ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a demographic profile of the pupils of that project and explores aspects of the day-to-day life of the project as a child and youth care intervention by examining some of the int1uences of risk replacement or resiliency projects that have int1uenced provision of services. This Limerick YEP attempts to alter the approach
from one that is risk, deficit, and psychopathology-oriented to one that is protection, strength, and asset focussed. A question posed is, "Has the early intervention enrichment programme assisted the pupils to reintegrate successfully within the community?" By reintegrate I mean the ability to attend a regular school, hold ajob, live again with their family and such things. This chapter also explores the establishment of the Youth Encounter Projects in Ireland in the context of an important but largely overlooked study completed by Egan and Hegarty over two decades ago (1984). No official review has been published since. doi:lO.1300/J024v29nOl_07 [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document DelivelY Service: i-800-HA WORTH. E-mail address: <docdelivery@haworthpress.col1l> Website: <https://www.HaworthPress.com>; © 2007 by The Haworth Press, inc. All rights reserved.}
KEYWORDS. Special education, Limerick Youth Encounter Project, risk, resiliency, youth work, youth development
A college professor had his sociology class go into the Baltimore slums to get case histories of 200 young boys. They were asked to write an evaluation of each boy's future. In every case the students wrote, "He hasn't got a chance." Twenty-five years later, another sociology professor came across the earlier study. He had his students follow up on the project to see what had happened to the 200 boys. With the exception of 20 who had moved away or died, the students learned that 176 of the remaining 180 had achieved more than ordinary success as lawyers, doctors, and businessmen. The professor was astounded and decided to pursue the matter further. Fortunately, all the men were in the area and he was able to ask each one, "How do you account for your success?" In each case, the reply came with feeling, "There was a teacher." (Butterworth, 1993, pp. 3-4)
Schools are acknowledged as being able to promote pupils' competencies and prevent the development of unhealthy social and health behaviours as they enjoy unequal access to pupils, parents, and teachers, clinical psychologists, social agencies and the health care system (Anthony, 1987; Garfat & McElwee, 2004; McElwee, 2001; Rhodes & Brown, 1991; Rutter, 1980).
