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Ruchi Maskey
Professor Collins
ENGL 1302
31 March 2016
High School Dropout Rates and Causes
Challenging Circumstances: The Dropout Epidemic: Part I is a documentary published
in Youtube on July 30, 2012. In this film, students from Wilson High School, located in
Portsmouth, Virginia, are interviewed and asked about the reasons for their decision to drop out
of high school. The documentary looks at the different causes and situations of young people and
explores the reasons behind their failure to graduate. The documentary also explores the causes
and effects of high school dropouts and how that decision of dropping out affects a persons life
and the community as a whole. Necessary, sufficient and precipitating causes from Challenging
Circumstances: The Dropout Epidemic: Part I propose that a persons environment and the
challenges they face every day are the reason that they drop out of high school.
A necessary cause argued in the documentary insists that Illnesses- either own, or of a
family member, can cause a student to drop out of high school (Challenging Circumstances). It
argues that various chronic disease can cause high school dropout. This is a necessary cause
because for someone to make a decision to dropout, illness or disability is required. Clinton
Harris, a former high school student said that his mother was diagnosed with epilepsy, which
caused him to leave school and take care of his mother (Challenging Circumstances). Most of
the teenagers who live with a single parent are more likely to drop out than those who live with
their families. In an article published by the Public Library of Science in California, results

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showed that various aspects of adolescent ill health increased risk of high school dropouts, also a
negative impact of ill health on school dropout seemed to exist in all families and social classes
(De Ridder). The claims made in the documentary are accurate, and prove that some people give
up school because of their own or a family members illness. Health issues can cause teenagers
to drop out of school due to various restrictions. This contributes to the fact that a persons
everyday life and their situations can force them to discontinue their education.
Bullying is one of the major causes of high school dropout; this is explained in the video
with the use of sufficient cause. It states that Bullying can lead to high school dropout
(Challenging Circumstances). This argument is classified as a sufficient cause because bullying
itself is enough for someone to make a decision about dropping out of school. Many students in
various schools are being bullied daily, but no one seems to speak up for them, or inform
someone in authority. There have been different cases where children discontinue school in order
to feel safe from the bully, or in worse cases, even kill themselves. An article published by the
South African Journal of Psychology states that In South Africa, bullying in high schools is
pervasive, ranging from 61% among a sample of high school learners in Tshwane. The study
also showcased that Continued involvement in bullying behavior causes more exposures to
negative effects of bullying, such as truancy, poor academic performance, and psychological
distress and girls who were both bullies and victims were found to be at greater risk for dropping
out of school (Townsend). Bullying tends to be one the leading cause for school dropout and
home schooling. These are all the causes that lead to a person feeling that they have no other
option but to quit going to school. The evidence from the video provides accurate information as
to why teenagers drop out of high school, comparing it to the evidence from the research. This

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further proves that the situation or position a student is in, accounts for him or her to drop out of
school.
In order to further analyze the reasons for high school dropouts, a precipitating cause is
discussed in the video. Lack of support from parents and teachers causes high school students to
dropout (Challenging Circumstances). The argument discussed is a precipitating cause because
it brings on a change in someones life, which is the decision to drop out of school. Some of the
reasons that contributed to these dropouts included lack of food, clothing and the absence of
parents at home. The documentary claims that According to a study conducted by United States
Department of Education, the number one reason teens drop out of high school is a lack of
involvement from their parents and the lack of encouragement from the teachers (Challenging
Circumstances). There are children and teenagers who do not have any help at home, or someone
to share their stories with, which causes them to feel that nobody cares about them.
Consequently, this feeling of negligence in teenagers affects their academic performance and
they end up doing poorly in school. In an article published by International Journal of
Multidisciplinary Approach & Studies, The reason for school dropouts are many, lack of
interest of child or parents, financial constraints, distance from school, school atmosphere and
home environment (Mishra and Azeez). Supporting evidence for the claims made by the video
can be found in the article, which states that lack of interest by parents and teachers causes
teenagers to give up school and drop out. This proves the fact that children who do not get help
from parents or teachers regarding their school tend to drop out of school.
A sufficient cause is discussed in the video in order to state the number one reason for
high school dropout. The video claims that Teen pregnancy is the number one cause for teenage

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girls to drop out of high school (Challenging Circumstances). This statement is classified as a
sufficient cause because pregnancy is the sole reason in many cases for teenage girls to drop out
of school. Seventeen year old Jasmine Smith said that after she returned from delivering her
baby, one of the teachers gave her a hard time, and she was even held back from a class. Students
who dropped out of school expressed that they would have stayed if they had had better support
from adults at school (Challenging Circumstances). Lack of help from teachers and classmates
has added to drop out rates. According to an article Drop Out Rates Among Teens, About 70
percent of all students who drop out of school early, do so because of teen pregnancy. Because
of this, teen mothers are likely to have financial difficulties and economic struggles to raise their
child. The article supports the argument justified in the video, hence providing accurate
information regarding teen pregnancy and high school dropouts. This proves that a persons
choices or the condition they are in leads to their decision to drop out of school.
Overall, the documentary was successful in presenting its argument and effectively
showcasing the causes of dropout epidemic in todays world. The video projects accurate facts to
explain the causes for high school dropouts by interviewing several students and investigating
the reasons for them to quit school and not graduate. By collecting data and evidence from
different research and interviewing students, the documentary provides factual information and
reasoning for students dropping out of school. Therefore, the documentary Challenging
Circumstances: The Dropout Epidemic: Part I was successful in providing factual information
and educating the viewers about causes and reasoning for high school dropouts.

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Annotated Works Cited
De Ridder, Karin A. A., et al. "Adolescent Health And High School Dropout: A Prospective
Cohort Study Of 9000 Norwegian Adolescents (The Young-HUNT)." Plos ONE 8.9
(2013): 1-7. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.
The article provides information about adolescent health issues and high school dropouts.
It tells that a persons ill health and their psychological disorder causes them to drop out
of high school. The data in the article shows dropout statistics and the reasoning behind
it.
"Drop Out Rates Among Pregnant Teens." - Teen Pregnancy Statistics. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar.
2016.
This website provides information about teenage pregnancy and high school dropout
rates. It shows the percentage among pregnant teens in United States. There is a sharp
correlation between teenage pregnancy and high school dropouts.
Mishra, Pratibha J., and E. P. Abdul Azeez. "Family Etiology Of School Dropouts: A
Psychosocial Study." International Journal Of Multidisciplinary Approach & Studies 1.5
(2014): 136-146. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.
The journal by Mishra and Azeez informs the reader that family plays an important role
in a childs life. It states that a bad family environment can cause them to drop out of
school. It claims that there are various factors such as financial difficulties, lack of
interest by parents which causes their son or daughter to drop out of school.

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Annotated Works Cited
Townsend, Loraine, et al. "The Relationship Between Bullying Behaviours And High School
Dropout In Cape Town, South Africa." South African Journal Of Psychology 38.1 (2008):
21-32. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.
The article shows research done in a high school in Cape Town, Africa and provides the
percentage of boys and girls who dropped out because of bullying. Bullying causes
children to make the decision about dropping out of school. The article also provides
information about the effects of bullying and the number of students who drops out every
year because of it.
WHROTV. "Documentary, Part I: Challenging Circumstances: The Dropout
Epidemic." YouTube. YouTube, 30 July 2012. Web. 29 Mar. 2016.
This documentary interviews different students and asks them the reason they dropped
out of high school. Different reasons were given by the students stating their struggles.
The documentary explains different causes and effects of high school dropout epidemic.