Singapore University of Social Sciences

In SWK102 Human Growth and Lifespan Development, the physical, cognitive and socio-emotional development of adolescents was discussed extensively in a bid to understand the developmental process of adolescents. However, McWhirter etal. (2014) uses the term “at risk” to describe youths whose potential for becoming responsible and productive adults to be limited by the challenges within the ecology of their lives. As the society evolves, it is imperative that social service professionals assess, formulate and intervene accurately youths who present different concerns, so as to achieve optimal effectiveness in working with youths at different levels of risks. As such, this course appraises the definition of the term “at-risk” and analyses the concerns of at-risk youths using the Ecological Model as a basis for assessment. It also examines the risk factors within the context of environmental factors and legal and ethical issues. Based on their understanding of adolescent development, course participants will also discuss the family and school issues that predispose, precipitate and perpetuate the problems of at-risk youths. Supplemented with online and classroom discussions and presentations in seminar groups, this course will also provide course participants with the opportunity to discuss the indicators that define the risk level of the youths.