JACKSON, Miss. – According to research that was just released, Mississippi is one of the states that has the highest number of children that are traveling on the wrong track.
It has been found through research that factors such as youth substance misuse, a lack of parental involvement, poor academic performance, high unemployment rates, and poverty all have a role in the development of unfavorable outcomes for young people.
As a result of these and other reasons, WalletHub put Mississippi seventh on the national list of states with the most youth who are at risk.
Additionally, the website states that Mississippi has the fourteenth-lowest percentage of drug users in the entire US. On the other hand, the state of Mississippi has the sixth-highest rate of youth who are separated from their education and the tenth-highest rate of high school dropouts.
Mississippi has the second-lowest labor force participation rate in the US, and the state ranks fourth nationwide for the percentage of its youth living in poverty.
The findings of the research also suggest that high rates of teenage crime are associated with bad outcomes for young people. In the year 2024, young people in Mississippi have been featured in some news stories across the state.
Marcus “MJ” Daniels, Jr., a football player for Southern Miss, was found dead, and four adolescents have been charged with capital murder in connection with his killing. A total of three juveniles from Rankin County were taken into custody in connection with the homicide of a 14-year-old boy named Cameron Horne-Crook.
To assist in addressing these difficulties, the state’s government and non-profit organizations provide services to assist the youth who are considered to be at risk.
To assist children of school age and the parents who are responsible for their upbringing, community partners receive funding from the Mississippi Department of Human Services.