Title: RYASAP Catalyst for Community Change
12008 PROFILE OF YOUTHTOWN OF MONROE
- Presented By
- RYASAP Catalyst for Community Change
- Bridgeport, CT
- In Cooperation With
- The Search Institute, Minneapolis, MN
- duBay Horton Associates, Bridgeport, CT
- October 2008
22008 PROFILE OF YOUTHDEMOGRAPHICS
- 382 youth grades 7 12 were surveyed in public
schools in Monroe - Racial/Ethnic Breakdown
- 86 White
- 3 African American
- 4 Hispanic
- 3 Multi-Racial
- 3 Asian/Pacific islander
- 1 Native American
-
3DEVELOPMENTAL ASSETSEXTERNAL ASSETSPositive
experiences and support a young person receives
fromformal and informal connections to the
community
4DEVELOPMENTAL ASSETSINTERNAL ASSETSThings a
community and family nurture within youth sothey
can contribute to their own development
5SETTINGS FOR POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
6ASSUMPTIONS 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.
7HIGHLIGHTSTOWN OF MONROEASSETS
- The average number of assets increased slightly
from18.8 in 1998 to 20.2 in 2005 to 20.4 in 2008.
Assets increased at all grade levels except the
12th grade. - 28 of 40 developmental assets either increased
or remained the same from 2005 to 2008. The most
positive asset areas were Support, Positive
Values and Positive Identity. The largest
increases of more than 3 in assets were in the
areas of available Youth Programs (3), Bonding
to School (4), Equality and Social Justice (3)
and Caring Neighborhood (3). Thriving Behaviors
of Maintains Good Health increased by 5 and
Overcomes Adversity increased by 4. - Developmental assets showing a decrease of 3 or
more included Time Alone at Home (5), more than
1 hour or more of homework per day (4) and
Restraint (3). 3 fewer students reported
getting mostly As in school. All assets in the
area of student Empowerment decreased.
8ASSETS 1998 2008TOWN OF MONROE
9ASSETS BY GRADE LEVEL 1998--2008
10THRIVING INDICATORSThose indicators that predict
future thriving behaviors
11SUPPORT
12EMPOWERMENT
13BOUNDARIES AND EXPECTATIONS
14CONSTRUCTIVE USE OF TIME
15COMMITMENT TO LEARNING
16POSITIVE VALUES
17SOCIAL COMPETENCIES
18POSITIVE IDENTITY
19HIGHLIGHTSTOWN OF MONROEDEFICITS OR RISKY
BEHAVIORS
- Only 12 of Monroe teens smoked tobacco in the
last 30 days with only 4 smoking half a pack or
more per day (Highest in greater Bridgeport
region). However, the 12 of teens who smoked
represented a 2 increase over 2005. - 35 of teens drank alcohol in the last 30 days
and 16 used marijuana. 18 of teens had 5 or
more drinks at once over the last two weeks. 29
of 10th grade students binge drank, which was the
highest grade. - Violent behavior between teens in Monroe all
decreased and were the lowest in the Bridgeport
region including carrying or using a weapon,
being in group fights, hurting someone physically
or bullying behavior. - 22 of teens in Monroe had sexual intercourse
with 38 of high school seniors the lowest in
Greater Bridgeport. - There was a major drop in teen gambling with
only 13 having gambled 3 or more times in the
last 12 months a 5 drop from 2005. - 8 of young people had attempted suicide with 9
feeling sad or depressed most of the time.
20YOUTH REPORTING RISKY BEHAVIORS
21RISKY BEHAVIORSMUNICIPAL COMPARISONS
22RISKY BEHAVIORSMUNICIPAL COMPARISONS
23YOUTH REPORTING PREDICTIVE DEFICITS
24ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUGSAGE OF ONSET
25ALCOHOL, TOBACCO AND MARIJUANA30 DAY USE
26TOBACCO, ALCOHOL MARIJUANA30 DAY USEMUNICIPAL
COMPARISONS
27PARENTAL APPROVALALCOHOL, TOBACCO AND MARIJUANA
USE
28PEER APPROVALALCOHOL, TOBACCO AND MARIJUANA USE
29CONCLUSIONS
- Monroe showed gains in 28 of 40 developmental
asset categories and 4 of 8 Thriving Indicators.
Monroe has been a model for the greater
Bridgeport region with its peer-driven GAMES teen
gambling education program and its use of a
similar model ISEA to combat underage substance
use and abuse. Monroe should intensify its
efforts in the area of alcohol use and abuse and
seek other avenues to utilize these peer based
models. - Monroe had the highest number of assets in the
greater Bridgeport region in 10 of 40 categories
with the highest scores on all 4 Positive
Identity indicators Personal Power, Self
Esteem, Sense of Purpose and Positive View of
Personal Future. It also had the lowest scores on
7 indicators including, Cultural Competence,
Equality and Social Justice, Neighborhood
Boundaries and Parent Involvement in Schooling.
Joint programs with Bridgeport and/or Stratford
in cultural diversity may increase students sense
of cultural competence and programs such as the
National Network of Partnership Schools Parent
Friendly Schools initiative may also be helpful.
30CONCLUSIONS
- Tobacco use is increasing slightly among Monroe
teens and diligence should be paid to keep these
figures low. - Binge drinking and alcohol use among teens in
Monroe are among the highest in the region and
above the national average. Two of the best
indicators for reducing teen substance use are
parental and peer disapproval of use of
substances and these are areas where Monroe may
want to provide some emphasis. The Trumbull
Partnership Against Underage Drinking or TPAUD,
the community coalition model used in Trumbull
and led by the Trumbull Public Schools may be a
source of replication for Monroe. - There are also major differences between boys
and girls on most developmental assets and risky
behaviors with boys scoring lower and being much
more involved in risky behaviors except for
substance use/abuse. This is true througho0ut the
greater Bridgeport region and should be
addressed.
31 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