All adolescents feel anger, frustration, and a range of temperamental disurbances due to the many physical, emotional and social stresses associated with their developmental stage. This document provides Australian and international perspectives on programs, both in schools and in the wider community, which attempt to prevent and treat the more harmful experiences that children and adolescents may suffer during high growth years. Also provided is an overview of the leading themes and issues faced by educational and other agencies that offer programs for at-risk youth. Special attention is given to programs that maintain and enhance educational progress during the years of adolescent experience. Sections are entitled as follows: Competing Claims at the Centre of the Debate; Distinctions between Prevention and Treatment; The At-Risk Population; Substance Abusers as a Key At-Risk Sub-Group; Other Issues Associated with Adolescent Development; Designing and Providing Programs--Some Broad Considerations; Designing and Providing Programs--Some Specific Examples and Criteria; Students Participating in the Program; Other Large Trends in Program Provision; Programs in Schools, and Out-of-School Programs in Which Schools Participate; How Can Schools Keep Their Youth in a Program?; From Work Experience to Career Pathways; Staffing and Managing Out-of-School Programs; Mentors and Mentoring; A Case Management Approach; and Summer Youth Employment Programs as an Option. The document also contains a reference list of resources that address at-risk youth; a brief synopsis is included with each listed resource. Contains 91 bibliographic entries and references, and an index of issues and strategies. (SR)