Saratoga Partnership For Prevention: Results Of The 2008-09 Youth & Parent Surveys

Saratoga Partnership for Prevention

Results of the 2008-09 Youth & Parent Surveys

100% percent of youth in grades 6-12 took the Prevention Needs Assessment Survey in October 2008. Parent Survey was available to all on SurveyMonkey.com from Dec. 08 – Jan. 09.

Survey Design This survey was designed to assess: • adolescent substance use • anti-social behavior • risk and protective factors that predict problem behaviors

Goals of the Survey • To assess community progress toward our goals • To foster discussion about risk and protective factors • To aid in planning programs • To address specific community needs

Big Picture • Risk and protection rates and use rates are going steadily in the right direction • We are still very concerned about underage drinking • In grades 9-11, fewer than 50% of kids drink regularly, but a high percentage of those who do are binge drinking (5+ drinks in a row) • Kids are radically overestimating use by their peers

More Big Picture • What we’re doing with 6th grade transition is working. • We’re losing momentum in the 8th grade. • 9th grade transition program is showing great promise • Some risk factors related to parents are going the wrong way for the first time • Protective factors related to school are exceptionally good

30-Day Substance Use, 6th Grade 2000-2008 10 9 8

Percent

7

Alcohol

6 5

Binge Drinking

4

Cigarettes

3 Marijuana

2 1 0 2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

30-Day Substance Use, 7th Grade 2000-2008

Percent

25 20

Alcohol

15

Binge Drinking

10

Cigarettes

5

Marijuana

0 2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

30-Day Substance Use, 8th Grade 2000-2008

Percent

30 25

Alcohol

20

Binge Drinking

15

Cigarettes

10 Marijuana 5 0 2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

MTF

Opp for Prosocial Involvement Rewards for Prosocical Inv,

Belief in Moral Order

90 80 70

Social Skills

Fav. Attitudes to Drug Use

Rewards for ASB

60 50

Early Initiation ASB Fav. Attitudes to ASB

Percent

8th Grade Risk & Protection 2006 vs. 2008 Protective Factors

Risk Factors 2006

40 30 2008

8-state norm

20 10 0

Middle School Trends • Downward trend in lifetime and 30-day use has flattened out vs. prior years, but still well below the NA. • 30-day use of alcohol, binge drinking and marijuana – along with antisocial behavior - crept up slightly among 8th graders. • Antisocial behaviors continue to be low and well below the NA. • Overall, risk and protection levels are improved vs. 2006 and much better than the NA.

Gambling Activity, Grades 6-12 2006 vs. 2008 80 70

Percent

60 Gambled 06

50

Gambled 08

40 30 20 10 0 6th

7th

8th

9th

10th

11th

12th

Lifetime Alcohol Use, Grades 9-12 100 90

Percent

80 70

9th grade

60

10th grade

50

11th grade

40 30

12th grade

20 10 0 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008

MTF

Percent

30-Day Alcohol Use, Grades 9-12 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

9th grade 10th grade 11th grade 12th grade

2000 2002 2004 2006 2008

MTF

Percent

Binge Drinking, Grades 9-12 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

9th grade 10th grade 11th grade 12th grade

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

MTF

Percent

Lifetime Marijuana Use, Grades 9-12 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

9th grade 10th grade 11th grade 12th grade

2000 2002 2004 2006 2008

MTF

30-Day Marijuana Use, Grades 9-12

Percent

100 90 80

9th grade

70 60

10th grade

50 40

11th grade 12th grade

30 20 10 0 2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

MTF

Other Drugs • With the exception of 12th grade, trend in prescription drug use didn’t show up in these survey results • 12th grade hallucinogen and other narcotics rates are 2x the NA • Survey didn’t show data on what we know is an increase in over the counter drugs • From 8th grade forward, there’s been a small increase in cigarette use

High School Antisocial Behavior • As in 2006, roughly 25% of 11th and 12th graders report having been “Drunk or High at School” within the last year. •By 11th and 12th grade, rates of being “Drunk or High at School” exceed the NA by 3 and 10 pts., respectively. • “Attacked to Harm” is now below the NA by roughly 5 pts in all grades, 9-12. (NCBI?)

High School Trends • Overall, regular substance use was flat or down vs. 2006 among 9-12 graders. • Declining use mirrors a national trend. • 10th grade data finally below NA for alcohol & binge drinking. 10th grade marijuana use is only 2 pts above NA, vs. 6-7 pts in prior years. • 12th grade alcohol & binge drinking rates dropped vs. 2006, but still well above the NA.

High School Risk Factors • While risk levels have fallen in the last 2 years,

Saratoga is still above the 8-state norm. • The two highest­risk categories for HS kids are still  "Parental Attitudes Favorable to Anti­Social Behavior"  and “Peer Rewards for Anti­Social Behavior.” • Good news in grade 10: well below 2006 and 8­state  norm for “Laws/Norms Favorable to Drug Use,”  “Perceived Availability of Substances,” and “Early  Initiation of Drug Use.”

High School Protective Factors • Youth perceptions of "Opportunities for Prosocial

Involvement" in the Community, School, and Individual domains exceed the NA by a wide margin. Less so in the Family domain. • True in 06 & 08: kids see “Opportunities”

everywhere, but school is the only place where they perceive "Rewards for Prosocial Involvement.” • Saratoga's protective factors have generally

improved vs. 06 in most domains except Family. 

Saratoga Springs Parents • Attitudes are increasingly more permissive for alcohol than for other drugs. Parents who said kids “should be allowed to use alcohol before age 21” increased from 15% in 2006 to 20% in 2008. • Kids perceive less parental disapproval for alcohol than for cigarettes, marijuana or other drugs. • At the MS level, there is very little gap between parents’ and kids’ perceptions about rules for alcohol and drug use. • At HS level, there is still more than a 25-pt gap: Nearly 100% of parents believe their rules are “very” or “perfectly clear,” while roughly 76% of kids believe they are clear.

Parents Not Aware of Binge Drinking • Parents vastly underestimate the way kids drink • They’ve gotten more realistic about whether their youth drink (46%), but most (34.4%) believe once or twice/occasionally. • Less than 1% believe their child’s use is a problem. • But 15% of 9th graders up to 40% of 12th graders report binge drinking (5+ drinks in a row) at least  once in the past month.

Parental Attitudes about Risk of Harm 100 80

Percent

60 40 20 0 Illegal drugs

Cigarettes

Marijuana

Alcohol

Gambling

Highlights • Family Management/Parenting Education – Direct correlation to kids’ at-risk behavior – Need to increase parent education, awareness and supervision at HS level • Environmental Strategies – Party patrols – Compliance checks and server training – Intervention classes – Collaboration w/Skidmore

8 vs. 9 Grade Substance Use th

th

30 25 20

8th

15

9th

10 5 0 Alcohol

Binge Drinking Cigarettes

Marijuana

School Support • You may not be aware of how much energy school administrators are already dedicating to Partnership initiatives • Incremental support has been incredible • It shows up in data: – Bonding to school – Opportunities and rewards in school

Perception vs. Fact • Perception of peer use is much more accurate at the middle school level • Usage is low, and kids know it • At the high school level, kids overestimate their peers’ use by a large margin

% who believe that over half of peers use vs. actual % of use 30-day Alcohol Use 100 80 60 40 t n rc e P

Perception Actual Use

20 0 7th

9th

10th

11th

12th

% who believe that over half of peers use vs. actual % of use

t n rc e P

30 day Marijuana Use 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

Perception Actual Use

7th

9th

10th

11th

12th

We Need Your Help • Support effective school policy and  consistent   enforcement • Support administration’s prevention work • Big impact on school culture  • Get the word out: • Most kids don’t drink • Kids who do are binge drinking  • Parents need more info