The PRHT arrived at an assumption that because youth and emerging adults live every day on high alert for perceived threats/severity and are in a constant state of mobilizing for fight, flight, or suspense as they anticipate the next assault, it becomes less likely for this generation to concentrate, learn, recall, perceive a future orientation, and delay immediate gratification. To face the immense challenges of high-risk scapes, historical trauma, exposure to community violence, lead poisoning, school safety, epigenetic effect and a cadre of other adversities, youth and young adults must adjust to the hardships associated with learning how to survive.

Survivornomics^TM suggest that youth and emerging adults residing in disadvantaged, hyper-segregated and marginalized communities live, adjust and thrive in the face of adversities while discovering resilience. Because the challenges they face are multi-factorial and involve various systems (e.g., socio-ecological systems), we must think critically about the factors that determine their behaviors and avoid becoming rigid in our deliberations.

The problems confronting our youth are enormous: morbidity, education inequality, lead-poisoning, residing in high-risk scapes, cumulative exposure to community violence, as well as un-addressed adverse childhood experiences (ACES) with adverse community environments (Ellis, 2018).

Our intervention solutions will be built and designed to incorporate the tenants of the PRHT.