Everyone knows what it's like to experience adversity in their lives, though the severity and the frequency of that adversity varies greatly from person to person. "Barriers to Success," a report published by the Center for Promise (America’s Promise Alliance), examines how adversity affects the lives of young people and identifies what practitioners and policymakers can do to help young people overcome barriers.

The report breaks down different types of adversity that a young person might experience, including economic hardship, domestic or neighborhood violence, or loss of a parent, and shows how the cumulative effects of these hardships present incredible barriers to young people graduating from high school, going to college, or starting careers. Consistent with other research, this "Barriers to Success" notes that young people who live in poverty are almost six times more likely to experience multiple forms of adversity compared to higher-income peers.

There are many organizations across the country are working to identify and mitigate risk factors that prevent young people from reaching their full potential. This report is a good read for those interested in learning more about how adverse life experiences are defined and what their implications are for young people.

Read the report about barriers to success by Michelle V. Porche, Jonathan F. Zaff, and Jingtong Pan from America's Promise Alliance.