Survey examines Dansville teens’ choices

How do teens living within the Dansville Central School District rate regarding various drug, alcohol and family factors compared to their peers in the county and nation? Not good according to 2006 and 2008 surveys.

The surveys on sixth, eighth, 10th and 12th- graders, were conducted by Genesee Valley Health Partnerships’ Healthy Communities That Care program.

Drug Free Communities Project Director Rachel Pena presented the Board of Education with the results of the latest survey Aug. 24. All national and county survey results are from 2008.

According to the results, since 2006, local students report that drug and alcohol use remains above the national and county averages.

For “Lifetime Alcohol Use,” 88 percent of Dansville 12th-graders reported positive to consuming it in 2006, up from the 84 percent admitting to use in 2008. The county average was 79 percent, the national average 73 percent.

For “Past 30 Day Alcohol Use,” the chart showed that in 2008, 66 percent of seniors replied positive and 71 percent had reported positive two years earlier. The chart shows the national average at 44 percent and the county’s at 46 percent in 2008.

Binge drinking, which is five or more drinks in one sitting, was at 50 percent for seniors in 2008; and 57 percent in 2006. The national norm was 26 percent; the county 33 percent.

“Past 30 Day Use of Marijuana” rose from 26 percent in 2006 to 32 percent in 2008. The national average was 19 percent; the county average 25 percent.

For lifetime inhalents, eighth-graders beat the seniors in 2008 with 20 percent compared to 13 percent in 12th grade. According to the survey, eighth-graders also placed higher for both the national (16 percent, 10 percent for seniors) and county averages (12 percent, 10 percent for seniors).

The lifetime psychedelic drug rate was 16 percent for Dansville seniors in 2008; compared to 9.9 percent for county seniors and 4 percent for the nation’s 12th-graders.

Students in the senior class admitting to having been drunk or high at school rose from 21 percent in 2006 to 30 percent in 2008. The national average was 19 percent, the county 21 percent.

Results for seniors “Attacking Someone with the Intent to Harm” rose sharply from 8 percent in 2006 to 15 percent in 2008. The national average was 13 percent; the county 10 percent.

For all students surveyed, community disorganization – more specifically the presence of fights and abandoned buildings – contributed to the highest percentage points found in the entire survey. All grades surveyed in 2008 responded at more than 50 percent on this question.

The highest for Dansville was grade eight at a little more than 70 percent. That’s down from the highest percentage point, which was the 2006 12th-grade survey, which showed almost 80 percent.

“Perceived Availability of Alcohol and Drugs” was slightly higher for Dansville students than the norm. From 2006 through 2008, DCS 12th-graders and the county replied at more than 50 percent, whereas the nation was at just less than the 50 percent mark. The 2006 eighth-graders had the highest mark at more than 60 percent.

Dansville 10th-graders had the highest percentage of family conflict in 2008, at a little more than 50 percent compared to less than 40 percent two years prior. The county average for that grade was a little less than 40 percent, whereas the national average was right  at the 40 percent mark.

But, it was 12th-graders   who responded higher to poor family management, with about 50 percent in 2008 and nearly 60 percent in 2006. The county and national norms were both a little more than 40 percent.

Family attachment – especially a student’s relationship with their father – was low for Dansville, specifically the sixth graders who responded at just below 40 percent in 2008 and just above 50 percent in 2006. The county and national norm for that grade level tied at about 55 percent.

Dansville student’s “Family Rewards for Pro-Social Involvement” was also lower than the county and national norms for all grade levels surveyed. The lowest was eighth-grade at just above 40 percent, with the county average at 50 percent and national average was just below the 50 percent mark.

Religiosity was another low factor for all grade levels, sixth-grade being the lowest at 23 percent in 2008, just less than the county norm and at just about half of the national average.

Eighth-graders had the lowest mark for social skills in 2008 at 40 percent, but 12th-graders had the lowest mark in 2006 at a little less than 40 percent.

So what’s the solution? Dansville Schools Superintendent Paul Alioto said Monday that students in Dansville are not unlike young people in many other communities. However, the school has a responsibility to speak about these issues and try to steer students toward more productive decision making, as well as speaking to parents.

Alioto went on to say that the school district is developing goals to turn things around, and has already been working on hosting an after school program for students who engage in risky behaviors.

Students often engage in such behaviors because they like the risk, social interaction and gaining a sense of confidence. The program will be run by the Rochester-based not-for-profit organization EnCompass.

EnCompass is designed to give students academic tutoring as well as engaging them in adventure-based team building programs and on field trips. EnCompass is funded entirely by donations and grants.

The district is hoping to serve about 60 students in grades seven through nine with this program.