17185. HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AT RISK. Focusing on the secondary school level, this paper provides an overview and analysis of the growing problem of at-risk students – children who are at risk for fa8ilure in school and in life. Following a definition of terms and a discussion of the individual and social consequences of the problem, the individual, family, and school-level factors associated with risk are discussed. The inter-relationships among risk factors and the links between school failure and negative life outcomes are discussed. The analysis then turns to a discussion of approaches to addressing the problem. The essay identifies some of the factors which may protect against risk and considers the effectiveness of various strategies aimed at reducing risk among already identified at-risk students. A concluding section summarizes the main findings and makes suggestions on issues for future research on this problem. Keywords: teenagers risks school failure drugs parents. Written 2004. 12 pages; 49 footnotes; 26 bibliographic sources. 3,789 words.