The schools and Adolescents
Despite nationwide efforts to desegregate U.S. schools and despite the best –laid plans to provide early intervention programs for targeted children it remains true that many children isolated in the inner city continue to be economically disadvantaged These children are use ally from a racial or ethnic minority yet they have benefited from these programs Inner-city children mature to adolescence still trapped in poverty Psychologists consider inner-city adolescents most at risk for academic failure dropping out school teen pregnancy drug use and myriad other problems that interfere with obtaining an education so that the cycle of poverty can be broken (Children’s Defense Fund 1991) As adults they are more likely to experience life’s stresses and strains (Golding Potts & Aneshensel,1991)
In the interest of space, two issues will be examined here: dropping out of school and school violence First however will be a discussion of the role of the school in creating some of the problems fond there (Branson 1998)