Dropping out of high school can lead to a lifetime of poverty and other problems if these teens never try going back to school or getting educated or trained in a career. High school drop outs are more likely to become teen parents or end up serving time in prison. A large percentage of teens that drop out of high school end up always working low paying jobs and many will end up receiving public assistance. Some of these teens will not even get jobs and will continue to live off of other people.
Approximately seven thousands teens drop out of high school every day. Generally low income and minority students seem to be in the highest percentile of students who drop out. Certain parts of the country tend to have higher drop out rates than others as well.
There is not any one specific reason that teens drop out of high school, but some of the top reasons include difficulty transitioning to high school, a deficiency in basic skills, and not developing social networks.
Researchers are finding that students can start to display behaviors that indicate they are at risk of dropping out of high school as soon as sixth grade. These include failing grades or poor attendance. Another indicator is a student’s lack of social engagement.
Not everyone who drops out of high school is a “delinquent” or has a lack of desire to learn. Sometimes there are extenuating circumstances that lead to a need for a teen to drop out. Many times in this situation these teens will find a way to get back to school and further their education. This, however, is rare and definitely not the typical response for these teens.
