RYASAP Catalyst for Community Change

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2008 PROFILE OF YOUTH IN GREATER BRIDGEPORT

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

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2008 PROFILE OF YOUTHOVERVIEW

• 3,302 youth surveyed, an 18 sample of youth,
  grades 7-12 in Greater Bridgeport
• Participating public school districts ---
  Bridgeport, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford and
  Trumbull, CT
• Racial and Ethnic Breakdown
• 53 White
• 17 African American
• 19 Hispanic
• 7 Multi-racial
• 4 Asian/Pacific Islander
• lt1 Native American

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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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REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS1998-2008ASSETS

• The average number of developmental assets
  increased to 19.1 from 18.3 in 2005 and 17.5 in
  1998. Assets increased in every grade except the
  12th.
• There was a very significant increase in assets
  with 34 of 40 developmental assets either
  increased or remained the same from 2005 to 2008.
  The most positive areas were Support,
  Empowerment, Positive Values, Social Competencies
  and Positive Identity. The only areas where
  assets decreased slightly were Commitment to
  Learning and Constructive Use of Time. The
  largest increases of 3 occurred in the areas of
  Family Boundaries, Bonding to School, Equality
  and Social Justice, Caring and Sense of Purpose.
  Among Thriving Behaviors, Maintains Good Health
  increased 7 and Helping Others increased 4.
• The only developmental asset showing decreases
  of 3 or more was one hour or more of homework
  per day.

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ASSETS 1998-2008
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ASSETS BY GRADE LEVEL
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THRIVING INDICATORSThose assets that predict
future thriving behaviors
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THRIVING INDICATORS
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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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SOCIAL COMPETENCIESMUNICIPAL COMPARISONS
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POSITIVE IDENTITY
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POSITIVE IDENTITYMUNICIPAL COMPARISONS
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HIGHLIGHTS19982008RISKY BEHAVIORS

• Only 8 of teens in greater Bridgeport smoked
  tobacco in the last 30 days with less than 1
  smoking more than half a pack a day or more. This
  represents an increase of 1 over 2005.
• 32 of young people drank alcohol in the last 30
  days and 17 used marijuana. 19 of young people
  had 5 or more drinks in a row over the last two
  weeks, which included 33 of high school seniors
  and 32 of juniors. Parental and peer disapproval
  of substance using behavior makes a difference as
  indicated by disapproval being highest in
  Bridgeport and use of tobacco, alcohol and
  marijuana being the lowest.
• Violent Behavior in the greater Bridgeport area
  represented wide differences between
  municipalities with all forms of violent behavior
  used a weapon, carried a weapon, hurt someone,
  been in a group fight and bullying behavior all
  being much higher in Bridgeport and Stratford
  and being the lowest in Monroe.
• 29 of area youth participated in sexual
  intercourse.
• 12 of young people had attempted suicide in
  their lifetime and 13 reported being sad or
  depressed most of the time.
• 21 of young people skipped school 3 or more
  times without permission, a 4 increase over
  2005.

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YOUTH REPORTING RISKY BEHAVIORS1998-2008
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RISKY BEHAVIORSMUNICIPAL COMPARISONS
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RISKY BEHAVIORS
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PREDICTIVE DEFICITSThose behaviors that make
youth most at-risk of future problems
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PREDICTIVE DEFICITSMUNICIPAL COMPARISONS
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TOBACCO USEAGE OF ONSET
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ALCOHOL USEAGE OF ONSET
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MARIJUANA USEAGE OF ONSET
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TOBACCO, ALCOHOL MARIJUANA30 DAY USE
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TOBACCO USEPARENTAL APPROVAL
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ALCOHOL USEPARENTAL APPROVAL
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TOBACCO USEPEER APPROVAL
37
ALCOHOL USEPEER APPROVAL
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MARIJUANA USEPEER APPROVAL
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CONCLUSIONS

• Many natural partnerships have occurred between
  communities over the years. However there is a
  much greater need for more collaboration in
  Bridgeport and Stratford with the rest of the
  region.
• Young people in Bridgeport place much higher
  than their suburban counterparts in the area of
  Positive Values and Positive Identity and yet,
  they perform much more poorly academically.
  Regional collaboration may pay strong benefits in
  closing the achievement gap.
• Binge drinking remains a serious problem in
  greater Bridgeport. RYASAP should join with its
  municipal partners, Strategic Prevention
  framework grantees and with national experts to
  address this issue. In addition, parental and
  disapproval of young peoples substance using
  behavior make a difference as evidenced by much
  higher disapproval ratings from Bridgeport and
  much lower substance use. Peer and parental based
  initiatives should be implemented.

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CONCLUSIONS

• Great progress has been made in instituting
  strength-based approaches to dealing with youth
  and community problems. However, we must remain
  diligent in continuing to foster positive
  approaches to working with youth Through
  community conversations, focus groups and
  community forums.
• Peer based models such as those utilized in
  Monroe and Fairfield for teen gambling education,
  PARTY for teen alcohol abuse and the Central High
  School substance abuse support groups have all
  been successful in addressing major problems
  among youth. These models need to be extended to
  other areas of concern. They increase teens
  sense of self and they successfully address
  social problems.
• Trumbulls TPAUD model of collaboration including
  all sectors of the Trumbull community to reduce
  underage alcohol use/abuse has had great results
  in the last three years of both reducing underage
  alcohol use/abuse and increasing developmental
  assets. Other communities could benefit from such
  an approach.