Seattle Public Schools | Communities That Care Youth Survey

Communities That Care® Youth Survey
2002 & 2004 Survey Data Results The Communities That Care Youth Survey measures 19 risk and 10 protective factors as well as current levels of substance abuse, violence, and delinquency. The survey is designed for students in grades 6th through 12th. Its purpose is to help communities identify the risk and protective factors that pose the most significant challenges and opportunities in the community. WHAT ARE RISK FACTORS? Risk factors are elements in a young person’s environment that increase the likelihood of he or she engaging in problem behaviors. Problem behaviors are specific behaviors that can adversely affect a young person growing into a caring, healthy adult. Some examples of risk factors are the availability of drugs and alcohol in the community, family conflict, academic failure, and antisocial behavior. Research has identified 19 risk factors that can reliably predict these five adolescent problem behaviors: • alcohol and other drug use • delinquency • dropping out of school • unplanned pregnancy • violence. WHAT ARE PROTECTIVE FACTORS? Protective factors are those factors in a young person’s environment that increase the likelihood that the young person will develop healthy, positive attitudes and behaviors. Examples of protective factors include intelligence, good social skills, family involvement, and positive messages that are communicated to youth by their family, school, and community. Protective factors help buffer risk factors so that adolescent can grow up healthy despite the presence of risk factors in their lives. The Communities That Care Youth Survey was administered to Seattle Public Schools 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th graders in April/May 2002 and again in March/April 2004. This Survey data is now available. Once a community has prioritized the protective factors they want to enhance and the risk factors they want to reduce, they then implement tested effective programs designed to enhance specific protective factors and reduce specific risk factors. This allows communities use data about the youth in their communities and reduce risk factors and enhance protective factors in a systematic and targeted way. In other communities that have implemented the CTCare operating system, they have seen more funding for youth services, fewer failing grades, reduced delinquency, and reduce juvenile violent crime. Communities That Care • (206) 252-0790 • ctcare@seattleschools.org