Pubdate: Thu, 01 Dec 2005
Source: Martha's Vineyard Times (MA)
Copyright: 2005 Martha's Vineyard Times
Contact:  http://www.mvtimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1166
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

YOUTH RISK BEHAVIOR SURVEY

Fifty-four percent of high school respondents to the Martha's 
Vineyard Youth Risk Behavior Survey say they had used alcohol during 
the 30 days prior to answering the survey question. Thirty-eight 
percent said they had used marijuana. Both figures for Vineyard 
students are significantly higher than comparable results for high 
school students state-wide.

These and other responses to questions concerning tobacco use, drug 
use, sexual activity, depression, suicide, weight concerns, fighting 
and bullying describe a Vineyard community of young people who 
generally resemble their mainland peers. In addition, compared with 
historical measures, the latest results suggest that Island young 
people may be moderating some risky behaviors. Still, the findings 
show alcohol and marijuana use by Island young people is greater than 
among mainland Massachusetts students, and that is a worrisome result 
for members of the Dukes County Health Council's youth task force, 
which administered the survey.

In other survey results, forty-four percent of the Vineyard high 
school students who responded said they had had intercourse during 
their lifetimes, including 27 percent of ninth graders, 40 percent of 
tenth graders, and 62 percent of seniors, a figure just a percentage 
point lower than the comparable result for seniors state-wide. But 
when they have intercourse, Vineyard young people use condoms more 
often than their off-Island peers do. The survey found that among 
sexually active Vineyard young people, 73 percent reported that they 
or a partner had used a condom the last time they had sexual 
intercourse, compared with 57 percent of students state-wide.

The youth risk survey was conducted by the youth task force in April, 
in collaboration with the Martha's Vineyard Public Schools and Social 
Science Research and Evaluation Inc. of Burlington, which compiled 
and analyzed the results. Task force members Mike Joyce, the retired 
Edgartown guidance counselor, and Jane Dreeben, a therapist, made a 
summary of the results available this week.

According to the task force, "The survey is one step in the Dukes 
County Health Council's youth task force's efforts to prepare an 
Island-wide assessment of community health needs. The results are 
expected to help community residents, agencies, and other 
organizations plan and evaluate programming to support young people. 
The information can also help parents understand the challenges that 
their children face and encourage them to work in planning response 
strategies."

Both Mr. Joyce and Ms. Dreeben emphasized that, despite the troubling 
issues revealed by the survey results, the goal must be to "see 
children as assets, rather than liabilities."

"Survey organizers," according to the task force's press statement, 
"stress that the results can present a skewed picture of Vineyard 
youth because much of the data concerns risky behaviors such as 
substance use and violence. It is important to emphasize the many 
positive aspects of adolescent life, the fact that these issues are 
not confined solely to youth, and that they are community issues that 
require the attention of all community members and organizations."

Tobacco use Ninety-seven percent of Vineyard middle school 
respondents said they were not current cigarette smokers, nor were 83 
percent of high school students, although among eleventh graders, 25 
percent of respondents reported smoking within 30 days of completing 
the survey. The state-wide figure for cigarette use among high school 
students is 21 percent, taken from the state's 2003 survey. Smoking 
among Vineyard students has declined since 2000, when a comparable 
survey was conducted by the school system. Then, five percent of 
middle schoolers and 30 percent of high school students said they 
smoked cigarettes. The 2005 survey results show that, while cigarette 
use has declined, use of cigars and smokeless tobacco is on the rise.

Alcohol and pot "Alcohol is the most popular substance among Vineyard 
youth," according to a press statement which accompanied the release 
of the youth survey results this week, "with 11 percent of middle 
schoolers and over half (54 percent) of high schoolers reporting 
drinking alcohol in the 30 days prior to the survey. Thirty-nine 
percent of high schoolers reported binge drinking -- having five or 
more drinks in a row within a couple of hours -- in this same 
timeframe, meaning that just under three quarters of high school 
drinkers engaged in binge drinking."

But, the news is mixed. "While high school rates of current alcohol 
use (54 percent, Vineyard 2005 vs. 46 percent, Mass. 2003) and 
current binge drinking (39 percent, Vineyard 2005 vs. 27 percent, 
Mass. 2003) remain above state averages, trends are promising...." 
For both middle school and high school students, alcohol use has 
declined since 2000 -- by as much as 10 percentage points for high 
school students -- and binge drinking has declined as well.

Marijuana use is much more common than any other illegal substance 
and more common than cigarette smoking. Three percent of middle 
school students and 38 percent of high school students reported 
current use of marijuana (within 30 days of the survey). The high 
school rate for the Vineyard is 10 points higher than the state-wide 
rate, but the trend suggests improvement. The rate among Vineyard 
middle school students is down three percent since 2002, although it 
is higher than it was in 2000, when it was two percent. For high 
school students, the rate of marijuana use has declined from 44 
percent in 2002, and from 43 percent in 2000.

How the survey was conducted Students in grades six through 12 were 
surveyed, using a questionnaire modified to suit the middle school 
and high school settings. Parents could review the questionnaires in 
advance. The surveys were conducted during a school period set aside 
for the purpose. The surveys required no personal or identifying 
information from respondents. A total of 1,075 students completed the 
survey. Participation was voluntary.

Although participation was high, Social Science Research warns that, 
"It is important to keep in mind that the survey results can be 
generalized only to students who were present when the survey was 
administered. The results may not reflect responses that might have 
been obtained from students who were absent or truant on the day that 
the survey was administered, nor from students who have dropped out of school."

To meet a challenge The youth task force was formed "to address 
challenges facing young people on Martha's Vineyard." The effort 
began with a community meeting on Oct. 17 at the Martha's Vineyard 
Hebrew Center, a "first step in a process of identifying issues that 
need to be addressed. It was attended by 57 Islanders, including 
students, parents, teachers, therapists, guidance counselors, 
administrators, members of the clergy, law enforcement, and 
representatives from the Brazilian and Wampanoag communities," 
according to a press statement released by the task force. Another 
forum will be held next month, coordinated by researchers at The 
Heller School for Social Policy and Management of Brandeis 
University. The Heller School group will work with the task force to 
develop a 10-year plan to address the issues raised by the study and 
by the observations of school officials and others in the community.

According the task force's press statement, the health council 
established the task force a year ago, when Cindy Doyle, a council 
member, argued that important youth health issues were not being 
addressed. The task force currently includes Eric Adams, director of 
the YMCA Teen Center; Rhonda Cohen, vice chairman of the Dukes County 
Health Council; Judy Crawford, chairman of the YMCA's program 
committee; Cindy Doyle, Dukes County Health Council and YMCA board 
member; Ms. Dreeben; Mr. Joyce; Brian Mackey, executive director of 
the Vineyard House; and Paddy Moore, president of the Foundation for 
Island Health.

Funding for the survey came from Cindy and Rob Doyle, the Dukes 
County Health Council, the Dukes County Sheriff's Department, The 
Farm Neck Foundation, The Permanent Endowment Fund, Martha's Vineyard 
Cooperative Bank, Mary and Sherif Nada, The Bank of Martha's 
Vineyard, Martha's Vineyard Community Services, the Edgartown 
Policeman's Association, Martha's Vineyard Regional High School, The 
Edgartown School, Oak Bluffs School and the West Tisbury School.

Fighting and bullying Students in both middle and high school were 
roughly twice as likely to report being in a physical fight outside 
of school rather than in school. Eighteen percent of middle schoolers 
reported such altercations in school, along with 11 percent of high 
school students. Outside school, 23 percent of middle school 
respondents reported fights, as did 26 percent of high school survey 
respondents. But the 2005 rates represent decreases in fighting for 
both middle and high school students, compared to 2000 survey 
results. Vineyard middle school students were more than twice as 
likely as high school respondents to report that they had been 
bullied either in or out of school in the 12 months prior to the 
survey. The bullying was more likely to occur in school, rather than 
outside school.

Emotional issues In general, about a third of Vineyard middle school 
students and half of high school respondents said their lives are 
stressful. But in the eleventh grade, the share of students who 
report they are under stress rises to 61 percent.

Vineyard high school students are slightly less likely to be 
depressed, compared with their state-wide counterparts, though only 
nine percent of respondents to the youth survey reported that they 
sought help for depression. Females were twice as likely as males to 
report depression.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman