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Without intervention in the lives of America's at-risk youth, there is a significantly higher incidence of recidivism and the associated social and monetary costs to the community, to the family, and to the youth. The fundamental nature of ChalleNGe is to recognize those youth with the greatest disposition towards intercepting and correcting the harmful influences on their lives and avoiding or reversing those negative impacts. The monetary and social benefits to all parties are significant in comparison to the consequences of taking no action to help alter their
destructive life paths.
In his article, The Monetary Value of Saving A High Risk Youth, Mark Cohen reported the overall estimated monetary value of intervening in the life of a high-risk youth to be between $1.5 and $2.0 million. Additionally, a Rand report, Diverting Children from a Life of Crime, Measuring Costs and Benefits, assessed the cost-effectiveness of crime prevention strategies that involved early intervention in the lives of at-risk youth for criminal behavior, including those of high school age. These reports also promote the positive results of intervention programs that provide structure
and supervision for at-risk youth.
Each Day In the United States:
4 Children are killed by abuse or neglect
5 Children or teens commit suicide
183 Children are arrested for violent crimes
366 Children are arrested for drug abuse
1,186 Babies are born to teenage mothers
2,539 High school students drop out
2,341 Babies are born to mothers who are not high school graduates
4,440 Children are arrested
17,072 Public school students are suspended
The social and economic implications of dropping out of high school continue to be documented in studies across all disciplines. A Census Bureau report reveals the average annual earnings in 2001 for adults without a high school diploma were $18,793 per year compared to $26,795 for high school graduates and $50,623 for college graduates. A Bureau of Justice report highlights that 68% of state prison inmates do not have a high school diploma and 47% of drug offenders have neither a high school diploma nor a GED.
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