Seeking Systemic Change: Risk and Protective Factors Affecting Low-Income Urban Youth

Abstract

This themed issue presents five articles tackling the topic of risk and protective processes affecting children and adolescents living in urban poverty. Through their research, the authors seek understanding of the particular challenges that low-income urban youth face, with the ultimate goal of understanding how best to intervene at various levels of the ecological system. Within this broad theme, studies examine specific stressors, mediators, and moderators that impact the mental health of youth living in urban poverty. The final article presents a data-driven, community-based intervention for this population.

KEYWORDS:

• risk
• protective, stressor
• urban
• poverty
• children
• adolescents
• youth