NCJ Number
82312
Date Published
1980
Length
217 pages
Annotation
A survey was administered to 2,538 students in 7th through 12th grade in 13 of the 16 public school districts in Dane County, Wis., to determine their attitudes, their self-reported behavior, and their perceptions of their problems and service needs.
Abstract
The survey was part of a larger project which was designed to provide a countywide assessment of youth needs and services. The survey contained 60 items focusing on problems and needs, 10 items which assessed specific attitudes related to the development of delinquent behavior, 14 items which assessed youths' involvement in specific types of delinquent and antisocial behavior, and items on drug and substance use and knowledge of service agencies. The youths were primarily white and had generally lived in the community for more than 4 years. Some of the most frequent and serious problems reported by the youths related to school. A large proportion of the students felt that their lack of a voice in how their school was run and the school staff's lack of understanding of youths were major problems. About 40 percent of the youths indicated that their parents did not understand their problems. Other commonly reported problems were the inability to get a job because of age and the lack of meaningful recreational opportunities. A total of 23.7 percent of the students in the sample consumed either beer or hard liquor at least once a week. About one-eighth of the youths used marijuana at least once a week, while 11.3 percent reported daily use of tobacco. Findings indicated the need to recognize the importance of young people's attitudes and their perceptions of the problems they are experiencing. For example, data indicating that many high schools lose at least 20 percent of their students before graduation show that adults need to listen carefully to what students are saying about their school experience. Data tables present the results for the county and for each school district. A list of 10 references and an appendix presenting the survey instrument are provided.