RYASAP Catalyst for Community Change

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2008 PROFILE OF YOUTHCITY OF BRIDGEPORT

• Presented By
• RYASAP Catalyst for Community Change
• Bridgeport, CT
• In collaboration with
• Search Institute, Minneapolis, MN
• duBay Horton Associates, Bridgeport, CT
• October 2008

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2008 PROFILE OF YOUTHDEMOGRAPHICS

• 1078 youth grades 7 12 were surveyed, a 16
  sample of youth in the public schools in
  Bridgeport
• Racial/Ethnic Breakdown
• 6 White
• 39 African American
• 42 Latino(a)
• 10 Multi-Racial
• 3 Asian

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DEVELOPMENTAL ASSETSEXTERNAL ASSETSPositive
experiences and support a young person receives
fromformal and informal connections to the
community
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DEVELOPMENTAL ASSETSINTERNAL ASSETSThings a
community and family nurture within youth sothey
can contribute to their own development
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SETTINGS FOR POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
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ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT ASSETS

• Individuals do not need the entire range of
  assets to thrive. Combinations of assets across
  domains reflect equally positive adolescent
  development.
• Having more assets is better than having a few.
  Having strong assets in one category can offset
  weak assets in another. However, life is easier
  to manage if one has assets in all domains.
• Continued exposure to positive experiences,
  settings and people, as well as opportunities to
  gain and refine life skills, supports young
  people in the acquisition and growth of these
  assets.

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HIGHLIGHTSCITY OF BRIDGEPORTASSETS

• Average number of assets increased to 17.8
  assets from16.9 assets in 1998 and 17.5 assets in
  2005. The largest increase in assets occurred in
  grades 7, 8, and 12 with a decrease in grade 10.
• Increases of 3 to 7 occurred in the Positive
  Values assets of Restraint, Responsibility,
  Honesty, Integrity, Social Justice and Caring.
  Bridgeport students had the highest positive
  values in the greater Bridgeport region in 2008
  and showed the largest increases from 1998 and
  2005.
• 29 of 40 developmental assets increased or
  remained the same in Bridgeport. The most
  positive asset areas were Positive Values,
  Positive Identity, Support and Social Competence.
  Thriving indicators of Succeeds in School (4)
  and Helps Others (6) both increased. Maintains
  Good Health is the lowest in the greater
  Bridgeport region.
• Two developmental assets demonstrated
  significant decreases 7 decrease in young
  people doing more than one hour of homework/night
  and a 5 decrease from 1998 and a 6 decrease
  from 2005 in youth programs available for young
  people. Bridgeport youth are 30 less likely to
  have youth programs available to them. The
  weakest asset area was Commitment to Learning
  with slight decreases in every area from 2005 and
  1998.

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ASSETS 1998-2008CITY OF BRIDGEPORT
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ASSETS BY GRADE LEVEL 1998-2008
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THRIVING INDICATORSThose indicators that predict
future thriving behaviors
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SUPPORT
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SUPPORTMUNICIPAL COMPARISONS
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EMPOWERMENT
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BOUNDARIES AND EXPECTATIONS
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CONSTRUCTIVE USE OF TIME
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COMMITMENT TO LEARNING
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POSITIVE VALUES
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POSITIVE VALUESMUNICIPAL COMPARISONS
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SOCIAL COMPETENCIES
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POSITIVE IDENTITY
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HIGHLIGHTSCITY OF BRIDGEPORTDEFICITS OR RISKY
BEHAVIORS

• Only 7 of teens smoked tobacco in the last 30
  days with less than 1 smoking one-half pack/day
  or more.
• 27 of Bridgeport teens drank alcohol in the
  last 30 days with 18 of young people have had 5
  or more drinks in a row in the last two weeks
  with male students just slightly more apt to
  participate in this behavior. The peak grade for
  binge drinking is the 10th grade. Alcohol use is
  increasing among Bridgeport students but remains
  the lowest in the greater Bridgeport region.
• Parental and peer disapproval of alcohol and
  tobacco use is the lowest in the region in
  Bridgeport as is the use of these substances
  demonstrating a strong correlation between parent
  and peer disapproval and use.
• 18 of Bridgeport youth have attempted suicide
  and 18 report being sad or depressed most of the
  time. This represents a 5 increase from 2005 and
  c alls for a need for additional mental health
  supports.
• 22 of students report that they skipped 3 or
  more days of school without permission during
  this school year
• Violent behavior has increased significantly
  since 2005. 9 of young people have participated
  in a group fight 3 or more times in the last 12
  months. 6 of girls have done so, which is an
  increase of 3. 29 of males and 10 of females
  have carried a weapon in the last 12 months to
  protect themselves. Female students participate
  in bullying or threatening behavior to the same
  degree as male students (35 to 39)

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YOUTH REPORTING RISKY BEHAVIORS1998-2008
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RISKY BEHAVIORSMUNICIPAL COMPARISONS
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RISKY BEHAVIORSMUNICIPAL COMPARISONS
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YOUTH REPORTING PREDICTIVE DEFICITS
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ALCOHOL, TOBACCO AND OTHER DRUGSAGE OF ONSET
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TOBACCO, ALCOHOL AND MARIJUANA30 DAY USE
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TOBACCO, ALCOHOL MARIJUANA30 DAY USEMUNICIPAL
COMPARISONS
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PARENTAL APPROVAL ALCOHOL, TOBACCO AND
MARIJUANA USE
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PEER APPROVALALCOHOL, TOBACCO AND MARIJUANA USE
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CONCLUSIONS

• The achievement gap is equal to the
  developmental asset gap with Bridgeport students
  having on average of 4 fewer assets than their
  suburban counterparts and ranks lowest in 20 of
  40 asset categories with particularly large gaps
  in Support, Empowerment and Commitment to
  Learning. On the other hand, Bridgeport leads the
  region in 10 asset categories -- all 6 Positive
  Values, self esteem, high expectations, school
  boundaries, and cultural competence. Major work
  needs to be done to close the gap in family,
  school and community support involvement of
  youth in meaningful community activities and
  building attachments between them and their
  schools.
• Alcohol use and binge drinking are increasing
  among Bridgeport teens. A very promising program
  at Central High School by Steve Karjanis and
  David Gordon now serving almost 300 youth needs
  to be expanded to all the high schools and middle
  grades.
• Maintaining good physical health among
  Bridgeport teens ranks far below its suburban
  counterparts. Being in good health is essential
  to being able to learn. Further diminishment in
  the school based health centers will cause
  irreparable harm to young people's ability to
  learn. Education regarding what constitutes good
  physical health must become an area of emphasis
  in health and wellness education.

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CONCLUSIONS

• Only 40 of Bridgeport youth noted youth
  programs that were available to them. This
  compares with over 70 in all of Bridgeports
  suburbs. Bridgeport nonprofits serving youth
  need to hold a community forum dedicated to
  expanding opportunities for youth as well as
  better communications around existing programs.
• Suicide and depression are rising in Bridgeport
  among young people. First there needs to be
  better coordination among all of the mental
  health initiatives for Bridgeport youth and gaps
  need to be identified and filled.
• All forms of violent behavior carrying or using
  a weapon for protection, group fighting, bullying
  and physically hurting others among Bridgeport
  teens is rising and especially among female
  students. Gender specific programs for male and
  female students need to be expanded to reduce
  violence among our youth.
• Peer based models such as those utilized in
  Monroe and Fairfield for teen gambling education,
  PARTY for teen alcohol abuse and the CHS
  substance abuse support groups have all been
  highly successful in addressing major problems
  among youth. Peer-based models need to be
  expanded to other areas of concern such as teen
  violence, suicide and adolescent pregnancy. They
  increase teens sense of self worth as they
  successfully address social problems.

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WHAT NEXT?

• What adults can do
• Smile and say hello to an adolescent that you
  see
• Send thinking of you cards to an adolescent
• Invite a young person to something you are doing
• What young people can do
• Get involved in a youth program, co-curricular
  activities, congregational program
• Get to know an adult you like
• Build relationships with younger children
  through tutoring, peer counseling, etc.
• What families can do
• Talk about your values with your children
• Involve your children in home and community
  projects
• Talk to your children about assets. Ask them how
  they would strengthen theirs
• What organizations can do
• Highlight youth assets in your programs not
  needs and deficits
• Provide meaningful ways to involve young people
  in planning and running programs in your
  organization that serve youth
• Join together with other agencies, citizens
  groups, faith organizations, youth and parents
  and determine what you will do together to stress
  assets and respond to community problems