RYASAP ANNOUNCES FINDINGS OF 2005 GREATER BRIDGEPORT YOUTH STUDY
Young people in the greater Bridgeport region are using less tobacco and marijuana, but are engaging in increased alcohol use, physical violence, and problem gambling, according to the findings of a recent student survey conducted by RYASAP, the Regional Youth/Adult Substance Abuse Project. Area youth are reporting strong developmental assets, such as family support and commitment to learning, that help increase positive outcomes and reduce anti-risk behaviors, but too many are also indicating that they do not feel valued as resources in their schools or communities.
In early February, RYASAP in collaboration with the Minneapolis-based Search Institute, surveyed a random sample of 3,310 students in grades 7-12 in the public schools of Bridgeport , Fairfield , Monroe , Stratford and Trumbull . The findings of this survey were announced at a press conference at RYASAP’s offices at the Burroughs Community Center in Bridgeport on September 7.
For the past twenty years, RYASAP has conducted surveys of middle and high school students of the region every three years to measure the incidence and extent of substance use/abuse. In 1998, RYASAP joined forces with the Search Institute to expand its approach to collect a more complete profile of youthful behavior including a broader array of high-risk behaviors and to measure developmental assets. This approach has resulted in RYASAP’s being able to develop the most comprehensive and definitive picture of the behaviors, attitudes and perceptions of the region’s 12-18-year-old youth.
Search Institute, through its study of more than a million students throughout the United States , has identified 40 developmental assets that help to increase positive outcomes for young people, and protect them against at-risk behaviors. According to the Search Institute, as the number of assets increase, high-risk behaviors invariably decrease, and thriving behaviors increase.
In the area of external and internal developmental assets, the survey findings are mixed. While the average number of assets among greater Bridgeport region youth decreased slightly—from 19.3 in 2001 to 18.3 in 2005—twelve of the 40 developmental assets increased or remained the same. Assessing external assets, 80% of the area’s young people see their families as strong sources of support while only 40% have other supportive adult relationships in their lives. Parent involvement in schooling declined 6% with only 25% of parents now being involved in going to parent-school events or doing homework with their children. Of significant concern are the low rankings given by the students about how they are valued by their communities and schools. Only 27% of respondents see their schools as caring places, only 36% view their neighborhoods in this positive light, and less than one-quarter (24%) feel they are being used as resources by their families, schools or community.
Young people’s internal assets remain high. 68% are strongly committed to succeed in school and more than half (53%) feel that helping to reduce hunger and poverty in the world is important. However, there has been a 5% reduction in attitudes toward cultural diversity with fewer young people reporting having relationships with young people different from themselves and respecting other people’s values and beliefs—perhaps a response to the after effects of 9/11 and the continuing threats of terrorism and reduced tolerance of others.
Young people’s high-risk behaviors measured by the RYASAP survey were also mixed. Smoking cigarettes, as reported by students, had dropped from 25% of youth smoking in the last 30 days from 25% to 15%. The use of marijuana over a 12-month period had also decreased—from 21% in 2001 to 19% in 2005. However, alcohol use/abuse continues to be a growing problem among area youth with an increase from 29% in 2001 to 32% in 2005 of students reporting using alcohol in the past 30 days, and 18% getting drunk once or more in the past two weeks.
Two other areas of risk-taking behaviors, violent behavior and problem gambling among young people, are rising significantly. 28% of respondents had been involved in three or more incidents of shoplifting, trouble with the police or vandalism in the last 12 months—an increase from 20% to 28% since the 2001 survey. 15% of students reported carrying a weapon for protection, and 23% had been in a group fight.
Problem gambling among young people has become a national crisis, and the survey reflects this rising trend. Gambling, as reported by area students, has jumped from 29% in 2001 to 34% in 2005—and this dramatic increase is raising a red flag for the schools and communities of the greater Bridgeport region.
In the presentation, RYASAP highlighted the positive and negative indicators that contributed to the changes from 2001 to 2005. In the plus column are the grassroots efforts of the Local Community Prevention Councils, character education programs in the schools, service learning opportunities for youth participation, and the harm reduction and recovery philosophy in adolescent treatment programs, to name a few initiatives. Impacting negatively on the youth of the region, however, is the high media promotion of gambling via casinos, poker and lottery games, the increased emphasis on testing by the school community to meet the “No School Left Behind” mandate that leaves less time for children’s social and emotional development, as well as reduced national funding for all areas of youth work.
To address the areas of concern identified in the student survey, RYASAP recommends replication of the proven teen gambling prevention program, GAMES, being currently implemented with the Monroe public schools; a region-wide awareness program stressing the value of cultural diversity, equity and justice; more emphasis on service learning opportunities for young people; a region-wide effort to develop ways for youth to be utilized as resources and partners in their families, schools and neighborhoods; and expanded conflict resolution and mediation programs to reduce the settling of violent disagreements between young people.
RYASAP is currently presenting the findings of the new student survey to area school administrators, Boards of ducation, PTA/PTO’s, Local Community Prevention Councils, and community and parents groups. If you or your organization would like to learn more about the RYASAP student survey, contact Robert M. Francis, RYASAP executive director, at 203-579-2727.
Look under Research Data to find the PowerPoint presentations of the 2004-05 RYASAP survey data from the Greater Bridgeport region and each of the 5 municipalities that participated – Bridgeport, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford and Trumbull
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