Garcia; Tesliuc, Cornelia; Verner, Dorte

• ISBN13: 9780821375204
• ISBN10: 0821375202
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-05-30
• Publisher: World Bank Publications

Summary

Realizing the potential of young people in Latin America and the Caribbean is essential both to their well-being and to the region's long-term welfare. Young people are often seen as the source of problems that plague the area, namely rising levels of crime and violence, unemployment, and drug use. However, there is little understanding of the problems young people face, the reasons that some engage in risky behaviors, and how best to support the most vulnerable. Youth at Risk in Latin America and the Caribbean attempts to fill this knowledge gap by identifying at-risk youth and providing policy makers with evidence-based guidance that will make their countries' investments in young people more effective.The authors find that more than half the region's young people can be considered "at risk" of engaging in negative behaviors, which each year reduce regional economic growth by up to 2 percent. They also confirm that the causes of risky behavior in developed countries-weak relationships with schools and family, poor self esteem, household poverty, negative gender norms, and misguided laws-are also relevant in Latin America and the Caribbean. Based on this analysis, the authors describe 23 policies and programs that experts agree are the foundation of a successful youth development portfolio, ranging from early childhood development programs to parent training to cash transfers granted in exchange for positive behaviors. It also lays out strategies for implementing such a portfolio in a budget-constrained environment.This book will be of great interest to those working in the areas of social analysis and policy, social development and protection, and poverty reduction.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. xiii
Overview: Why Do Young People Deserve Special Attention?	p. 3
Key Messages	p. 4
Designing Effective Interventions	p. 13
Policy Conclusions	p. 21
Introduction	p. 23
The Motivation for the Study	p. 26
Definitions, Data, and Methodologies	p. 30
The Organization of the Report	p. 32
Notes	p. 33
Laying the Groundwork	p. 35
Motivations for Focusing on At-Risk Youth	p. 37
The Youth Cohort, Particularly Those Considered At-Risk, Is Growing	p. 37
The Costs of Not Investing in At-Risk Youth Are Very High for Young People, Their Families, and Society	p. 44
Notes	p. 55
A Conceptual Framework and Its Application for Policy Making	p. 57
The Conceptual Framework and Definitions	p. 57
Moving from the Conceptual Framework to Policy	p. 61
Note	p. 62
Identifying At-Risk Youth for Better Programming and Targeting	p. 63
A Characterization of At-Risk Youth	p. 63
Using the Risk Typology for Targeting Prevention Programs	p. 68
Using the Risk Typology for Targeting for Second Chances	p. 70
Conclusions	p. 70
Notes	p. 71
Informing Policy by Understanding the Trends and Causes of Risky Behavior in LAC	p. 73
Understanding the Nature and the Magnitude of Risky Behavior	p. 75
Leaving School without Learning	p. 75
Difficult Integration into the Labor Market: Joblessness and Job Turnover	p. 83
Risky Sexual Behavior	p. 97
Crime and Violence	p. 106
Substance Use	p. 112
Notes	p. 117
Identifying the Factors That Put Youth at Risk	p. 119
Why Young People Engage in Risky Behavior	p. 121
Key Factors Correlated with Risky Behaviors	p. 146
Cumulative Effect of Factors	p. 151
Conclusions	p. 152
Notes	p. 153
Helping Young People Make Good Choices: Programming, Policy, and Implementation	p. 157
Principles for Building an Effective Portfolio for Youth at Risk	p. 159
Investing in At-Risk Youth Leads to Lower Demands on the Public Purse in the Future	p. 159
Preventing Risky Behavior Begins at Birth	p. 161
At-Risk Youth Need Second Chances	p. 161
Effective Targeting Is the Key to Results	p. 162
The Most Effective Portfolio Will Prioritize Policies and Programs That Affect Multiple Risks	p. 163
Include Only Effective Policies in the Portfolio	p. 164
Notes	p. 164
Prioritizing What Works	p. 167
Core Policies: Strategies That Work and Are Recommended for Implementation	p. 170
Nine Promising Approaches That Ought to Work and Should Be Tried, Accompanied by Careful Impact Evaluation	p. 177
General Policies with a Surprisingly Strong Effect on Youth at Risk	p. 192
Notes	p. 204
Moving From a Wish List to Action	p. 207
Improving the Portfolio for At-Risk Youth in a Budget-Constrained Environment: Reallocate Resources Away from Ineffective Programs toward Recommended Programs	p. 207
Improving the Portfolio for At-Risk Youth in a Budget-Constrained Environment: Collecting, Analyzing, and Using Data	p. 216
Assign and Coordinate Institutional Responsibilities Based on Comparative Advantages	p. 226
Notes	p. 231
Investing in Youth in LAC: Key Messages and Conclusions	p. 233
Key Messages	p. 233
Defining an Effective Portfolio of Policies and Programs	p. 236
Moving Forward	p. 240
Population in LAC by Age and Sex	p. 243
Methodology for Estimating the Cost of Negative Youth Behavior	p. 247
Individual Financial Costs	p. 248
Individual Opportunity Costs	p. 249
Social Financial Costs	p. 250
Social Opportunity Costs	p. 250
Components of the Cost Estimates for Each Kind of Risky Youth Behavior	p. 251
Methodology for Devising the Typology of At-Risk Youth	p. 255
Notes	p. 257
Measuring Youth Outcomes	p. 259
Note	p. 266
Estimated Taxpayer Costs and Crime-Reduction Benefits of 16 Crime Prevention Programs	p. 267
Sources of Information for Evaluated Programs	p. 271
General	p. 271
Crime and Violence	p. 272
Risky Health Behavior	p. 272
Labor	p. 273
Education	p. 273
Substance Abuse	p. 274
World Bank Experts Working Group on Youth at Risk in LAC	p. 274
References	p. 277
Index	p. 297
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