January 2008 · Number 115 53817 A regular series of notes highlighting recent lessons emerging from the operational and analytical program of the World Bank`s Latin America and Caribbean Region. ARGENTINA Today's Youth ­ An Untapped Potential1 Dorte Verner Argentina's youth--6.7 million between the ages of 15 Education Can Protect Youth, But Gaps In Achievement Are Large and 24--are an important, but to a certain extent un- Argentines are well educated, with an advanced educa- tapped, resource for development. Over 2 million (31 tion system when compared with most of Latin America. percent) have already engaged in risky behaviors, and Argentina has made great progress since the 1980s: another 1 million (15 percent) are exposed to risk fac- enrollment in primary education is nearly universal and tors that are correlated with eventual risky behaviors. average educational attainment has increased, reaching This totals 46 percent of youth at some form of risk. This 10.4 years in 2005 (compared with the regional average note addresses these issues and draws on to findings of of 5.9 years and East Asia's average of 7.6 years). The a recently completed World Bank government is to be commended for report aiming at generating, con- maintaining high enrollments through solidating and sharing knowledge difficult times. about the risks faced by youth in Argentina as well as the policy op- However, significant differences in tions for addressing them. educational outcomes persist by wealth and location. While less than 1 percent Today's youth cohort is the of 6­17-year olds from the richest 20 country's largest ever and its percent of households are not in school, largest for the foreseeable future. this number rises to 8.2 percent for If policymakers do not invest in those from the poorest 20 percent of youth now--especially in youth households. Children and youth in ru- at risk--they will miss a unique ral areas have a higher probability of dropping out than opportunity to equip the next generation with the those in urban areas. abilities to become the drivers of growth, breaking the A third of youth attend- "What often happens is that you have a job you know will last three months, and you think ing school are below the `Well, I'll study next semester.' But the time comes and you realize that if you stop working you expected grade for their don't get money. You have to keep working and you have to put off your studies." age. Repetition is com- - Leonardo, 24 years old, participates in the Dirección Nacional de Juventud (DINAJU) mon in Argentina, most Project, province of Buenos Aires frequently occurring in grades 1­4. Repeti- tion--especially during intergenerational spiral of poverty and inequality and early grades--can hurt outcomes. Students who repeated moving Argentina back into the group of high-income a year between grades 1 and 7 are less likely to attend or countries. If youth are educated and skilled, they can graduate from secondary school, and multiple repetitions be a tremendous asset for development. If not, they can compound these negative effects. Parents play an impor- burden society and public finances. tant role--youth whose parents did not complete primary education are 12 percent less likely to enroll in second- Although young people are more educated today, they ary school. Limited access to learning materials (text- face difficulties entering the labor market. The informal books, for example) further reduces student outcomes. labor market has absorbed a large share of youth that High-risk groups need special attention and support to used to work in the formal sector. The unemployment offset cumulative disadvantages. rate increased between 1992 and 2003, peaking at 38.8 percent in 2002, and has since declined considerably The gains from keeping youth in school are large. as the economy has picked up. Youth are more than 17 Schools can be safe havens for youth, protecting percent more likely than adults to stay unemployed after them against the many harmful effects of early school having entered into unemployment. Youth unemploy- dropout: early entry into the labor market, drinking, ment is three times that of adults. smoking, drug use, risky sex, and becoming the victim of crime. Staying in school makes youth less likely to commit a crime, engage in risky · "I'm working right now, but I'm always wondering if I might get fired, and I'm looking for another job just in case because I know there's no sexual behavior, or use drugs and alcohol, sustainability" and more likely to vote, play sports, and par- ticipate in clubs and cultural activities. · - Agustín, 25 years old, Cordoba. Economic Shocks Hit Youth Hard--And Hinder Transitions Youth who find jobs tend to work in the informal sec- Some Argentines start working at age 15, while oth- tors, earning less with less job security. Wage and un- ers wait until their early twenties. In either case, they employment analyses show that education contributes expect to reap the benefits of investments in education to higher wage returns, especially for tertiary-educated and health. An important mark of independence, the youth. Higher education also protects youth from unem- transition to the workforce is often difficult and costly. ployment during economic downturns. Young people, The labor market is critical for youth as a place to earn however, have far lower returns than adults to all levels income and accumulate skills after leaving school. of education, even controlling for experience and other Unemployment deprives them of these benefits, lower- factors. The least educated young workers face the high- ing labor force participation and raising adult unem- est job instability. ployment. Unemployment can also be a risk factor for violence and may lead to depression and other health Education Is Key To Reducing Health Risks issues. Youth in Argentina are healthier today than ever before. But still, the probability that a 15-year old will die before The transition from school to the labor market, how- the age of 60 is higher than expected for a country of its ever, has become a bottleneck for many youth. They income (90 deaths per 1,000 women and 176 deaths per experience wider fluctuations than adults in their un- 1,000 men). Probability of premature death is compa- employment rate and wages, often acting as a buffer rable to the levels in Mexico, but higher than in Chile. that absorbs macroeconomic shocks. Economic crisis This can in large part be attributed to health-related risk- not only reduces income levels and raises unemploy- taking patterns among youth. ment, but it often also exposes youth to other risks such as crime and violence or health hazards. Youth, especially young women, are starting to smoke earlier in their lives. The most likely to smoke regularly, Many Argentines start working at very young ages, however, are young males, youth who drink alcohol, with severe consequences for later life. In Argen- and youth who do not attend school. Binge drinking is a tina 8.6 percent of 7­14-year olds work exclusively. problem for a significant proportion of young males (19 Those who sacrifice schooling when young are more percent binge drink on the weekends). Excessive alcohol likely to be poor as adults, their productivity reduced consumption, a risk in itself, also raises the probability by a lack of accumulated human capital and skills. of being involved in traffic accidents, smoking, engaging Early labor market entry is associated with a number in risky sex, and being a victim of crime and violence. of risky behaviors, including unsafe sexual activities Education stands out as a protective factor for various and alcohol and tobacco use. types of health risks, so keeping youth in school must be 2 · January 2008 · Number 115 a priority. School attendance plays an · "I'd like to participate in forums where concrete public policies can be dis- important role delaying sexual initia- cussed. Not a very political forum, not in a partisan environment, but rather to tion, promoting contraception use, and discuss more concrete public policies." restraining smoking and drug use. · - Carolina, 24 years old, studies and works for a nongovernmental · organization, city of Buenos Aires. Forming Families--High Stakes For Youth And The Next Generation tice system. Becoming the victim of crime--or its perpe- Reproductive health and nutrition are among the central trator--severely inhibits the ability of youth to transition human capital investments that facilitate a successful to responsible adult citizenship. Most criminal careers transition into adulthood. Adequately preparing young begin in adolescence, making a compelling case for fo- people for family formation and parenthood decreases cusing crime prevention efforts on youth and offering fertility and dependency, facilitating human capital ac- feasible rehabilitation options to those who have com- cumulation, productivity gains, and thus growth and mitted offenses. Unfortunately, young offenders--often poverty reduction. The intergenerational transmission of dismissed as lost causes--tend to be treated the same well-being is key to a more nurturing environment for the way as adults. next generation. Childbearing early in life can have many negative consequences--low educational attainment, in- Policy Directions To Reduce Youth At Risk activity, and early entry into the labor force. Because youth respond to their environment, it is sen- sible to focus on getting the environment right by com- Early sexual initiation can undermine a successful transi- bating risk factors and promoting protective factors. tion to adulthood. Leaving school and having work ex- Targeting poor youth is essential for maximum effective- perience are significant determinants of sexual initiation ness. A mixed portfolio of programs and interventions, among men and even more so among women. The odds some specific to youth and some more broadly focused, of sexual initiation for young women not attending school is required to achieve a balance between short-run target- are 2.6 times those of women who are attending. Perhaps ing of those already suffering negative consequences of one of the gravest concerns regarding youth health arises risky behaviors--such as second chance programs and from the low levels of consistent condom use among rehabilitation for youth already "stuck"--and long-run youth. HIV/AIDS levels are 100­200 percent higher in prevention for other youth to keep them from engaging Argentina than among youth in Chile and Uruguay. in risky behaviors. Youth Can Change Society For The Better By focusing policies and programs on the individual Youth participation and civic engagement encourages (improving life skills, self-esteem), on key relationships long-term political stability, good governance, and better (parents, caregivers, peers), on communities (schools, accountability, but disengaged youth can pose a number neighborhoods, police), and on societal laws and norms, of risks for society, including increased violence, crime, the chance of reducing the numbers of youth at risk over drug addiction, and social instability. This is particularly the long term is greatest. Specific recommendations true in times of social crises, when opportunities decrease were developed during consultations with government sharply for less advantaged groups and social differences counterparts. As a basis for discussions, a basic strategy are most marked. Alternative channels of mobilization should consider: i) Invest earlier in life and expand and political participation have emerged. The piqueteros youth opportunities, including scaling up early child and barras bravas movements--appealing particularly to development programs, improving education to make marginalized youth--have organized youth around their young people able to complete secondary school, im- social exclusion. proving the information available to youth to help them make the right decisions regarding their health and life Although Argentina has worked to advance human rights choices; ii) Targeting at-risk youth more effectively, for children and youth internationally and has had some including scaling up cash transfer programs for disadvan- success experimenting with alternative models of juvenile taged youth, investing in youth service programs, scaling justice, youth incarceration rates are high, indicating that up internships and trainings targeted at youth in risks; iii) these approaches have not yet permeated the juvenile jus- Influence policies that are not youth-specific, includ- January 2008 · Number 115 · ing promoting labor market reforms, designing micro-credit programs for youth, building safer neighborhoods and communities; iv) Promote youth inclusion and participation, empowering youth to play an active role in the de- velopment of their community and the country; and v) making public policies work for youth, including by ensur- ing that young people have a voice in designing and implementing policies. Table 1 - Youth behaviors and outcomes are interrelated Use or abuse of alcohol and tobacco (5) Involvement in sports or culture (7) Use or abuse of illegal drugs (5) Participating in society (7) Early labor force entry (4) Risky sexual behavior (6) Early school dropout (3) Domestic violence (7) Victim of crime (7) Inactivity (3) Inactivity (3)a yes NA some some yes yes no little Early school dropout (3) yes yes yes some yes yes some little Early labor force entry (4) some some yes yes little little Use or abuse of alcohol and tobacco yes yes some yes little some (5) Use or abuse of illegal drugs (5) yes some yes little some Risky sexual behavior (6)b yes little little Victim of crime (7) little some some Domestic violence in household (7) some some Participating in society (7)c yes Involvement in sports or culture (7) A: Not working or in school. b: Has entered parenthood. c: Participating in at least one organization (community, union, church, student, artistic, ecological, human rights). See appendix IB for definitions of variables and clusters. Note: Numbers in parenthesis are chapters in which the area is addressed. Source: Cluster analysis using YSCS. NoTES 1 "Argentina. Today's Youth ­ An Untapped Potential," with the majority of ministries of the Argentine federal World Bank (2007). The Latin American Faculty of So- government to consult on the work in progress. cial Sciences (FLACSO) and the World Bank jointly pro- Youth behaviors and outcomes are interrelated duced a new survey dataset for this report: the Youth So- cial Conditions Survey. The risk behaviors and outcomes About the Author analyzed were identified through consultations with the Dorte Verner is a Senior Economist with the Sustainable Argentine government and youth--the report's primary Development Department.of the Latin America and the Caribbean audiences. The report team met on a bi-monthly basis Region of the World Bank and is based in Washingtoin D.C. "en breve" is produced by the Knowledge and Learning Team of the Operations Services Department of the Latin America and the Caribbean Region of the World Bank - http://www.worldbank.org/lac · January 2008 · Number 115