The multi-island country of St Vincent and the Grenadines is a land of contrasts. St Vincent - the main population centre - is mountainous and lush. Rainforests thrive in the interior and La Soufriere, an active volcano which last erupted in 1979, dominates the north.

Of the many islands and cays that make up the Grenadines, Mustique, Palm Island and Union Island are haunts of the rich and famous - offering yachting, diving and fine beaches.

These playgrounds are worlds away from the many Vincentians who are without jobs. High unemployment has prompted many to leave the islands.

Like other countries in the Windwards chain, St Vincent and the Grenadines has tried to reduce its reliance on banana exports after the European Union phased out preferential treatment to producers from former colonies.

Efforts to diversify the economy have been partially successful. Tourism is said to have great potential and there are plans to build an international airport. But the banana crop remains vital, accounting for around a third of export earnings.

Like many other Caribbean countries, St Vincent and the Grenadines has fallen victim to drug-related crime. Efforts have been made to tackle marijuana cultivation.

The country has taken steps to curb money-laundering, and a Paris-based organisation dedicated to tackling the issue has removed St Vincent and the Grenadines from its list of non-cooperative countries.

Young people in St.Vincent and the Grenadines face numerous challenges. One of the major challenges is the high level of unemployment. Data from 2001 population and housing census shows that the 15–29 age cohort comprised 12.7 percent of the unemployed population compared with 14.2 percent in 1991. The number of unemployed males 15 – 29 increased by 6 percent, and the unemployment rate from 26.6 percent in 1991 to 33.8 percent in 2001. During the intercensal period the number of unemployed females declined by 22.3 percent, falling from 35.2 percent in 1991 to 31.1 percent in 2001.  The most significant declines (26.6 percent) were in the 15-19 age group with 35.2 percent, followed by the 25-29 group with 15.4 percent.

Other challenges include underachievement in the educational system, rising levels of violence and criminal activity including the push from drug traffickers to reach wider and more lucrative markets. As a result youth become vulnerable to involvement in criminal activity that consumes their communities. To illustrate, many youths have died before their 30th birthday as a result of gang warfare fuelled by the drug economy. Statistics show that during the last three years, deaths to young people between age 15 – 29 years averaged 5 percent of total deaths.

In addition, due to a myriad of push (poverty, lack of communication in the home) and pull (somewhere to relieve stress or to hang out with your peers) factors, young people have been finding their livelihoods, social networks and most of their leisure time on the streets (on the bloc). In response to this, international and national agencies including the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Youth Department have been working hard to discern the exact nature of these activities and their vulnerability to crime and violence that adolescents experience while they are “hanging out”.