Adolescence is a time of both great opportunity and risk, as young people experience physical change, intellectual growth, self-discovery, and growing independence. Unfortunately, some young people have difficulty making the transition from adolescence to productive adulthood.
America's Disconnected Youth: Toward a Preventive Strategy identifies these young people as "disconnected" and examines mentoring and school-to-work programs as important strategies for assisting these youth. The chapters include in-depth descriptions of the factors that have contributed to the disconnection of these young people from fulfulling adult lives.

Douglas J. Besharov is the Joseph J. and Violet Jacobs Scholar at AEI.