2017 Lexington Middle School Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Executive Summary

Transcription

1 Lexington Middle School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Executive Summary August 18,

2 Survey Background and Methodology Clarke and Diamond middle schools administered the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) to all 7 th and 8 th graders in April of. The survey, which included more than 80 questions, covered a series of topics associated with youth health behavior, including substance use, automobile safety, bullying and violence, sexual behavior, suicidal ideation and symptoms of depression, and academic stress. Full item-level survey results for these and other topics can be accessed at the web address below: A version of the YRBS is also administered to high school students in Lexington. These results are referenced at points in this report. Full item-level results for this survey can be found at the web address below: The YRBS was developed by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to monitor health behaviors among middle school and high school students. The questionnaires used by Lexington are based on the official CDC questionnaire, but with an extensive set of revisions targeted at the specific needs of the student population. The majority of questions in the survey are identical to those used in 2015, which supports the ability to assess how behaviors and attitudes change over time. However, the availability of other comparative datasets at the middle school level is unfortunately limited at this time. National CDC YRBS summary data is unavailable for middle school students. Most states, including Massachusetts, do not conduct YRBS in middle school. In Lexington, the middle school survey was administered online to students during the school day. Students were asked to complete the survey but were also told that participation is voluntary. Furthermore, students were told that they could skip any question that they were not comfortable answering. Appropriate procedures were implemented for obtaining permission from parents for student participation. After data cleaning, the survey yielded a final sample size of 1,049 participants in grades 7 through 8, equivalent to a 92% response rate. The sample was almost equally balanced between male and female students. White, not-hispanic students constituted the largest race/ethnic subsample (49%), followed by Asian or Pacific Islander (22.9%), Southeast Asian American (11.7%), and multiracial (8.3%). This demographic breakdown, which is similar to the statistics for the full student population, supports the representativeness of the sample. Full demographic data, including comparison to district demographics, can be accessed at the web address listed above. It is important to note that student perceptions and reported experiences collected through the YRBS can provide valuable insights. However, this should be paired with other data whenever possible to strengthen the inferences and conclusions ultimately drawn. Survey data should not be used alone to draw causal inferences about policy, practice, or individuals.

3 Key Findings 1. Alcohol is the most commonly used substance among Lexington middle school students. Of the students surveyed in, 31.8% have tried drinking alcohol. This is a decrease from 2015 (39.7%). 2. Cigarette smoking among middle school students (at least one occasion in their lifetimes) remains low at 1.2%. Use of an Electronic Nicotine Delivery Device (ENDD) is also low, with only 1.8% reporting the use of an ENDD in the past 30 days. 3. Marijuana and other drug use among middle school students also remain low. 0.6% have used marijuana on at least one occasion in their lifetimes. Less than 0.5% of middle school students reported past-30-day marijuana use. Similar to results reported in 2015, approximately 2. of students reported using other drugs (e.g., cocaine, sniffing glue, steroids, over-the-counter medications or prescription medications that were not taken according to a doctor s instructions). 4. Reported incidences of bullying at school and electronically have both decreased since In, 29.9% of middle school students reported being bullied on campus (compared to 31.3% in 2015) and 15. reported being electronically bullied (compared to 20.1% in 2015). 5. Rates of reported self-injurious behavior have increased since % of middle school students reported engaging in self-injurious behaviors, such as cutting or burning (compared to 7.1% in 2015). 6. Levels of reported suicide ideation have also increased since Among middle school students, 15.4% reported considering suicide, 9.1% made a suicide plan, and 2.6% attempted suicide. These are increases from 2015 when 13.2% reported considering suicide, 7.8% made a suicide plan, and 1.2% attempted suicide. 7. Homework continues to be a source of stress for middle school students. Middle school students most frequently reported the highest levels of stress for homework, with 39% identifying this as a source of "extreme" or "a lot" of stress. This is similar to levels reported in Other notable sources of stress include classes (24.7%) and family problems (27.7%). 3 Lexington Middle School Youth Risk Behavior Survey

4 Survey Results Section 2: Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Use Substance Use Alcohol Lifetime Prevalence. Of the students surveyed in, 31.8% have tried drinking alcohol (compared to 39.7% in 2015). A greater proportion of 8 th grade students (40.2%) reported trying alcohol compared to those in 7 th grade (24.2%) (See Graph 1). Rates also differ slightly by gender. 34.4% of male and 28.3% of female students reported lifetime use. Past-30-Day Prevalence. 3.6% of middle school students reported drinking one or more drinks in the last 30 days. Grade-level results range from 2.9% for 7 th graders to 4.3% for 8 th graders. 4.4% of male students and 2.2% of female students reported past-30-day use. Cigarettes Lifetime Prevalence. Lifetime prevalence rates have decreased from the already-low rates of cigarette use reported in 2015 (2.2%). Of the middle school students surveyed in, only 1.2% have smoked cigarettes on at least one occasion in their lifetimes. Rates of smoking are also dropping among LHS students, with lifetime rates dropping from 15. in 2013 to 8.5% in. Lifetime prevalence rates for cigarette use range from 0.7% for 7 th graders to 1.8% for 8 th graders. 0.8% of male students and 1.4% of female students reported lifetime use. Past-30-Day Prevalence. Less than 0.5% of middle school students reported smoking cigarettes in the past 30 days. Electronic Nicotine Delivery Device (ENDD) Past-30-Day Prevalence. Among middle school students, 1.8% reported the use of an ENDD in the past 30 days (compared to 6.6% among LHS students). Rates were the same across grade levels (1.8% for both 7 th and 8 th graders). 1.9% of male students and 1.4% of female students reported past-30-day ENDD use. Marijuana Lifetime Prevalence. Middle school students continue to report low levels of marijuana use, with lifetime rates dropping from 1. in 2015 to 0.6% in. Past-30-Day Prevalence. Less than 0.5% of middle school students reported past-30-day marijuana use Other Drugs Lifetime Prevalence. Similar to results reported in 2015, approximately 2. of students reported using other drugs (e.g., cocaine, sniffing glue, steroids, over-the-counter medications or prescription medications that were not taken according to a doctor s instructions). Automobile Safety Safety. Among middle school students, 94.4% wear a seat belt "most of the time" or "always." 11.4% reported riding in a car with a drinking driver on at least one occasion in their lifetimes. This is similar to the rate reported for LHS students (11.7%). Graph 1: Lifetime Alcohol Use by Grade Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12 4 Lexington Middle School Youth Risk Behavior Survey

5 Graph 2: Bullying Bullied on School Property Electronically Bullied Self-Injury and Suicide Ideation Self-Injury. 8.6% of middle school students reported engaging in self-injurious behaviors, such as cutting or burning. This is slightly higher than results from 2015 (See Graph 3). Rates of reported self-injury are slightly higher among 8 th graders (9.1% versus 8. among 7 th graders). The rate for female students (10.6%) is about twice as high than the rate for male students (5.4%) Bullying and Violence Bullying at School. Among middle school students, 29.9% reported being bullied on school property on at least one occasion in their lifetimes (compared to 31.3% in 2015). Rates were slightly higher among 8 th graders (31. versus 28.9% among 7 th graders). Male students are also more likely to report being bullied at school (32.2% versus 27.1% for female students). Electronic Bullying. 15. of middle school students reported being electronically bullied through texting and social media (compared to 10.3% among high school students). This is a decrease from 2015, when 20.1% of students reported being electronically bullied (See Graph 2). Again, rates were higher among 8 th graders (17.7% versus 12.7% among 7 th graders). Unlike bullying on school property, female students are more likely to report being electronically bullied (17.9% versus 11.7% for male students). Suicide. Among middle school students, 15.4% reported considering suicide, 9.1% made a suicide plan, and 2.6% attempted suicide. These are increases from 2015 when 13.2% reported considering suicide, 7.8% made a suicide plan, and 1.2% attempted suicide. As observed in YRBS data collected from LHS students, female students reported higher levels of suicide ideation than their male counterparts: (1) considered suicide (13.2% of males versus 16.4% of females), (2) planned suicide (7.1% of males versus 9.6% of females), and (3) attempted suicide (1.9% of males versus 2.2% of females). 2.1% of middle school students reported an injury from a suicide attempt. Among students who reported having seriously considered suicide, 36.3% have told an adult (compared to 29.4% in 2015). Fighting. Physical fighting was reported by 15.3% of middle school students. Male students are substantially more likely to report having been in a fight (24.3% versus 5.7% among female students). Among those students who reported having been in a physical fight, most (91. or 1.2 of the total sample) did not report being hurt and needing treatment from a doctor or nurse. Graph 3: Self-Injury and Suicide Engaged in Self Injury Attempted Suicide Lexington Middle School Youth Risk Behavior Survey

6 Sexual Behavior Sexual Orientation. Among middle school students, 68.1% described themselves as heterosexual, 5. as bisexual, 0.5% as gay or lesbian, 12.9% as not sure, and 13.6% as none of the above. Sexual Intercourse. Similar to results from 2015, less than 1. of Lexington students reported ever having sexual intercourse. Sexual Messages. 8.1% of middle school students have sent or received sexual messages electronically (compared to 13.2% in 2015). Grade-level results ranged from 5.3% for 7 th graders to 11.3% for 8 th graders. Female students were slightly more likely to report having sent or received sexual messages electronically (8.2%) than male students (7.8%). Sexual Pictures. 6.5% of middle school students reported having sent or received sexual pictures electronically (compared to 8. in 2015). Grade-level results ranged from 5. for 7 th graders to 8.3% for 8 th graders. Male students were slightly more likely to report having sent or received sexual pictures electronically (6.8%) than female students (5.8%). Academic Stress Sources of Stress. Middle school students most frequently reported the highest levels of stress for homework, with 39. identifying this as a source of "extreme" or "a lot" of stress. This result is similar to % reported the same for classes (compared with 23. in 2015) (See Graph 4). 27.7% reported that family problems cause them "extreme" or "a lot" of stress. Stress across the Student Population. The intensity of academic stress is unevenly distributed across the student population. Across grade levels, stress levels related to homework increase as student move from 7 th (36.7%) to 8 th grade (41.7%). The same trend is observed for classes (21.7% for 7 th graders and 28.2% for 8 th graders). This trend continues into high school from 9 th through 11 th grade, before receding among 12 th graders. Female students also reported substantially higher stress levels. For example, "extreme stress" or "a lot of stress" due to homework was reported by 51.1% of female students compared to 27.3% of male students. Again, this same pattern is also observed at the high school level. Sexual Harassment. 1.6% of middle school students reported that someone has had sexual contact with them against their will (compared to 2.2% in 2015). Female students were slightly more likely to report harassment (1.6%) than male students (1.2%). Graph 4: Sources of A Lot of or Extreme Stress Classes Homework Lexington Middle School Youth Risk Behavior Survey