Research shows that when youth grow up in environments with economic problems and a lack of role models, they’re more at risk for poverty, early pregnancy and violence, especially in adulthood. Photo: Piron Guillaume
WYOMING In a report released today by the personal-finance website WalletHub, Wyoming ranked 7th in the U.S. for states with the most at-risk youth.
Today, about one in nine young Americans (ages 16-24) are neither working nor in school. In turn, this exposes them to a greater risk of poverty and violence and hinders their ability to develop physically and socially.
“Such issues not only affect young people later in life, but they also prove harmful to society as a whole. For instance, more than 70 percent of young adults today are ineligible to join the U.S. military because they fail academic, moral or health qualifications,” said Financial Writer Adam McCann, in the report.