With jobs scarce on reservations, poverty and unemployment levels are the highest in the nation. Alcoholism is an epidemic, and domestic violence is soaring. N.M. The treatment center is only one of two facilities on the Navajo reservation to help troubled youth. Located on the northeastern edge of the Navajo reservation, the center treats about 80 Indian teen-agers annually for chemical dependency and mental health problems. Most of the patients don't speak Navajo and know little about their culture, Goodluck says.
Indian youth offer other reasons for turning to crime, alcohol and drugs.
Try isolation, and sheer boredom. There are no movie theaters or video arcades nearby, few recreational escapes. Crystal, who asked that her last name not be published, went to family court four years ago after her father attacked her in a drunken rage and she fought back. After spending 12 days in juvenile detention and being threatened with more jail time, Crystal straightened up. Some of her friends weren't so lucky.