Pubdate: Fri, 27 Oct 2000
Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer (WA)
Copyright: 2000 Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Contact:  P.O. Box 1909, Seattle, WA 98111-1909
Website: http://www.seattle-pi.com/
Author: Ruth Schubert, Seattle Post-Intelligencer Reporter

'99 TEEN HEALTH SURVEY SHOWS SOME GOOD NEWS ABOUT CITY'S SCHOOLKIDS

But Responses About Gangs And Suicide Concern District

These are the vital signs of Seattle's high school students:

Nearly half have tried marijuana, 6 percent have tried cocaine and 17
percent have tried hallucinogens.

More than 30 percent got in a car with a drunk driver at least once in
a one-month period.

One-fifth seriously considered suicide last year.

Forty percent have had sex.

That's the profile created by the Seattle Public Schools' 1999 Teen
Health Survey, a comprehensive look at the well-being of more than
10,000 middle and high school students.

The survey, last conducted in 1995, looked at everything from mental
health to drug use, violence to volunteering, sex to schoolwork.

Although most survey areas stayed virtually the same, results show
that fewer of today's students are smoking, drinking or experimenting
with heroin. Fewer are having sexual intercourse or getting pregnant.
Harassment and fighting are down as well.

"This is great news for our city. This is great news for our district
and, most of all, this is great news for our kids," Seattle
Superintendent Joseph Olchefske said.

But he cautioned that much work remains to be done. The percentage of
students reporting suicide attempts, gang involvement and carrying
weapons at school stayed about the same compared to 1995. Even some
areas that showed significant improvements remain troubling. The
percentage of eighth-graders who have tried alcohol, for example,
dropped significantly, but still remains at about 41 percent.

The Seattle survey is one of 16 in the nation funded by the federal
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Other agencies that
provided funding include Public Health-Seattle & King County and the
Seattle Families and Education Levy.

The results will be used to evaluate and direct funding to programs
that school officials believe have helped reduce risky behavior.

In 1995, eighth-graders indicated high risk behavior, prompting the
Seattle district to increase programs at middle schools. Those
programs appear to have made a difference.

"Every drug variable in the survey is down for grade eight students,"
noted Pamela Hillard, program manager for health education in the
Seattle district.

Written comments in the report, submitted by students, are evidence of
what worries today's teens.

As a whole, students said they want more health education, better
classes and teachers, consistent school policies on drug use and
weapons, and more after-school activities.

"The staff seems most concerned (with) setting you up for your future,
which is wonderful, but in reality, most teens are only thinking of
the here and now," a student wrote. "If you're a 17 yr (sic) old girl
and you're thinking 'Oh God, am I pregnant?' how concerned are you
really gonna be (with) getting your GPA up to a respectable (number)?"

Another student wrote: "If students weren't worried about the
consiquences (sic) of telling an adult about doing drugs, then adults
could help students get home safety (sic) when they've been using
drugs, rather than us being forced to drive."

And addressing the subject of race, another student wrote that
"students in my school are not really getting along well." All blacks,
whites and Asians stay "all together" in their racial groups, the
student said.

Olchefske said the survey results underscored the need to link school
and community activities, to make sure every student has a positive
adult contact in the school, and to get every staff member involved in
fostering safe schools.

"Hiring a few more counselors . . . (or) security guards is not the
answer," he said.
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