South Carolina has one of the highest rates of at-risk youth in the United States

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Several factors have led many young people to be at risk in South Carolina, such as not having graduated from high school.


Jeff Siner

jsiner@charlotteobserver.com

Young people are facing life challenges in South Carolina at a higher rate than most other places in the United States, according to a new study.

South Carolina has the seventh highest rate of at-risk youth among states, according to WalletHub’s latest study. Palmetto State has a higher percentage of teens and young adults facing multiple issues, ranging from education and health to poverty and employment.

Overall, 12.6% of young Americans neither work nor go to school, putting them at increased risk of poverty and violence, the personal finance website report said.

“National and local policy makers need to provide plenty of recreational opportunities and healthy outlets for young people in rural areas. It can help young people stay engaged in positive activities that promote well-being,” Johanna Slivinske, MSW, LISW-S – Clinical Social Worker, Mental Health and Counseling Services; Part-time Faculty of Social Work, Kent State University, WalletHub told WalletHub.

The report compares states using 16 key indicators of youth risk. The data set ranges from the proportion of disconnected young people to the labor market participation rate among young people and their poverty rates. Data was pulled from multiple sources, such as the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau, The Nation’s Report Card, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

This is where South Carolina ranked among some key metrics compared to other states.

12e – % of young people disconnected

17e – % of young people without a high school diploma

28e – % of overweight and obese young people

18e – Youth labor force participation rate

22n/a – Youth poverty rate

13e – Share of population aged 12 and over fully vaccinated

Michael Krezmien, director of youth engagement and professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, told WalletHub there are many ways parents can support and encourage their children to help them complete their education and find meaningful employment. .

“First, parents can advocate for their schools to provide innovative and engaging after-school and summer educational programs that provide their children with meaningful experiences beyond those they receive in their regular classrooms,” he said. he declares. “Second, parents can identify a range of summer programs that focus on learning in several areas. These can include art-intensive programs, STEM-focused programs, and technology programs.

Below are the 10 places with the nation’s most at-risk young people, according to WalletHub.

  • Louisiana
  • Mississippi
  • Alabama
  • West Virginia
  • Wyoming
  • Arkansas
  • Caroline from the south
  • Oklahoma
  • Kentucky
  • District of Colombia

Patrick McCreless is the on-duty journalism editor for The State, where he and a team of reporters write about the hottest news of the day and topics that help readers in their daily lives and better inform them about their communities. He attended Jacksonville State University in Alabama and grew up in Tuscaloosa, AL.