Abstract
There is limited research on how community organizations conceptualize and respond to youth risk. This thesis addresses how organizations conceive the problem of youth risk, how they work with youth, and what bureaucratic challenges are encountered in doing so. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with employees of several youth serving organizations in a Canadian city. Initial findings indicate that organizations are cautious of ‘at-risk’ labels, only applying them in specific circumstances. The findings also suggest that community organizations often experience pressure by way of neoliberal arrangements; however, they develop unique expressions of resistance. The implications that organizational resistance of ‘at-risk’ labels and neoliberal policies have on youth and youth programming are considered.
