One such risk factor, categorized as stressors, can be seen in the mere fact that these adults are "stressed" by the fact that they may suddenly find themselves without a job or a home. An interviewee, Audrey Roberts 17, stated that she has seen rapes, homicides, and brutal beatings on the street. Another interviewee, Angjell Brackins 19, stated that she has been looking for a job for months and would take anything that she could get. These situations create a continuously stressful environment where many find themselves resorting to illegal acts to survive. A statistically large number of homeless and jobless people "drift into the devastating clutches of drug-selling, gang membership, and prostitution." All of these acts, obviously illegal, become a means of survival for many. Furthermore, many young adults find it extremely difficult to cope with these situations if they have not been exposed to the right resources, parenting, etc. .
Protective factors can help absorb the negative effects of many risk factors. Protective factors such as extended support systems, supportive families, and strong personality dispositions can decrease the likelihood that one, with other risk factors, may take to a life of crime. Bob Herbert notices that the federal government has been eliminating and cutting funding for programs that are designed to help young adults with education and job training. These programs work as extended support systems for people whom might need these protective factors. These decreases in spending come in a time when the unemployment rate for young adults has surged 12 percent in the past three years. Doctor Andrew Sum, referring to education and career decisions by young adults, states "Our ability to generate family stability and safe communities is strongly influenced by this." By decreasing the extended support systems, for young adults who might need these systems, many young adults can not then generate family stability and safe communities.