HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey Report - Fulton County.pdf2009 Pennsylvania
Youth Survey Report
Fulton County
Conducted by
Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey
Table of Contents
Section 1: The Survey ....................................................................................................................1
Introduction.........................................................................................................................1
Summary of Results ............................................................................................................2
Exploring PAYS Results Online via SmartTrackTM ............................................................3
Survey Methodology .........................................................................................................3
Demographic Profile of Surveyed Youth........................................................................6
Section 2: Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Use .....................................................................9
Measurement .....................................................................................................................9
Results Summary.................................................................................................................9
Item-Level Results .............................................................................................................14
Prescription Drugs.............................................................................................................22
Section 3: Other Antisocial Behaviors .......................................................................................27
Introduction.......................................................................................................................27
Results Summary...............................................................................................................27
Item-Level Results .............................................................................................................30
Section 4: Special Topics ............................................................................................................33
Introduction.......................................................................................................................33
Age of Onset of ATOD Use and Other Antisocial Behavior.......................................33
Driving After Alcohol or Marijuana Use.........................................................................34
Willingness to Try or Use ATODs ......................................................................................35
Gambling ..........................................................................................................................36
Symptoms of Depression.................................................................................................37
Violence and Drugs on School Property......................................................................38
Bullying at School and Internet Safety..........................................................................38
Section 5: Risk and Protective Factors.......................................................................................41
Introduction.......................................................................................................................41
Results Summary...............................................................................................................42
Protective Factors ............................................................................................................48
Risk Factors ........................................................................................................................52
Appendix A: Additional Prevention Planning Data..................................................................65
Introduction.......................................................................................................................65
Risk of Harm.......................................................................................................................65
Disapproval of Drug Use .................................................................................................66
Social Norms .....................................................................................................................67
Parental Disapproval of Drug Use .................................................................................68
Frequency of Drug Use....................................................................................................68
Frequency of Bringing a Weapon to School ...............................................................72Gang Involvement...........................................................................................................73
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey
Appendix B: Historical Data.......................................................................................................75
Introduction ......................................................................................................................75
Demographic Trends ......................................................................................................75
ATOD Results, 2007 ..........................................................................................................76
Other Antisocial Behavior Results, 2007........................................................................78
Risk and Protective Results, 2007 ...................................................................................79
Appendix C: Risk and Protective Factor Scale Construction Summary ...............................81
Appendix D: Other Resources ...................................................................................................95
Web Sites ..........................................................................................................................95
Prevention Program Guides...........................................................................................95
Prevention Planning ........................................................................................................95
References ..................................................................................................................................97
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-1 -
Section 1: The Survey
Introduction
Since 1989, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has conducted a survey of secondary school students ontheir behavior, attitudes and knowledge concerning alcohol, tobacco, other drugs and violence. The
Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS)of 6th,8th,10th and 12th grade public school students is conducted everytwo years. The findings from the PAYS build upon the data gathered during the four previous waves of the
survey in 2001,2003,2005 and 2007,as well as the Generation at Risk survey, a biennial study of drug
use prevalence rates that was conducted from 1989 through 1997.
This survey was sponsored by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD). The
PCCD contracted with SmartTrack, Inc., to conduct the survey, which was administered in fall of 2009.
This report was prepared by Rothenbach Research and Consulting, LLC.
The data gathered in the PAYS serve two primary needs. First, the survey results provide an important
benchmark for alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use and delinquent behavior among young
Pennsylvanians, and help indicate whether prevention and treatment programs are achieving their intendedresults. Second, the survey assesses risk factors that are related to these behaviors and the protective
factors that guard against them. This information allows community leaders and school administrators to
direct prevention resources to areas where they are likely to have the greatest impact.
The Communities That Care Youth Survey (CTCYS)was adopted as the basis for the PAYS. Based on the
work of Dr. J. David Hawkins and Dr. Richard F. Catalano, the CTCYS is designed to identify the levels ofrisk factors related to problem behaviors such as ATOD use—and to identify the levels of protectivefactorsthat help guard against those behaviors. In addition to measuring risk and protective factors, the
CTCYS also measures the actual prevalence of drug use, violence and other antisocial behaviors amongsurveyed students.Three articles (Pollard, Hawkins & Arthur, 1999; Arthur, Hawkins, Pollard, Catalano &
Baglioni, 2002;Glaser, Van Horn, Arthur, Hawkins & Catalano, 2005)describe the CTCYS, its uses and
its ongoing development.
By administering the PAYS,Fulton County has assessed the risk and protective factors its young people
face. This report identifies the risk and protective factors most in need of attention in the community. This
Section 1
The Survey
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-2 -
information can be used to guide prevention efforts, to help address existing problems, and to promote
healthy and positive youth development.
Of course, the survey would not have been possible without the support and cooperation of schoolsuperintendents, parents and students throughout the Commonwealth. The PCCD would like to take this
opportunity to thank these individuals for supporting this valuable and worthwhile endeavor.
All together, 249 students in grades 6, 8, 10 and 12 participated in the survey.
Summary of Results
This report presents findings on a number of topics, including ATOD use, other antisocial behaviors, and
risk and protective factors. A brief summary of the findings from each of these sections is presented here.A more detailed summary is presented at the start of each section, followed by an item-by-item discussion
of the results.
Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Use
Fulton County students recorded the highest lifetime prevalence-of-use rates for alcohol (52.5%),
cigarettes (30.5%), smokeless tobacco (21.5%) and marijuana (14.9%). Other lifetime prevalence ratesranged from 0.8% for steroids to 9.1% for inhalants. There was no reported lifetime cocaine, heroin ormethamphetamine use. The rate of illicit drug use excluding marijuana is summarized by the indicator
“any illicit drug (other than marijuana),” with 10.7% of surveyed students reporting use of these drugs intheir lifetimes. Fulton County students reported the highest past-30-day prevalence-of-use rates for alcohol
(28.2%), cigarettes (14.1%), smokeless tobacco (12.8%), marijuana (7.7%) and inhalants (5.7%). Other
past-30-day prevalence rates ranged from 0.4% for Ecstasy and steroids to 1.6% for hallucinogens. Therewas no reported past-30-day cocaine, heroin or methamphetamine use. Overall, 7.4% of Fulton County
students reported the use of any illicit drug (other than marijuana) in the past 30 days.
National data from the Monitoring the Future survey provide a valuable reference point for evaluating theseverity of drug use behavior. Compared to their national counterparts, Fulton County students reported
higher average levels of lifetime smokeless tobacco, cigarette and alcohol use and lower average levels of
lifetime marijuana, inhalant, cocaine, methamphetamine and Ecstasy use. For past-30-day ATOD use,students reported higher average levels of smokeless tobacco, cigarette and alcohol use than their national
counterparts and a lower average level of marijuana use.
Other Antisocial Behaviors
For the overall sample, the past-12-month prevalence rates recorded for the seven other problem, or
antisocial, behaviors cover a broad range. In Fulton County, 12.3% of students reported Being Drunk orHigh at School in the past year, making it the most prevalent of the seven behaviors.Getting Suspended isthe second most prevalent antisocial behavior, with 9.8% of Fulton County students reporting having been
suspended in the past year. Students in Fulton County reported very low levels of participation inAttempting to Steal a Vehicle.
Risk and Protective Factor Profile
For the overall sample of 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th graders in Fulton County, percentile scores across the nine
protective factor scales range from a low of 45 to a high of 69, with an average score of 55, which is fivepoints higher than the normative average of 50. The three lowest overall scores were for the following
protective factor scales:Religiosity (45),Family Rewards for Prosocial Involvement (49) and CommunityOpportunities for Prosocial Involvement (52). Fulton County students reported the four highest overallscores for the following protective factor scales:School Rewards for Prosocial Involvement (69),Family
Attachment (59),School Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement (58) and Belief in the Moral Order (58).
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-3 -
Overall percentile scores across the 23 risk factor scales range from a low of 42 to a high of 76, with an
average score of 52, which is two points higher than the normative average of 50. Fulton County students
reported the four highest overall scores for the following risk factor scales:Community Disorganization(76),Perceived Availability of Handguns (76),Laws and Norms Favorable to Drug Use (62) and
Perceived Availability of Drugs (62). The three lowest overall scores were for the following risk factor
scales:Early Initiation of Drug Use (42),Transitions and Mobility (42) and Low Perceived Risks of DrugUse(44).
While policies that target any risk or protective factor could potentially be an important resource for
students in Fulton County, focusing prevention planning in high risk and low protection areas could beespecially beneficial. Similarly, factors with low risk or high protection represent strengths that Fulton
County can build on. These objective data, in conjunction with a review of community-specific issues andresources, can help direct prevention efforts for Fulton County. It is important to keep in mind, however,that overall scores can mask problems within individual grades. Section 5 of this report provides grade-
level results that will enable prevention planners to more precisely target opportunities for intervention.
Exploring PAYS Results Online via SmartTrackTM
This report includes a detailed review of findings from each content area of the PAYS questionnaire.Some
counties and schools, however, may wish to go beyond these key metrics.In order to facilitate thisprocess,all 2009 survey participants will have the ability to review their results using the SmartTrackTM
online data browsing system.
SmartTrack’s internet-based reporting tools allow for instant presentation of various reports, ranging fromfrequency distributions to crosstabulations. Data can be viewed in both table and graph formats (via
Excel), and users can review results for any appropriate aggregation or subsample.
Here is an example of an Excel chart generated using SmartTrack.In this report, an educator is examiningstudent perception of the risk associated with smoking cigarettes.
How much do you think people risk harming themselves (physically or in other ways) if they:
No risk Slight risk Moderate risk Great risk Skips Totals
Smoke one or more packs of
cigarettes per day?07.22%05.60%27.15%59.23%0.80%100%
SmartTrack online access will be available to authorized users beginning in late January and will continuethrough the end of the 2010 school year.For more information on accessing your results, or any other
questions about SmartTrack, you can visit the website at www.thesmarttrack.com,emailinfo@thesmarttrack.com,or call (866) 714-8080.
Survey Methodology
The CTCYS was developed to provide scientifically sound information to communities. It measures avariety of risk and protective factors by using groups of survey items, which are called scales. Please note
that some of the risk factors are measured with more than one scale.
The CTCYS was developed from research funded by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention of theU.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This research supported the development of a student
survey to measure the following items:
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-4 -
■risk and protective factors that predict alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD) use, delinquency
and other problem behaviors in adolescents.
■the prevalence and frequency of drug use.
■the prevalence and frequency of antisocial behaviors.
This survey instrument became the CTCYS.The original research involved data collection in five states:
Kansas, Maine, Oregon, South Carolina and Washington. Over 72,000 students participated in thesestatewide surveys, and analysis of the collected data contributed to the development of the CTCYS.
Changes to the PAYS Questionnaire
While the majority of the 2009 PAYS questionnaire is identical to the 2007 questionnaire, several changeswere introduced in this survey cycle.
■Items from the 2007 questionnaire assessing the abuse of prescription drugs were replaced with
six new questions designed to measure prevalence-of-use rates across the three prescription drugcategories: pain relievers, stimulants and tranquilizers.
■The risk factor scale Laws and Norms Favorable to Handguns was dropped from thequestionnaire. All other risk and protective factor scales from the 2007 questionnaire wereretained in full.
■The 2009 questionnaire includes six items addressing student experiences with gambling. Two ofthe six gambling questions—the past-12-months and past-30-days gambling for “money oranything of value” items—are identical to questions used on the 2005 and 2007 surveys. The
sports betting, lottery ticket, and table gaming questions are similar to questions used in the 2007survey.
■Starting in 2009, the PAYS asked students a series of eight questions about bullying at school and
internet safety.
■The ordering of items throughout the questionnaire was changed so that data points most critical
to the prevention planning process would be collected in first sections of the survey. This change
improves the response rate for these key items.
■For some survey items the layout of the question and response options was changed in order to
improve readability.
Administration
The survey was administered in the classroom and required approximately one class period to complete.
Each teacher received an appropriate number of surveys and survey collection envelopes. The teachers
reviewed the instructions with their students and asked the students to complete the survey. Theinstructions informed the students that there were no right or wrong answers. The instructions also
explained the proper way to mark the answers.In some schools, some or all of the student respondents
completed the survey in a computer lab using an internet-based survey administration system.Thecontractor,SmartTrack, Inc.,managed the internet administration.Please see the statewide 2009 PAYS
report for more information on this system.
Students were asked to complete the survey but were also told that participation is voluntary. Furthermore,students were told that they could skip any question that they were not comfortable answering. Both the
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-5 -
teacher and the written instructions on the front of the survey form assured students that the survey was
anonymous and confidential.
Survey Validation
Four strategies were used to assess the validity of the surveys. The first two strategies eliminated the
surveys of students who appeared to exaggerate their drug use and other antisocial behavior. The third
strategy eliminated students who reported use of a fictitious drug. The fourth strategy eliminated thesurveys of students who repeatedly reported logically inconsistent patterns of drug use.
■In the first strategy, surveys from students who reported an average of four or more daily uses of
the following drugs—inhalants, cocaine,hallucinogens, Ecstasy, methamphetamine and heroin—were eliminated from the survey data set. This strategy removes from the survey any student who
did not take it seriously.
■The second strategy supplements the drug use exaggeration test by examining the frequency offour other antisocial behaviors:Attacking Someone with Intent to Harm,Attempting to Steal a
Vehicle,Being Arrested, and Getting Suspended. Respondents who reported an unrealistically highfrequency of these behaviors—more than 80 instances within the past year—were removed fromthe analysis.
■In the third strategy, students were asked if they had used a fictitious drug in the past 30 days or intheir lifetimes. If students reported any use of the fictitious drug, their surveys were not includedin the analysis of the findings.
■The fourth strategy was used to detect logical inconsistencies among responses to the drug-relatedquestions. Students were identified as inconsistent responders in the following circumstances only:
(1) if they were inconsistent on two or more of the following drugs: alcohol, cigarettes, smokeless
tobacco and marijuana/hashish; or (2) if they were inconsistent on two or more of the remainingdrugs. An example of an inconsistent response would be if a student reported that he or she had
used alcohol three to five times in the past 30 days but had never used alcohol in his or her
lifetime.
Fulton County students were cooperative—all but seven students (2.7%) completed valid surveys. Of the
seven surveys identified and eliminated by one or more of the four strategies described above, three
exaggerated drug use (strategy 1), one exaggerated other antisocial behavior (strategy 2), five reported theuse of the fictitious drug (strategy 3) and four responded in a logically inconsistent way (strategy 4). The
elimination total produced by these four strategies equals more than seven because some surveys were
identified by more than one strategy.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-6 -
Sample Analysis
When reviewing survey results people often ask, “What is the margin of error?” This is referred to as the
“confidence interval,” and it reflects the precision of a statistical estimate. For example, a confidenceinterval of ±3.0 points for a drug use prevalence rate of 50.0% means that there is a 95% chance that the
true score is between 47.0% and 53.0%.
For school-based survey research, confidence intervals are determined by the size of the sample relative tothe school’s enrollment. The higher the percentage of a school’s total enrollment that is included in the
sample, the smaller the confidence interval and the more precise the results. Table 1 presents confidence
intervals for both grade-level and overall estimates. Note that these confidence intervals are for prevalencerates of 50%. For less prevalent behaviors, such as heroin use and bringing a weapon to school, the
confidence interval narrows substantially.
Table 1. Confidence Intervals for Sample
Enrollment Sample ConfidenceIntervalGradeNumberPercentageNumberPercentage
6th 171 24.5%52 20.9%±11.8%
7th ----------
8th 184 26.3%111 44.6%±6.0%
9th ----------
10th 175 25.0%44 17.7%±13.3%
11th ----------
12th 169 24.2%42 16.9%±13.7%
Totals 699 100.0%249 100.0%±5.0%
Note: Rounding can produce totals that do not equal 100%.The total sample size in this table does not include respondents who did not report their grade level.
Demographic Profile of Surveyed Youth
The survey measures a variety of demographic characteristics. Table 2 shows selected characteristics ofsurveyed youth: sex, ethnicity and the primary language spoken at home. The primary language spoken at
home refers to the primary language the student speaks at home (rather than what the parents speak at
home).
A higher percentage of surveyed Fulton County students were female (52.2% female versus 47.8% male).
A majority of students identified themselves as White (89.6%). The largest minority group is African
American (0.8%), followed by Latino (0.4%). Note that while the “Other/Multiple” category listed on alltables includes students who selected “Other” as their primary ethnicity, this category also includes those
students who selected multiple ethnicities. Therefore, for example,students who reported both African
American and Latino ethnicity would be classified in the “Other/Multiple” category for the purposes ofthis report.
All of the surveyed students reported English as the language they most often speak at home.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-7 -
Table 2. Selected Demographic Characteristics of Surveyed Youth
Number of Students Percentage of Students
Overall Valid Surveys 249 100.0%
Sex
Male 119 47.8%
Female 130 52.2%
Did not respond 0 0.0%
Ethnicity
White 223 89.6%
African American 2 0.8%
Latino 1 0.4%
American Indian 0 0.0%
Asian 0 0.0%
Other/Multiple 22 8.8%
Did not respond 1 0.4%
Primary Language Spoken at Home
English 249 100.0%
Spanish 0 0.0%
Other Language 0 0.0%
Did not respond 0 0.0%
Note: Rounding can produce totals that do not equal 100%.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-9 -
Section 2: Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Use
Measurement
Alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD) use is measured in the PAYS by a set of 36 questions. The
questions are similar to those used in the Monitoring the Future study, a nationwide study of drug use bymiddle and high school students. Consequently, national data as well as data from other similar surveys
can be easily compared to data from the PAYS.
Prevalence-of-use tables and graphs show the percentages of students who reported using ATODs. Theseresults are presented for both lifetime and past-30-day prevalence of use periods. Lifetime prevalence of
use (whether the student has ever used the drug) is a good measure of student experimentation. Past-30-
day prevalence of use (whether the student has used the drug within the last month) is a good measure ofcurrent use. In addition to the standard lifetime and past-30-day prevalence rates for alcohol use, binge
drinking behavior (defined as a report of five or more drinks in a row within the past two weeks) is also
measured.
A multi-question indicator—“any illicit drug (other than marijuana)”—measures the use of one or more of
the following drugs: inhalants, cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, methamphetamine, Ecstasy
and steroids. The purpose of this drug combination rate is to provide prevention planners with an overallgauge of so-called “hard” drug use (Johnston, O’Malley, Bachman &Schulenberg,2009a).
The survey also includes six questions designed to measure nonmedical use of prescription drugs. The
questions cover three general categories of nonmedical prescription drug use:pain relievers,tranquilizersand stimulants.
Results Summary
Overall Results
ATOD prevalence rates for the combined sample of 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th graders are presented in Graph 1,
and in the overall results column of Tables 3 and 4. As these results show, Fulton County studentsrecorded the highest lifetime prevalence-of-use rates for alcohol (52.5%),cigarettes (30.5%), smokeless
tobacco (21.5%) and marijuana (14.9%). Other lifetime prevalence rates ranged from 0.8% for steroids to
9.1% for inhalants. There was no reported lifetime cocaine, heroin or methamphetamine use. The rate of
Section 2
Alcohol, Tobacco and Other
Drug Use
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-10 -
illicit drug use excluding marijuana is summarized by the indicator “any illicit drug (other than
marijuana),” with 10.7% of surveyed students reporting use of these drugs in their lifetimes.
Fulton County students reported the highest past-30-day prevalence-of-use rates for alcohol (28.2%),cigarettes (14.1%), smokeless tobacco (12.8%), marijuana (7.7%) and inhalants (5.7%). Other past-30-day
prevalence rates ranged from 0.4% for Ecstasy and steroids to 1.6% for hallucinogens. There was no
reported past-30-day cocaine, heroin or methamphetamine use. Overall, 7.4% of Fulton County studentsreported the use of any illicit drug (other than marijuana) in the past 30 days.
Graph 1. Overall Lifetime and Past-30-Day Prevalence ofAlcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Use
7
0
0
0
2
0
1
0
6
8
13
14
12
28
11
1
1
0
3
0
1
0
9
15
22
31
53
0 20 40 60 80 100
Any Illicit Drug (Other than Marijuana)
Steroids
Ecstasy
Methamphetamine
Hallucinogens
Heroin
Crack Cocaine
Cocaine
Inhalants
Marijuana
Smokeless Tobacco
Cigarettes
Binge Drinking
Alcohol
30-Day Lifetime
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-11 -
Grade-Level Results
ATOD prevalence rates for individual
grade levels are presented in Graph 2 andTables 3 and 4. Typically, prevalence
rates for the use of most substances
increase as students enter higher grades.In many communities, however, inhalant
use provides an exception to this pattern,
often peaking during the late middleschool or early high school years. This
may be because inhalants are relatively
easy for younger students to obtain. Past-30-day alcohol use in Fulton County
ranges from a low of 9.6% among 6th
graders to a high of 52.4% among 12th
graders. Past-30-day marijuana use ranges
from a low of 1.9% among 6th graders to ahigh of 18.2% among 10th graders. Past-30-day cigarette use ranges from a low of
3.8% among 6th graders to a high of 35.7% among 12th graders. Past-30-day inhalant use ranges from alow of 2.4% among 10th graders to a high of 9.6% among 6th graders.
Comparisons to National Results
Comparing and contrasting findings from a county-or school-district-level survey to relevant data from anational survey provides a valuable perspective on local data. In this report, national comparisons forATOD use will be made to the 2009 Monitoring the Future study. The Monitoring the Future survey
project, which provides prevalence-of-use information for ATODs from a nationally representative sampleof8th,10th and 12th graders, is conducted annually by the Survey Research Center of the Institute for Social
Research at the University of Michigan (see www.monitoringthefuture.org). For a review of the
methodology of this study, please see Johnston et al.(2009a).
In addition to a complete report of prevalence-of-use rates for each surveyed grade, Tables 3 and 4 present
national results from the Monitoring the Future study. Across the three comparison grades (8th, 10th and
12th), students in Fulton County reported higher average levels of lifetime smokeless tobacco, cigarette andalcohol use than their national counterparts and lower average levels of lifetime marijuana, inhalant,
cocaine, Ecstasy and methamphetamine use. The largest grade-level differences in lifetime substance use
were for smokeless tobacco in the 10th and 12th grades (29.3% and 31.7% versus 15.2% and 16.3% forMonitoring the Future) and alcohol in the 8th grade (52.8% versus 36.6% for Monitoring the Future).
For past-30-day ATOD use, students in Fulton County reported higher average levels of smokeless
tobacco, cigarette and alcohol use than their national counterparts and a lower average level of marijuanause. The largest grade-level differences in past-30-day substance use were for smokeless tobacco in the
12th grade (24.4% versus 8.4% for Monitoring the Future) and cigarettes in the 10th and 12th grades (25.0%and 35.7% versus 13.1% and 20.1% for Monitoring the Future).
Graph 2. Past-30-Day Use of Selected ATODs
10 4 2
10
26
6 6 6
32
25
18
2
52
36
10 5
0
20
40
60
80
Alcohol Cigarettes Marijuana Inhalants
Pe
r
c
e
n
t
a
g
e
U
s
e
6th 8th 10th 12th
Graph 2. Past-30-Day Use of Selected ATODs
0
20
40
60
80
6th 8th 10th 12th
Pe
r
c
e
n
t
a
g
e
U
s
e
Alcohol Cigarettes Marijuana Inhalants
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-12 -
Table 3. Lifetime Use of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs
Fulton County 2009 Monitoring theFuture1
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall 8th 10th 12th
%%%%%%%%%%%
Alcohol 28.8 --52.8 --56.1 --78.0 52.5 36.6 59.1 72.3
Cigarettes 9.6 --27.5 --43.9 --51.2 30.5 20.1 32.7 43.6
Smokeless Tobacco 7.7 --21.3 --29.3 --31.7 21.5 9.6 15.2 16.3
Marijuana 1.9 --8.3 --29.3 --34.1 14.9 15.7 32.3 42.0
Inhalants 9.6 --11.1 --9.8 --2.4 9.1 14.9 12.3 9.5
Cocaine 0.0 --0.0 --0.0 --0.0 0.0 2.6 4.6 6.0
Crack Cocaine 0.0 --0.0 --2.4 --4.9 1.2 1.7 2.1 2.4
Heroin 0.0 --0.0 --0.0 --0.0 0.0 1.3 1.5 1.2
Hallucinogens 0.0 --0.9 --7.3 --4.9 2.5 3.0 6.1 7.4
Methamphetamine 0.0 --0.0 --0.0 --0.0 0.0 1.6 2.8 2.4
Ecstasy 0.0 --0.0 --2.4 --4.9 1.2 2.2 5.5 6.5
Steroids 1.9 --0.9 --0.0 --0.0 0.8 1.3 1.3 2.2
Any Illicit Drug (Otherthan Marijuana)9.6 --10.9 --12.2 --9.8 10.7 ------
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed, the drug was not included in the survey, or a comparableaggregate calculation was not available.Monitoring the Futuredataare only available for 8th,10th and 12th graders.
1 Johnston et al. (2009b).
Table 4. Past-30-Day Use of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs
Fulton County 2009 Monitoring theFuture1
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall 8th 10th 12th
%%%%%%%%%%%
Alcohol 9.6 --26.4 --31.8 --52.4 28.2 14.9 30.4 43.5
Binge Drinking 1.9 --10.0 --14.6 --26.8 11.9 7.8 17.5 25.2
Cigarettes 3.8 --6.4 --25.0 --35.7 14.1 6.5 13.1 20.1
Smokeless Tobacco 1.9 --13.0 --14.6 --24.4 12.8 3.7 6.5 8.4
Marijuana 1.9 --5.5 --18.2 --9.5 7.7 6.5 15.9 20.6
Inhalants 9.6 --5.5 --2.4 --4.9 5.7 3.8 2.2 1.2
Cocaine 0.0 --0.0 --0.0 --0.0 0.0 0.8 0.9 1.3
Crack Cocaine 1.9 --0.9 --0.0 --2.4 1.2 0.5 0.4 0.6
Heroin 0.0 --0.0 --0.0 --0.0 0.0 0.4 0.4 0.4
Hallucinogens 0.0 --0.9 --2.4 --4.9 1.6 0.9 1.4 1.6
Methamphetamine 0.0 --0.0 --0.0 --0.0 0.0 0.5 0.6 0.5
Ecstasy 0.0 --0.0 --0.0 --2.4 0.4 0.6 1.3 1.8
Steroids 1.9 --0.0 --0.0 --0.0 0.4 0.4 0.5 1.0
Any Illicit Drug (Otherthan Marijuana)9.6 --6.4 --4.9 --9.8 7.4 ------
Note: The symbol “--”indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed, the drug was not included in the survey, or a comparable
aggregate calculation was not available.Monitoring the Futuredataare only available for 8th,10th and 12th graders.
1 Johnston et al. (2009b).
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-13 -
Comparisons to Pennsylvania Statewide Results
Additional context for evaluating the pattern of ATOD use reported by Fulton County students is provided
by a comparison to statewide results from the 2009 PAYS. This comparison—as well as other comparisonsto statewide results throughout this report—focuses on results recorded for individual grade levels.
Comparisons of overall results can be valuable as well, but consideration should be given to how
differences in the composition of each sample across grade levels may impact the validity of thecomparison. For example, overall results from a school district that only surveyed students in grades 6 and
8 are not directly comparable to overall results from a statewide survey that included students in grades 6,
8, 10 and 12.
Lifetime and past-30-day prevalence rates for surveyed students in Pennsylvania are presented in Tables 5
and 6. (Please note that throughout this report tables that include statewide results are shaded orange,
while tables that include county or district results are shaded blue.) Across the four comparison grades (6th,8th, 10th and 12th), students in Fulton County reported higher average levels of lifetime smokeless tobacco,
cigarette and alcohol use than Pennsylvania statewide and a lower average level of lifetime inhalant use.The largest grade-level differences in lifetime substance use were for smokeless tobacco in the 8th and 10th
grades (21.3% and 29.3% versus 8.8% and 14.2% for Pennsylvania statewide) and cigarettes in the 10th
grade (43.9% versus 32.0% for Pennsylvania statewide).
For past-30-day ATOD use, students in Fulton County reported higher average levels of smokelesstobacco, cigarette and alcohol use than Pennsylvania statewide and a lower average level of marijuana use.
The largest grade-level differences in past-30-day substance use were for smokeless tobacco in the 12th
grade (24.4% versus 10.9% for Pennsylvania statewide), marijuana in the 12th grade (9.5% versus 23.7%
for Pennsylvania statewide) and cigarettes in the 12th grade (35.7% versus 20.8% for Pennsylvania
statewide).
Table 5. Lifetime Use of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs, Pennsylvania Statewide 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%
Alcohol 20.8 --45.0 --56.7 --70.0 49.3
Cigarettes 4.6 --20.6 --32.0 --44.3 26.3
Smokeless Tobacco 2.5 --8.8 --14.2 --21.4 12.1
Marijuana 0.6 --9.8 --25.1 --41.1 20.0
Inhalants 10.2 --13.9 --12.2 --9.7 11.5
Cocaine 0.0 --0.5 --1.8 --4.8 1.9
Crack Cocaine 0.2 --0.4 --1.2 --1.1 0.8
Heroin 0.1 --0.2 --0.9 --1.4 0.7
Hallucinogens 0.1 --1.0 --3.7 --8.0 3.3
Methamphetamine 0.2 --0.2 --0.7 --1.1 0.6
Ecstasy 0.2 --0.7 --2.2 --4.8 2.1
Steroids 0.6 --0.7 --1.1 --1.0 0.8
Any Illicit Drug (Otherthan Marijuana)10.5 --15.0 --15.4 --17.2 14.7
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-14 -
Table 6. Past-30-Day Use of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs, Pennsylvania Statewide 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%
Alcohol 5.1 --17.2 --30.5 --46.0 25.5
Binge Drinking 1.2 --7.5 --15.7 --27.6 13.6
Cigarettes 0.9 --6.7 --13.9 --20.8 11.0
Smokeless Tobacco 0.6 --4.7 --7.6 --10.9 6.2
Marijuana 0.3 --5.4 --14.2 --23.7 11.4
Inhalants 6.8 --8.2 --5.5 --3.3 5.9
Cocaine 0.1 --0.2 --0.6 --1.2 0.6
Crack Cocaine 0.0 --0.3 --0.4 --0.4 0.3
Heroin 0.0 --0.2 --0.2 --0.5 0.2
Hallucinogens 0.1 --0.8 --2.3 --3.5 1.8
Methamphetamine 0.0 --0.1 --0.5 --0.4 0.3
Ecstasy 0.0 --0.4 --1.4 --2.2 1.1
Steroids 0.5 --0.3 --0.7 --0.8 0.6
Any Illicit Drug (Otherthan Marijuana)7.3 --9.3 --8.1 --7.6 8.1
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Item-Level Results
Alcohol
Alcohol, including beer, wine and hard liquor, isthe drug used most often by adolescents today.
Findings from the Monitoring the Future studyhighlight the pervasiveness of alcohol in middleand high schools today. In comparison, cigarette
use (the second most pervasive category ofATOD use) is only about half as prevalent as
alcohol use. Given the national pattern, it is not
surprising that alcohol is the most used drugamong students in Fulton County.
Lifetime Use:
■Lifetime prevalence of alcohol use ranges from a low of 28.8% for 6th graders to a high of78.0% for 12th graders. Overall, 52.5% of Fulton County students have used alcohol at least
once in their lifetimes.
■Compared to national findings, 8th and 12th graders reported higher rates of lifetime alcoholuse and 10th graders reported a lower rate of use.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of lifetime use
that were higher among 6th, 8th and 12th graders and similar among 10th graders.
Alcohol Use
10
26 32
52
2829
53 56
78
53
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
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Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-15 -
Past-30-Day Use:
■Past-30-day prevalence of alcohol use ranges from a low of 9.6% for 6th graders to a high of
52.4% for 12th graders. Overall, 28.2% of Fulton County students have used alcohol at leastonce in the last 30 days.
■Compared to national findings, 8th and 12th graders reported higher rates of past-30-day
alcohol use and 10th graders reported a similar rate of use.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of past-30-day
use that were higher among 6th, 8th and 12th graders and similar among 10th graders.
Binge drinking (defined as a report of five ormore drinks in a row within the past two weeks)
is extremely dangerous. Several studies haveshown that binge drinking is related to higherprobabilities of drinking and driving as well as
injury due to intoxication. As with alcohol usein general, binge drinking tends to become more
pervasive as students grow older.
■Across grades, the prevalence rate ofbinge drinking ranges from a low of
1.9% for 6th graders to a high of 26.8%
for 12th graders. Overall, 11.9% of Fulton County students have reported at least one episodeof binge drinking in the past two weeks.
■Compared to national findings, 8th graders reported a higher rate of binge drinking, 10th
graders reported a lower rate and 12th graders reported a similar rate of use.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of use that
were higher among 8th graders and similar among 6th, 10th and 12th graders.
Tobacco
After alcohol, tobacco (including cigarettes and
smokeless tobacco) is the most commonly used
drug among adolescents. Nationally, tobaccouse (including both cigarettes and smokeless
tobacco) has declined substantially since the
1990s (Johnston et al.,2009b).
Lifetime Cigarette Use:
■Lifetime prevalence of cigarette useranges from a low of 9.6% for 6th
graders to a high of 51.2% for 12th
graders. Overall, 30.5% of Fulton County students have used cigarettes at least once in theirlifetimes.
■Compared to national findings,8th, 10th and 12th graders reported higher rates of lifetime
cigarette use.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of lifetime use
that were higher across all of the comparison grades.
Cigarette Use
4 6
25
36
1410
28
44 51
31
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
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30-Day Lifetime
Binge Drinking
2 10 15
27
12
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
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Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-16 -
Past-30-Day Cigarette Use:
■Past-30-day prevalence of cigarette use ranges from a low of 3.8% for 6th graders to a high of
35.7% for 12th graders. Overall, 14.1% of Fulton County students have used cigarettes at leastonce in the last 30 days.
■Compared to national findings, 8th graders reported a similar rate of past-30-day cigarette use
and 10th and 12th graders reported higher rates of use.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of past-30-day
use that were higher among 6th, 10th and 12th graders and similar among 8th graders.
Lifetime Smokeless Tobacco Use:
■Lifetime prevalence of smokeless
tobacco use ranges from a low of 7.7%
for 6th graders to a high of 31.7% for12thgraders. Overall, 21.5% of Fulton
County students have used smokeless
tobacco at least once in their lifetimes.
■Compared to national findings, 8th, 10th
and 12th graders reported higher rates
of lifetime smokeless tobacco use.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of lifetime use
that were higher across all of the comparison grades.
Past-30-Day Smokeless Tobacco Use:
■Past-30-day prevalence of smokeless tobacco use ranges from a low of 1.9% for 6th graders to
a high of 24.4% for 12th graders. Overall, 12.8% of Fulton County students have usedsmokeless tobacco at least once in the last 30 days.
■Compared to national findings, 8th, 10th and 12th graders reported higher rates of past-30-day
smokeless tobacco use.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of past-30-day
use that were higher among 8th, 10th and 12th graders and similar among 6th graders.
Smokeless Tobacco Use
2
13 15 24
138
21 29 32
22
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
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30-Day Lifetime
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-17 -
Marijuana
During the 1990s, there were notable changes in
trends of marijuana use throughout the UnitedStates. Results from the Monitoring the Future
study show increases in both lifetime and past-
30-day prevalence rates through the early andmid 1990s (Johnston et al.,2009b). For 8th and
10th graders, the past-30-day rates more than
doubled during this period. Since 1996 and1997, when past-30-day marijuana use peaked,
rates have declined.
Lifetime Use:
■Lifetime prevalence of marijuana use ranges from a low of 1.9% for 6th graders to a high of
34.1% for 12th graders. Overall, 14.9% of Fulton County students have used marijuana at
least once in their lifetimes.
■Compared to national findings, 8th, 10th and 12th graders reported lower rates of lifetime
marijuana use.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of lifetime usethat were higher among 10th graders, lower among 12th graders and similar among 6th and 8th
graders.
Past-30-Day Use:
■Past-30-day prevalence of marijuana use ranges from a low of 1.9% for 6th graders to a high
of 18.2% for 10th graders. Overall, 7.7% of Fulton County students have used marijuana atleastonce in the last 30 days.
■Compared to national findings, 8th graders reported a similar rate of past-30-day marijuana
use, 10th graders reported a higher rate and 12th graders reported a lower rate of use.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of past-30-day
use that were higher among 10th graders, lower among 12th graders and similar among 6th and
8th graders.
Inhalants
Inhalant use is more prevalent with younger
students, perhaps because inhalants are often theeasiest drugs for them to obtain. The health
consequences of inhalant use can be substantial,
including brain damage and heart failure.Inhalant use was measured by the survey
question “On how many occasions (if any) haveyou used inhalants (whippets, butane, paintthinner, or glue to sniff, etc.)?” Comparisons
with the Monitoring the Future study (nationalresults) should be made carefully because thereare differences in survey questions for this class
of drugs.
Inhalant Use
10 6 2 5 6101110
2
9
0
10
20
30
40
6 8 10 12 Overall
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30-Day Lifetime
Marijuana Use
2 6
18
10 8
2
8
29 34
15
0
20
40
60
6 8 10 12 Overall
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Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-18 -
Lifetime Use:
■Lifetime prevalence of inhalant use ranges from a low of 2.4% for 12th graders to a high of
11.1% for 8th graders. Overall, 9.1% of Fulton County students have used inhalants at leastonce in their lifetimes.
■Compared to national findings, 8th, 10th and 12th graders reported lower rates of lifetime
inhalant use.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of lifetime use
that were lower among 8th, 10th and 12th graders and similar among 6th graders.
Past-30-Day Use:
■Past-30-day prevalence of inhalant use ranges from a low of 2.4% for 10th graders to a high of
9.6% for 6th graders. Overall, 5.7% of Fulton County students have used inhalants at least
once in the last 30 days.
■Compared to national findings, 8th and 10th graders reported similar rates of past-30-day
inhalant use and 12th graders reported a higher rate of use.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of past-30-dayuse that were higher among 6th graders, lower among 8th and 10th graders and similar among
12th graders.
Other Illicit Drugs
The PAYS also measures the prevalence of use for a variety of other drugs. This includes student use of the
following: cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, methamphetamine, Ecstasy and steroids. Therates for prevalence of use of these other drugs are generally lower than the rates for alcohol, tobacco,
marijuana and inhalants. Additionally, use of these other drugs tends to be concentrated in the upper grade
levels.
Cocaine
Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant that directly affects the brain. Users may develop tolerance
and need more and more of the drug to feel the same effects. Cocaine use can cause a variety of physical
problems, including chest pain, strokes, seizures and abnormal heart rhythm.
Lifetime Use:
■No students reported lifetime cocaine use.
■Compared to national findings, 8th, 10th and 12th graders reported lower rates of lifetimecocaine use.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of lifetime use
that were lower among 12th graders, the same among 6th graders and similar among 8th and10thgraders.
Past-30-Day Use:
■No students reported past-30-day cocaine use.
■Compared to national findings, 8th, 10th and 12th graders reported similar rates of past-30-day
cocaine use.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of past-30-dayuse that were similar across all of the comparison grades.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-19 -
Crack Cocaine
“Crack” is the street name given to the freebase form of cocaine, which has been processed into a lessexpensive, smokeable drug. Because crack is smoked, the user experiences a very quick, intense, but
short-term high. Smoking large quantities of crack can cause acute problems, including cough, shortnessof breath, and severe chest pains.
Lifetime Use:
■Lifetime prevalence of crack cocaine use ranges from a low of 0.0% for 6th and 8th graders toa high of 4.9% for 12th graders. Overall, 1.2% of Fulton County students have used crack
cocaine at least once in their lifetimes.
■Compared to national findings, 8th and 10th graders reported similar rates of lifetime crackcocaine use and 12th graders reported a higher rate of use.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of lifetime usethat were higher among 12th graders and similar among 6th, 8th and 10th graders.
Past-30-Day Use:
■Past-30-day prevalence of crack cocaine use ranges from a low of 0.0% for 10th graders to ahigh of 2.4% for 12th graders. Overall, 1.2% of Fulton County students have used crackcocaine at least once in the last 30 days.
■Compared to national findings, 8th, 10th and 12th graders reported similar rates of past-30-daycrack cocaine use.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of past-30-day
use that were higher among 12th graders and similar among 6th, 8th and 10th graders.
Heroin
Heroin is a highly addictive drug with rapid effects. Processed from morphine, heroin is usually injected,
snorted or smoked. Physical dependence on the drug often develops among users. Long-term health
problems caused by heroin use include collapsed veins, kidney or liver disease and bacterial infections.
Lifetime Use:
■No students reported lifetime heroin use.
■Compared to national findings, 8th, 10th and 12th graders reported similar rates of lifetimeheroin use.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of lifetime use
that were similar across all of the comparison grades.
Past-30-Day Use:
■No students reported past-30-day heroin use.
■Compared to national findings, 8th, 10th and 12th graders reported similar rates of past-30-dayheroin use.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of past-30-day
use that were the same among 6th graders and similar among 8th, 10th and 12th graders.
Hallucinogens
Hallucinogenic drugs can have short-and long-term effects on perception and mood. For instance, users of
LSD, the most potent mood-and perception-altering drug, may have unpredictable experiences (known as
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-20 -
“trips”) ranging from pleasant hallucinations to terrifying thoughts and feelings. LSD can also cause
physical complications, including increased blood pressure and heart rate, dizziness, loss of appetite,
nausea and numbness. For the purposes of the PAYS,hallucinogens were defined as “hallucinogens (acid,LSD, and ’shrooms).”
Lifetime Use:
■Lifetime prevalence of hallucinogen use ranges from a low of 0.0% for 6th graders to a highof 7.3% for 10th graders. Overall, 2.5% of Fulton County students have used hallucinogens at
least once in their lifetimes.
■Compared to national findings, 8th and 12th graders reported lower rates of lifetimehallucinogen use and 10th graders reported a similar rate of use.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of lifetime use
that were higher among 10th graders, lower among 12th graders and similar among 6th and 8th
graders.
Past-30-Day Use:
■Past-30-day prevalence of hallucinogen use ranges from a low of 0.0% for 6th graders to ahigh of 4.9% for 12th graders. Overall, 1.6% of Fulton County students have used
hallucinogens at least once in the last 30 days.
■Compared to national findings, 8th graders reported the same rate of past-30-day hallucinogen
use, 10th graders reported a similar rate and 12th graders reported a higher rate of use.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of past-30-dayuse that were similar across all of the comparison grades.
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is a highly addictive stimulant with effects similar to cocaine. Use of
methamphetamine can cause physical and psychological problems, such as rapid or irregular heart rate,increased blood pressure, anxiety and insomnia.
Lifetime Use:
■No students reported lifetime methamphetamine use.
■Compared to national findings, 8th graders reported a similar rate of lifetime
methamphetamine use and 10th and 12th graders reported lower rates of use.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of lifetime usethat were similar across all of the comparison grades.
Past-30-Day Use:
■No students reported past-30-day methamphetamine use.
■Compared to national findings, 8th, 10th and 12th graders reported similar rates of past-30-day
methamphetamine use.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of past-30-dayuse that were the same among 6th graders and similar among 8th, 10th and 12th graders.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-21 -
Ecstasy
Ecstasy (also known as MDMA) has both stimulant and hallucinogenic effects. After showing an increasein use nationwide from 1998 to 2001, use of Ecstasy appears to have declined in recent years, while the
proportion of young people perceiving it as dangerous has increased (Johnston et al.,2009b).
Lifetime Use:
■Lifetime prevalence of Ecstasy use ranges from a low of 0.0% for 6th and 8th graders to a high
of 4.9% for 12th graders. Overall, 1.2% of Fulton County students have used Ecstasy at leastonce in their lifetimes.
■Compared to national findings, 8th and 10th graders reported lower rates of lifetime Ecstasy
use and 12th graders reported a similar rate of use.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of lifetime use
that were similar across all of the comparison grades.
Past-30-Day Use:
■Past-30-day prevalence of Ecstasy use ranges from a low of 0.0% for 6th, 8th and 10th graders
to a high of 2.4% for 12th graders. Overall, 0.4% of Fulton County students have used Ecstasyat least once in the last 30 days.
■Compared to national findings, 8th, 10th and 12th graders reported similar rates of past-30-day
Ecstasy use.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of past-30-dayuse that were the same among 6th graders and similar among 8th, 10th and 12th graders.
Steroids
The primary use for steroids in humans is to raise inadequate levels of testosterone. However, someathletes misuse the drug to “improve” their appearance or athletic performance. Improper use of steroids
can prematurely stop the lengthening of bones as well as cause infertility and liver tumors.
Lifetime Use:
■Lifetime prevalence of steroid use ranges from a low of 0.0% for 10th and 12th graders to a
high of 1.9% for 6th graders. Overall, 0.8% of Fulton County students have used steroids at
least once in their lifetimes.
■Compared to national findings, 8th and 10th graders reported similar rates of lifetime steroid
use and 12th graders reported a lower rate of use.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of lifetime usethat were similar across all of the comparison grades.
Past-30-Day Use:
■Past-30-day prevalence of steroid use ranges from a low of 0.0% for 8th, 10th and 12th gradersto a high of 1.9% for 6th graders. Overall, 0.4% of Fulton County students have used steroids
at least once in the last 30 days.
■Compared to national findings, 8th, 10th and 12th graders reported similar rates of past-30-daysteroid use.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of past-30-dayuse that were similar across all of the comparison grades.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-22 -
Any Illicit Drug (Other than Marijuana)
The final ATOD indicator reports on the use of
any illicit drug other than marijuana. This drug
combination rate—which includes use of one ormore of the following drugs: inhalants, cocaine,
crack cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens,
methamphetamine, Ecstasy and steroids—provides prevention planners with an overall
indicator of so-called “hard” drug use.
Marijuana use is excluded from this indexbecause the higher prevalence of marijuana use
tends to obscure the presence or absence of the
other drugs. In other words, an indicator of“Any Illicit Drug Use (Including Marijuana)” primarily measures marijuana use. Direct comparisons to
Monitoring the Future results are not available for this measure.
Lifetime Use:
■Lifetime prevalence of any illicit drug (other than marijuana) use ranges from a low of 9.6%
for 6th graders to a high of 12.2% for 10th graders. Overall, 10.7% of Fulton County studentshave used any illicit drug (other than marijuana) at least once in their lifetimes.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of lifetime use
that were lower among 8th, 10th and 12th graders and similar among 6th graders.
Past-30-Day Use:
■Past-30-day prevalence of any illicit drug (other than marijuana) use ranges from a low of
4.9% for 10th graders to a high of 9.8% for 12th graders. Overall, 7.4% of Fulton Countystudents have used any illicit drug (other than marijuana) at least once in the last 30 days.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of past-30-day
use that were higher among 6th and 12th graders and lower among 8th and 10th graders.
Prescription Drugs
In recent years the nonmedical use of prescription drugs has emerged as a major public health issue. Both
the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (Substance Abuse and Mental Health ServicesAdministration, 2003) and the Monitoring the Future study (Johnston et al.,2009a), two major sources of
youth drug abuse prevalence data, have reported increases in the unauthorized use of prescription drugs.
This trend is particularly troubling given the adverse health consequences related to prescription drugabuse, which include addiction, physical dependence and the possibility of overdose.
Despite these concerns, the research community is still in the early stages of developing survey methodsthat can accurately measure the prevalence of prescription drug abuse. If anonymity is ensured,moststudents will honestly and accurately report their use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and other easily
recognized categories of illicit drugs. The measurement of prescription drug use, however, is more
complex. There are many prescription medicines that are subject to abuse, making it impossible to presentan exhaustive list. Also, respondents may have difficulty identifying the names of prescription drugs they
have used, and they may have difficulty distinguishing between prescription and over-the-countermedications.
With these challenges in mind, the PAYS included six new questions designed to measure prevalence-of-
use rates across the three prescription drug categories that, according to the National Institute on Drug
Any Illicit Drug (Other than Marijuana) Use
10 6 5
10 710111210 11
0
10
20
30
40
6 8 10 12 Overall
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Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-23 -
Abuse, are among the most likely to be abused: pain relievers, stimulants and tranquilizers. Each question
includes examples of some of the best known drugs within that category.Results for Fulton County are
presented in Tables 7 and 8, and results for Pennsylvania statewide are presented in Tables 9 and 10.
On how many occasions (if any) have you:
ð·Used prescription pain relievers, such as Vicodin®, OxyContin®or Tylox®, without a doctor’sorders, in your lifetime?
ð·Used prescription pain relievers, such as Vicodin®, OxyContin®or Tylox®, without a doctor’sorders, during the past 30 days?
ð·Used prescription tranquilizers, such as Xanax®, Valium®or Ambien®, without a doctor’s orders,
in your lifetime?
ð·Used prescription tranquilizers, such as Xanax®, Valium®or Ambien®, without a doctor’s orders,
during the past 30 days?
ð·Used prescription stimulants, such as Ritalin®or Adderall®, without a doctor’s orders, in your
lifetime?
ð·Used prescription stimulants, such as Ritalin®or Adderall®, without a doctor’s orders, during the
past 30 days?
Pain Relievers
Lifetime Use:
■Lifetime prevalence of prescription pain reliever use ranges from a low of 3.6% for 8th
graders to a high of 17.1% for 10th graders. Overall, 7.0% of Fulton County students haveused prescription pain relievers at least once in their lifetimes.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of lifetime use
that were higher among 6th and 10th graders, lower among 12th graders and similar among 8th
graders.
Past-30-Day Use:
■Past-30-day prevalence of prescription pain reliever use ranges from a low of 2.7% for 8th
graders to a high of 7.3% for 10th graders. Overall, 4.1% of Fulton County students have used
prescription pain relievers at least once in the last 30 days.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide,students in Fulton County reported rates of past-30-dayuse that were higher among 6th graders, lower among 12th graders and similar among 8th and
10th graders.
Tranquilizers
Lifetime Use:
■Lifetime prevalence of tranquilizer use ranges from a low of 0.0%for 6th and 8th graders to a
high of 7.3% for 10th and 12th graders. Overall, 2.5% of Fulton County students have used
tranquilizers at least once in their lifetimes.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of lifetime use
that were higher among 10th graders and similar among 6th, 8th and 12th graders.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-24 -
Past-30-Day Use:
■Past-30-day prevalence of tranquilizer use ranges from a low of 0.0% for 6th graders to a high
of 7.5% for 10th graders. Overall, 2.5% of Fulton County students have used tranquilizers atleast once in the last 30 days.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of past-30-day
use that were higher among 10th graders and similar among 6th, 8th and 12th graders.
Stimulants
Lifetime Use:
■Lifetime prevalence of stimulant use ranges from a low of 0.0% for 12th graders to a high of
4.9% for 10th graders. Overall, 1.6% of Fulton County students have used stimulants at leastonce in their lifetimes.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of lifetime use
that were lower among 12th graders and similar among 6th, 8th and 10th graders.
Past-30-Day Use:
■Past-30-day prevalence of stimulant use ranges from a low of 0.0% for 12th graders to a highof 2.4% for 10th graders. Overall, 1.2% of Fulton County students have used stimulants atleast once in the last 30 days.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates of past-30-dayuse that were lower among 12th graders and similar among 6th, 8th and 10th graders.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-25 -
Table 7.Lifetime Use of Prescription Drugs,Fulton County 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%Pain Relievers 5.8 --3.6 --17.1 --7.3 7.0
Tranquilizers 0.0 --0.0 --7.3 --7.3 2.5
Stimulants 1.9 --0.9 --4.9 --0.0 1.6
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Table 8.Past-30-Day Use of Prescription Drugs,Fulton County 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%Pain Relievers 3.8 --2.7 --7.3 --4.9 4.1
Tranquilizers 0.0 --0.9 --7.5 --4.9 2.5
Stimulants 1.9 --0.9 --2.4 --0.0 1.2
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Table 9.Lifetime Use of Prescription Drugs, Pennsylvania Statewide 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%Pain Relievers 1.6 --3.7 --8.3 --14.8 7.4
Tranquilizers 0.2 --0.7 --3.0 --8.4 3.2
Stimulants 0.4 --1.5 --4.3 --10.1 4.2
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Table 10.Past-30-Day Use of Prescription Drugs, Pennsylvania Statewide 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%Pain Relievers 1.0 --3.6 --6.1 --8.7 5.0
Tranquilizers 0.2 --0.8 --2.1 --4.2 1.9
Stimulants 0.2 --1.2 --3.2 --6.0 2.8
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-27 -
Section 3: Other Antisocial Behaviors
Introduction
The PAYS also measures a series of seven other problem, or antisocial, behaviors—that is, behaviors that
run counter to established norms of good behavior.
■Attacking Someone with Intent to Harm ■Getting Suspended
■Attempting to Steal a Vehicle ■Selling Drugs
■Being Arrested ■Bringing a Weapon (Such as a Gun, Knife orClub) to School
■Being Drunk or High at School
Measurement
As with alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, prevalence tables and graphs are employed to illustrate the
percentages of students who reported other antisocial behaviors. For the first six other antisocial behaviors,
prevalence rates are presented for the incidence of behavior over the past 12 months. For Bringing aWeapon (Such as a Gun, Knife or Club) to School, prevalence rates are reported for the past 30 days.In
addition, frequency data for Bringing a Weapon (Such as a Gun, Knife or Club) to School, illustrating the
number of occasions that students reported bringing a weapon to school within the past 30 days,arepresentedin Appendix A.
Results Summary
Overall Results
Other antisocial behavior prevalence rates for the combined sample of 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th graders are
presented in Graph 3, and in the overall results column of Table 11. Across all grades, 12.3% of students
reported Being Drunk or High at School in the past year, making it the most prevalent of the sevenbehaviors in Fulton County.Getting Suspended is the second most prevalent antisocial behavior, with
Section 3
Other Antisocial Behaviors
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-28 -
9.8% of Fulton County students reporting having been suspended in the past year. Students in Fulton
County reported very low levels of participation in Attempting to Steal a Vehicle.
Graph 3. Overall Prevalence of Other Antisocial Behaviors
5
4
10
12
3
2
10
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Bringing a Weapon to
School
Selling Drugs
Getting Suspended
Being Drunk or High at
School
Being Arrested
Attempting to Steal a
Vehicle
Attacking Someone withIntent to Harm
Grade-Level Results
Other antisocial behavior prevalence rates
within individual grades are presented inGraph 4 and Table 11. In many
communities, these behaviors reveal acomplex pattern of changes across grades.Typically, reports of Being Drunk or High
at School and Selling Drugs follow the
ATOD model, with prevalence ratesincreasing through the upper grade levels.
In contrast, reports of Attacking Someonewith Intent to Harm,Getting SuspendedandBeing Arrested often peak in the late
middle school or early high school years.Prevalence rates for Attempting to Steal a
Vehicle and Bringing a Weapon (Such asa Gun, Knife or Club) to School aregenerally too low to allow meaningful
comparisons across grade levels.
Prevention planners in Fulton County should review the other antisocial behavior profiles withinindividual grades, with special attention toward behaviors that show a marked deviation from these
patterns.
Graph 4. Prevalence of Selected Other AntisocialBehaviors, by Grade
10
2 0 4
9 11
2 3
15
27
10 75
15
2
10
0
20
40
Being Drunk
or High at
School
Being
Arrested
Bringing a
Weapon to
School
Pe
r
c
e
n
t
a
g
e
6th 8th 10th 12th
Graph 4. Prevalence of Selected Other AntisocialBehaviors, by Grade
0
20
40
6th 8th 10th 12th
Pe
r
c
e
n
t
a
g
e
Attacking with Intent to Harm Being Drunk or High at School
Being Arrested Bringing a Weapon to School
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-29 -
Table 11.Prevalence of Other Antisocial Behaviors,Fulton County 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%Attacking Someone with Intent to Harm 9.6 --9.2 --14.6 --4.9 9.5
Attempting to Steal a Vehicle 2.0 --1.8 --0.0 --2.4 1.6
Being Arrested 0.0 --1.8 --9.8 --2.4 2.9
Being Drunk or High at School 1.9 --10.9 --26.8 --14.6 12.3
Getting Suspended 7.7 --11.8 --9.8 --7.3 9.8
Selling Drugs 0.0 --0.9 --9.8 --9.5 3.7
Bringing a Weapon to School 3.8 --2.8 --7.3 --9.8 4.9
Average 3.6 --5.6 --11.2 --7.3 6.4
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Comparisons to Pennsylvania Statewide
Additional context for evaluating the pattern of other antisocial behaviors reported by Fulton County
students is provided by a comparison to results from Pennsylvania statewide. Prevalence rates for surveyedstudents in Pennsylvania are presented in Table 12. Across the four comparison grades (6th, 8th, 10th and
12th), students in Fulton County reported higher average levels of Being Drunk or High at School andBringing a Weapon to School than Pennsylvania statewide. The largest grade-level differences in otherantisocial behaviors were for Bringing a Weapon to School in the 12th grade (9.8% versus 3.2% for
Pennsylvania statewide),Being Drunk or High at School in the 10th grade (26.8% versus 11.5% forPennsylvania statewide) and Attacking Someone with Intent to Harm in the 12th grade (4.9% versus 10.5%for Pennsylvania statewide).
Table 12. Prevalence of Other Antisocial Behaviors,Pennsylvania Statewide 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%Attacking Someone with Intent to Harm 5.8 --10.3 --10.8 --10.5 9.5
Attempting to Steal a Vehicle 0.5 --1.8 --2.5 --1.8 1.7
Being Arrested 0.6 --4.6 --5.8 --5.5 4.3
Being Drunk or High at School 1.6 --6.9 --11.5 --17.4 9.7
Getting Suspended 3.0 --9.1 --10.8 --9.0 8.2
Selling Drugs 0.1 --2.3 --6.7 --10.7 5.2
Bringing a Weapon to School 0.9 --2.1 --2.8 --3.2 2.3
Average 1.8 --5.3 --7.3 --8.3 5.8
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-30 -
Item-Level Results
Attacking Someone with Intent to Harm
Attacking someone with intent to harm is measured by thequestion “How many times in the past year (12 months) have you
attacked someone with the idea of seriously hurting them?” The
question does not ask specifically about the use of a weapon;therefore, occurrences of physical fighting without weapons will
be captured with this question.
■Prevalence rates for Attacking Someone with Intent toHarmrange from a low of 4.9% among 12th graders to a
high of 14.6% among 10th graders.
■Overall, 9.5% of Fulton County students reported havingattacked someone with intent to harm in the past year.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates that werehigher among 6th and 10th graders, lower among 12th graders and similar among 8th graders.
Attempting to Steal a Vehicle
Vehicle theft is measured by the question “How many times in the
past year (12 months) have you stolen or tried to steal a motorvehicle such as a car or motorcycle?”
■Prevalence rates for Attempting to Steal a Vehicle rangefrom a low of 0.0% among 10th graders to a high of 2.4%among 12th graders.
■Overall,1.6% of Fulton County students reported havingattempted to steal a vehicle in the past year.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton
County reported rates that were lower among 10th graders, the same among 8th graders andsimilar among 6th and 12th graders.
Attempting to Steal a Vehicle
2 2 0 2 2
0
10
20
30
6 8 10 12 Overall
Pe
r
c
e
n
t
a
g
e
Attacking Someone with Intent
to Harm
10 9
15
5
10
0
10
20
30
6 8 10 12 Overall
Pe
r
c
e
n
t
a
g
e
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-31 -
Being Arrested
Any student experience with being arrested is measured by the
question “How many times in the past year (12 months) have youbeen arrested?” Note that the question does not define “arrested.”
Rather, it is left to the individual respondent to define. Some
youths may define any contact with police as an arrest, whileothers may consider that only an official arrest justifies a positive
answer to this question.
■Prevalence rates for Being Arrested range from a low of0.0%among 6th graders to a high of 9.8% among 10th
graders.
■Overall, 2.9% of Fulton County students reported having been arrested in the past year.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates that were
higher among 10th graders, lower among 8th and 12th graders and similar among 6th graders.
Being Drunk or High at School
Having been drunk or high at school is measured by the question
“How many times in the past year (12 months) have you been
drunk or high at school?”
■Prevalence rates for Being Drunk or High at School
range from a low of 1.9% among 6th graders to a high of26.8% among 10th graders.
■Overall, 12.3% of Fulton County students reported
having been drunk or high at school in the past year.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in FultonCounty reported rates that were higher among 8th and 10th graders, lower among 12th graders
and similar among 6th graders.
Getting Suspended
Suspension is measured by the question “How many times in the
past year (12 months) have you been suspended from school?”Note that the question does not define “suspension.” Rather, it is
left to the individual respondent to make that definition. School
suspension rates vary substantially from district to district.Therefore, these rates should be interpreted by someone
knowledgeable about local school suspension policy.
■Prevalence rates for Getting Suspended range from a lowof 7.3% among 12th graders to a high of 11.8% among 8th
graders.
■Overall, 9.8% of Fulton County students reported having been suspended in the past year.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates that were
higher among 6th and 8th graders and similar among 10th and 12th graders.
Getting Suspended
8
12 10 7 10
0
10
20
30
6 8 10 12 Overall
Pe
r
c
e
n
t
a
g
e
Being Drunk or High at School
2
11
27
15 12
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
6 8 10 12 Overall
Pe
r
c
e
n
t
a
g
e
Being Arrested
0 2
10
2 3
0
10
20
30
6 8 10 12 Overall
Pe
r
c
e
n
t
a
g
e
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-32 -
Selling Drugs
Selling drugs is measured by the question “How many times in the
past year (12 months) have you sold illegal drugs?” Note that thequestion asks about, but does not define or specify, “illegal
drugs.”
■Prevalence rates for Selling Drugs range from a low of0.0% among 6th graders to a high of 9.8% among 10th
graders.
■Overall, 3.7% of Fulton County students reported havingsold drugs in the past year.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates that were
higher among 10th graders and similar among 6th, 8th and 12th graders.
Bringing a Weapon (Such as a Gun, Knife or Club)
to School
Bringing a weapon (such as a gun, knife or club) to school ismeasured by the question “How many times in the past 30 days
have you brought a weapon (such as a gun,knife or club) to
school?”
■Prevalence rates for Bringing a Weapon to School range
from a low of 2.8% among 8th graders to a high of 9.8%
among 12th graders.
■Overall, 4.9% of Fulton County students reported having
brought a weapon to school in the past 30 days.
■Compared to Pennsylvania statewide, students in Fulton County reported rates that werehigher among 6th, 10th and 12th graders and similar among 8th graders.
Bringing a Weapon to School
4 3
7 10
5
0
10
20
30
6 8 10 12 Overall
Pe
r
c
e
n
t
a
g
e
Selling Drugs
0 1
10 10
4
0
10
20
30
6 8 10 12 Overall
Pe
r
c
e
n
t
a
g
e
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-33 -
Section 4: Special Topics
Introduction
The PAYS included questions on the following special topics: age of onset of ATOD use and other
antisocial behavior, driving under the influence of alcohol or marijuana, willingness to try or use ATODs,gambling, symptoms of depression,and the frequency of having been threatened or attacked at school.
Age of Onset of ATOD Use and Other Antisocial Behavior
Using age-of-initiation data to coordinate the timing of prevention efforts can be an important tool formaximizing program effectiveness. For example, programs delivered after the majority of potential drug
users have already initiated the behavior may have limited impact. Alternatively, very early intervention
might prove less effective because it is not close enough to the critical initiation period.
Fulton County students were asked nine questions about the age at which they first used ATODs and
participated in other antisocial behaviors. The topics covered include: trying alcohol (“more than a sip or
two”), drinking alcohol regularly (“at least once or twice a month”), smoking cigarettes, smokingmarijuana, being suspended from school, being arrested, carrying a handgun, attacking someone with
intent to harm,and belonging to a gang.Results for Fulton County students are presented in Table 13, andcomparison data from the statewide survey are presented in Table 14.
While the average age of onset is typically lower in the earlier grades than it is in the later ones, this
should not be interpreted as indicating that the younger cohorts are initiating substance use at an earlierage than the older cohorts did. Rather, the average age for each cohort increases as its members progress
through school and more of them initiate experimentation with ATODs and engage in other antisocial
behaviors. For this reason, the question “When do students first start using alcohol?” is best answered byexamining the responses of students in the highest grade level surveyed because they can best reflect ontheir high school and/or middle school experiences and accurately report the age they first started using
drugs or engaging in other antisocial behaviors.
Section 4
Special Topics
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-34 -
Table 13. Average Age of Onset of ATOD Use and Other Antisocial Behaviors,Fulton County2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall
Trying Alcohol 10.9 --11.8 --13.2 --14.4 12.7
Drinking Alcohol Regularly 11.0 --12.5 --14.3 --15.3 13.8
Smoking Cigarettes 10.8 --12.2 --13.0 --14.5 13.0
Smoking Marijuana 11.0 --12.8 --13.2 --15.4 13.8
Being Suspended from School 11.2 --12.0 --12.9 --12.3 12.1
Being Arrested 10.0 --11.7 --14.4 --16.0 13.8
Carrying a Handgun 10.7 --11.2 --11.1 --12.8 11.3
Attacking Someone with Intent to Harm 10.6 --11.9 --13.3 --11.5 11.8
Belonging to a Gang 11.0 --13.0 --12.5 --17.0 13.4
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Table 14. Average Age of Onset of ATOD Use and Other Antisocial Behaviors, PennsylvaniaStatewide2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall
Trying Alcohol 10.4 --11.7 --13.2 --14.3 13.1
Drinking Alcohol Regularly 11.5 --12.6 --14.2 --15.6 14.7
Smoking Cigarettes 10.6 --11.7 --12.9 --13.9 13.0
Smoking Marijuana 11.8 --12.4 --13.7 --14.7 14.1
Being Suspended from School 10.4 --11.4 --12.6 --13.3 12.4
Being Arrested 10.4 --11.9 --13.4 --14.6 13.5
Carrying a Handgun 10.6 --11.5 --12.5 --13.2 12.1
Attacking Someone with Intent to Harm 10.5 --11.4 --12.3 --13.2 12.1
Belonging to a Gang 10.6 --11.7 --13.0 --13.4 12.3
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Driving After Alcohol or Marijuana Use
Driving a car requires clear thinking and good hand-eye coordination. Operating a vehicle after using
alcohol or marijuana may impair driving skills, making the driver a hazard on any roadway. The impact ofATOD usage on automobile safety is assessed with two items: (1) “How often have you driven a car whileor shortly after drinking?” and (2) “How often have you driven a car while or shortly after smoking pot?”
Results for Fulton County students are presented in Table 15, and comparison data from the statewidesurvey are presented in Table 16.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-35 -
Table 15. Percentage of Youth Reporting Any Occasion of Driving Under the Influence,FultonCounty2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%Driving after Alcohol Use 2.0 --2.8 --17.1 --26.8 9.1
Driving after Marijuana Use 2.0 --0.9 --12.2 --22.0 6.6
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Table 16. Percentage of Youth Reporting Any Occasion of Driving Under the Influence,Pennsylvania Statewide 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%Driving after Alcohol Use 0.5 --1.9 --3.2 --16.5 5.8
Driving after Marijuana Use 0.1 --1.2 --4.7 --18.5 6.5
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Willingness to Try or Use ATODs
Along with perceptions of risk and level of disapproval (Bachman et al., 1988), willingness to try or useATODs may be viewed as one of the attitudinal constructs that facilitates drug use. Pennsylvania students
were questioned regarding their willingness to try or use alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, hallucinogens and
inhalants. Results for Fulton County students are presented in Table 17, and comparison data from thestatewide survey are presented in Table 18.
Table 17. Percentage of Youth Reporting Willingness to Try Selected ATODs,Fulton County 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%
Alcohol 15.4 --51.8 --61.0 --70.7 48.8
Marijuana 1.9 --12.7 --29.3 --26.2 15.5
Cocaine 0.0 --1.8 --0.0 --7.1 2.0
Hallucinogens 0.0 --0.9 --12.2 --7.1 3.7
Inhalants 0.0 --0.9 --2.4 --4.8 1.6
Note: The percentages reported in this table represent the percentage of students who indicated “would use it any chance I got,” “would like to try it or use it”or “not sure whether or not I would use it.” Students who indicated “probably wouldn’t use it” or “would never use it” were considered to be unwilling to try thesubstance.The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-36 -
Table 18. Percentage of Youth Reporting Willingness to Try Selected ATODs, PennsylvaniaStatewide2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%Alcohol 17.3 --42.7 --60.2 --72.0 49.6
Marijuana 1.6 --13.2 --28.4 --38.4 21.4
Cocaine 0.9 --2.2 --3.8 --5.7 3.3
Hallucinogens 0.8 --2.8 --9.2 --14.1 7.1
Inhalants 1.3 --3.2 --5.0 --4.7 3.7
Note: The percentages reported in this table represent the percentage of students who indicated “would use it any chance I got,” “would like to try it or use it”or “not sure whether or not I would use it.” Students who indicated “probably wouldn’t use it” or “would never use it” were considered to be unwilling to try thesubstance.The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Gambling
The 2009 PAYS asks students a series of six questions about their experiences with gambling.These
include past-12-month prevalence measures for: gambling for “money or anything of value,” betting
“money or anything of value on sporting events,”buying “lottery tickets,”betting “money using theinternet,” and betting “money or anything of value on table games like poker or other card games, dice,
backgammon, or dominoes.”A question about gambling for “money or anything of value” in the past 30days is also asked. Results for Fulton County students are presented in Table 19, and comparison datafrom the statewide survey are presented in Table 20.
Please note that two of the six gambling questions—the past-12-months and past-30-days gambling for“money or anything of value” items—are identical to questions used on the 2005 and 2007 surveys. The
sports betting, lottery ticket, and table gaming questions are similar to questions that were included in the
2007 survey.
Table 19.Percentage of Youth Reporting Gambling or Gambling-Related Problems,FultonCounty2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall
%%%%%%%%Gambled for money in the past year 13.5 --13.8 --22.0 --26.2 17.2
Gambled for money in the past 30 days 11.5 --8.2 --7.3 --26.2 11.8
Bet on sporting events in the past year 21.2 --23.6 --29.3 --31.0 25.3
Bought lottery tickets in the past year 7.7 --15.5 --14.6 --28.6 15.9
Bet money using the internet in the past year 7.7 --6.4 --0.0 --4.8 5.3
Bet money on table games in the past year 5.8 --14.5 --17.1 --23.8 14.7
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-37 -
Table 20.Percentage of Youth Reporting Gambling or Gambling-Related Problems,Pennsylvania Statewide 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%
Gambled for money in the past year 8.7 --16.6 --20.6 --22.3 17.5
Gambled for money in the past 30 days 5.0 --9.8 --11.5 --12.6 10.0
Bet on sporting events in the past year 14.8 --23.2 --25.0 --25.7 22.5
Bought lottery tickets in the past year 11.5 --12.1 --14.5 --19.2 14.5
Bet money using the internet in the past year 2.5 --3.7 --4.6 --4.1 3.8
Bet money on table games in the past year 9.9 --16.4 --17.9 --18.6 16.0
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Symptoms of Depression
A number of scientific studies have identified a link between mental health problems, such as depression,
and the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs during adolescence. The PAYS includes four questions that
asks students about feelings—sadness, hopelessness and worthlessness—that can be symptoms ofdepression. Results for Fulton County students are presented in Table 21, and comparison data from the
statewide survey are presented in Table 22.
Table 21.Percentage of Youth Reporting Symptoms of Depression,Fulton County 20096th7th8th9th10th11th12th Overall
%%%%%%%%
In the past year, felt depressed or sad most days 27.5 --35.5 --32.5 --50.0 35.8
Sometimes I think that life is not worth it 19.6 --24.5 --30.0 --28.6 25.1
At times I think I am no good at all 33.3 --36.4 --32.5 --42.9 36.2
All in all, I am inclined to think that I am a failure 9.6 --14.5 --19.5 --19.5 15.2
Note: The numbers reported in this table represent the percentage of students who answered either “yes” or “Yes!” to each question.The symbol “--” indicatesthat data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Table 22.Percentage of Youth Reporting Symptoms of Depression,Pennsylvania Statewide2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall
%%%%%%%%In the past year, felt depressed or sad most days 26.8 --32.1 --33.2 --33.2 31.6
Sometimes I think that life is not worth it 14.7 --23.0 --22.9 --21.0 20.6
At times I think I am no good at all 23.6 --29.1 --29.0 --28.9 27.8
All in all, I am inclined to think that I am a failure 10.6 --13.6 --14.9 --15.2 13.7
Note: The numbers reported in this table represent the percentage of students who answered either “yes” or “Yes!” to each question.The symbol “--” indicatesthat data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-38 -
Violence and Drugs on School Property
Pennsylvania students were also surveyed regarding the frequency with which they have been threatened
or attacked on school property within the past year, and whether they were offered, given, or sold illegaldrugson school property within the past year. Results for Fulton County students are presented in Table
23, and comparison data from the statewide survey are presented in Table 24.
Table 23. Percentage of Youth Reporting Violence or Drugs on School Property in the Past Year,Fulton County
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%Threatened to be hit or beaten up 19.2 --29.1 --26.8 --19.0 24.9
Attacked or beaten up 15.4 --11.8 --12.2 --7.1 11.8
Threatened with a weapon 5.8 --2.7 --2.4 --0.0 2.9
Attacked with a weapon 1.9 --1.8 --0.0 --0.0 1.2
Been offered, given, or sold an illegaldrug 3.8 --7.3 --17.1 --7.1 8.2
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Table 24. Percentage of Youth Reporting That They Have Been Threatened or Attacked onSchool Property in the Past Year, Pennsylvania Statewide
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%
Threatened to be hit or beaten up 16.1 --23.6 --19.0 --14.7 18.3
Attacked or beaten up 8.9 --8.0 --6.2 --5.9 7.2
Threatened with a weapon 2.5 --3.5 --3.1 --2.7 3.0
Attacked with a weapon 0.7 --1.2 --1.4 --1.1 1.1
Been offered, given, or sold an illegaldrug 1.5 --8.2 --17.2 --20.1 12.3
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Bullying at School and Internet Safety
While bullying is not a new phenomenon, the growing awareness that bullying has serious consequences
for both schools and students is new.Bullying behavior contributes to lower attendance rates, lowerstudent achievement, low self-esteem and depression, as well as higher rates of both juvenile and adult
crime (Banks, 1997). While the problem of bullying is receiving increased public attention, actual
incidences of bullying often go undetected by both teachers and parents (Skiba and Fontanini, 2000).Adults often fail to both identify bullying incidences and understand the dynamics of the behavior.
Without adequate training adults may actually endorse the bullying behavior, either by sending children
the message that bullying is “part of growing up” or by simply ignoring the behavior (U.S. Department ofEducation, 1998).
The most effective means of addressing bullying is through comprehensive, school-wide programs (Atlas
and Pepler, 1998; Garrity et al., 1997; Skiba and Fontanini, 2000). A student survey is one of the mostcommon methods for identifying a potential bullying problem in a school (Leff, Power, and Goldstein,
2004).Starting in 2009, the PAYS asked students a series of eight questions about bullying at school and
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-39 -
internet safety. These include past-12-month prevalence measures for: (1) being “hit, kicked, pushed,
shoved around, or locked indoors,”(2) being “called names, made fun of, or teased in a hurtful way,” (3)
being “left out of things on purpose by other students,” (4) other students telling lies or spreading falserumors, (5) other students taking money or damaging your things, (6) other students threatening or forcing
“you to do things you do not want to do,” (7) other students using “the internet or a cell phone to threaten
or embarrass you,” and (8) someone on the internet trying “to get you to talk online about sex,look atsexual pictures, or do something else sexual when you did not want to.”Results for Fulton County
students are presented in Table 25, and comparison data from the statewide survey are presented in Table
26.
Table 25. Percentage of Youth Reporting Bullying at School or Sexual Harassment on theInternetin the Past Year,Fulton County 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%Been hit, kicked, pushed, or shovedaround 42.3 --37.6 --29.3 --26.2 35.2
Been called names, made fun of, orteased 65.4 --71.6 --78.6 --42.9 66.5
Been left out of things on purpose 53.8 --51.4 --58.5 --54.8 53.7
Other students telling lies or spreadingfalse rumors 78.8 --74.1 --83.3 --61.9 74.6
Other students taking money ordamaging your things 23.1 --31.5 --21.4 --16.7 25.4
Other students threatening or forcingyou to do things 17.6 --19.4 --11.9 --16.7 17.3
Other students using the internet or acell phone to threaten or embarrass you 13.5 --18.5 --23.8 --11.9 17.2
Sexual harassment on the internet 5.8 --13.0 --11.9 --4.8 9.8
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Table 26. Percentage of Youth Reporting Bullying at School or Sexual Harassment on theInternetinthe Past Year,Pennsylvania Statewide 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%
Been hit, kicked, pushed, or shovedaround 23.2 --24.5 --16.5 --9.5 18.1
Been called names, made fun of, orteased 45.5 --49.5 --43.0 --34.9 43.0
Been left out of things on purpose 35.6 --34.9 --31.5 --28.7 32.5
Other students telling lies or spreadingfalse rumors 50.1 --57.2 --51.3 --47.4 51.4
Other students taking money ordamaging your things 20.4 --23.0 --21.2 --18.1 20.7
Other students threatening or forcingyou to do things 13.1 --14.3 --11.4 --9.2 11.9
Other students using the internet or acell phone to threaten or embarrass you 6.7 --10.7 --11.8 --10.7 10.1
Sexual harassment on the internet 6.6 --12.2 --17.0 --12.9 12.4
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-41 -
Section 5: Risk and Protective Factors
Introduction
Just as eating a high-fat diet is a risk factor for heart disease and getting regular exercise is a protective
factor for heart disease and other health problems, there are factors that can help protect youth from, or putthem at risk for, drug use and other problem behaviors.
Protective factors,also known as “assets,” are conditions that buffer children and youth from exposure to
risk by either reducing the impact of the risks or changing the way that young people respond to risks.Protective factors identified through research include strong bonding to family, school, community and
peers. These groups support the development of healthy behaviors for children by setting and
communicating healthy beliefs and clear standards for children’s behavior. Young people are more likelyto follow the standards for behavior set by these groups if the bonds are strong. Strong bonds are
encouraged by providing young people with opportunities to make meaningful contributions, by teaching
them the skills they need to be successful in these new opportunities, and by recognizing theircontributions.
Risk factors are conditions that increase the likelihood of a young person becoming involved in drug use,
delinquency, school dropout and/or violence. For example, children living in families with poor parentalmonitoring are more likely to become involved in these problems.
Research during the past 30 years supports the view that delinquency; alcohol, tobacco and other drug use;
school achievement; and other important outcomes in adolescence are associated with specificcharacteristics in the student’s community, school and family environments, as well as with characteristics
of the individual (Hawkins, Catalano &Miller, 1992). In fact, these characteristics have been shown to bemore important in understanding these behaviors than ethnicity, income or family structure (Blum et al.,2000).
There is a substantial amount of research showing that adolescents’ exposure to a greater number of riskfactors is associated with more drug use and delinquency. There is also evidence that exposure to a
number of protective factors is associated with lower prevalence of these problem behaviors (Bry,
McKeon &Pandina, 1982; Newcomb, Maddahian &Skager, 1987; Newcomb &Felix-Ortiz, 1992;Newcomb, 1995; Pollard et al., 1999).
Section 5
Risk and Protective Factors
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-42 -
The analysis of risk and protective factors is the most powerful tool available for understanding what
promotes both positive and negative adolescent behavior and for helping design successful prevention
programs for young people. To promote positive development and prevent problem behavior, it isnecessary to address the factors that predict these outcomes. By measuring these risk and protective
factors, specific factors that are elevated should be prioritized in the community. This process also helps in
selecting targeted tested-effective prevention programming shown to address those elevated factors andconsequently provide the greatest likelihood for success.
This system of risk and protective factors is organized into a strategy that families can use to help children
develop healthy behaviors—the Social Development Strategy (Hawkins,Catalano & Associates,1992).The Social Development Strategy is a theoretical framework that organizes risk and protective factors for
adolescent problem behavior prevention.
Measurement
The Communities That Care Youth Survey, the survey upon which the PAYS was based, provides the most
comprehensive measurement of risk and protective factors currently available for 6th to 12th graders. Risk
and protective factors are measured by sets of survey items called scales.All together, the PAYS assesses22risk factor and nine protective factor scales across four domains: Community Domain, Family Domain,
School Domain, and Peer and Individual Domain.
Risk and protective factor scales are scored against the Communities That Care normative database. Likethe scoring systems used by many national testing programs—such as the SAT®and ACT™—this method
generates percentile scores ranging from 0 to 100. A score of 50, which matches the normative median,indicates that 50% of the respondents in the normative sample reported a score that is lower than the
average for Fulton County and 50% reported a score that is higher. Similarly, a score of 75 indicates that
75% of the normative sample reported a lower score and 25% reported a higher score. Because risk isassociated with negative behavioral outcomes, it is better to have lower risk factor scale scores, not higher.
Conversely, because protective factors are associated with better behavioral outcomes, it is better to have
higher protective factor scale scores, not lower.
The Communities That Care normative database contains survey responses from over 280,000 students in
grades 6 through 12. It compiled by combining the results of selected Communities That Care YouthSurveyefforts conducted in 2000, 2001 and 2002. To enhance representativeness, statistical weights wereapplied to adjust the sample to exactly match the population of U.S. public school students on four key
demographic variables: ethnicity, sex, socioeconomic status and urbanicity. Information on the U.S. public
school student population was obtained from the Common Core of Data program at the U.S. Departmentof Education’s National Center for Education Statistics.
The risk and protective factor measurement and scoring model employed in the 2009 PAYS is nearlyidentical to the 2007 model, with the only difference being that the risk factor scale Laws and NormsFavorable to Handguns is not included in this year's survey.Please note, however, that a number of
changes to the model were introduced in 2007. Please see your 2007 report for a description of thesechanges.Also note that some school districts elected to administer a secondary version of the PAYS that
excluded questions measuring risk and protective factors within the family. In these cases, scale scores for
the Family Domain risk and protective factors are not available.
Results Summary
Overall Results
Overall risk and protective factor scale scores are presented in Graphs 5 and 6. These results provide ageneral description of the prevention needs of Fulton County 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th graders as a whole.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-43 -
As Graph 5 shows, overall percentile scores across the nine protective factor scales range from a low of 45
to a high of 69, with an average score of 55, which is five points higher than the normative average of 50.
The three lowest overall scores were for the following protective factor scales:Religiosity (45),FamilyRewards for Prosocial Involvement (49) and Community Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement (52).
While policies that target any protective factor could potentially be an important resource for students in
Fulton County, focusing prevention planning in these areas could be especially beneficial. Fulton Countystudents reported the four highest overall scores for the following protective factor scales:School Rewards
for Prosocial Involvement (69),Family Attachment (59),School Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement
(58) and Belief in the Moral Order (58). The higher scores reported by students in these areas representstrengths that Fulton County can build on.
As Graph 6 shows, overall scores across the 23 risk factor scales range from a low of 42 to a high of 76,with an average score of 52, which is two points higher than the normative average of 50. The four highestrisk factor scales are Community Disorganization (76),Perceived Availability of Handguns (76),Laws and
Norms Favorable to Drug Use (62) and Perceived Availability of Drugs (62). Once again, while policiesthat target any risk factor could potentially be an important resource for students in Fulton County,
directing prevention programming in these areas is likely to be especially beneficial. The three lowest risk
factor scales are Early Initiation of Drug Use (42),Transitions and Mobility (42) and Low Perceived Risksof Drug Use (44). The lower scores reported by students in these areas represent strengths that FultonCounty can build on.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-44 -
Graph 5. Overall Protective Factor Scale Scores
55
58
45
69
58
49
53
59
56
52
0 50 100
Average
Belief in the Moral Order
Religiosity
School Rewards for Prosocial Involvement
School Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement
Family Rewards for Prosocial Involvement
Family Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement
Family Attachment
Community Rewards for Prosocial Involvement
Community Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement
Graph 6. Overall Risk Factor Scale Scores
52
53
42
44
48
48
52
46
45
51
57
48
57
51
47
55
45
76
62
62
42
76
47
0 50 100
Average
Sensation Seeking
Early Initiation of Drug Use
Low Perceived Risks of Drug Use
Favorable Attitudes toward ATOD Use
Favorable Attitudes toward Antisocial Behavior
Peer Rewards for Antisocial Behavior
Friends’ Use of Drugs
Friends’ Delinquent Behavior
Rebelliousness
Lack of Commitment to School
Poor Academic Performance
Parental Attitudes Favorable toward Antisocial Behavior
Parental Attitudes Favorable toward ATOD Use
Family History of Antisocial Behavior
Family Conflict
Poor Family Management
Perceived Availability of Handguns
Perceived Availability of Drugs
Laws and Norms Favorable to Drug Use
Transitions and Mobility
Community Disorganization
Low Neighborhood Attachment
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-45 -
Grade-Level Results
While overall scores provide a general picture of the risk and protective factor profile for Fulton County,
they can mask problems within individual grades.Tables 27 and 28 present individual-grade data for riskand protective factor scale scores.This detailed information provides prevention planners with a snapshot
revealing which risk and protective factor scales are of greatest concern by grade. It allows those
prevention planners to focus on the most appropriate points in youth development for preventiveintervention action—and to target their prevention efforts as precisely as possible.
For example, younger students tend to report different factors than older students as being the most
elevated or suppressed. Fulton County 6th graders reported their four highest levels of risk for CommunityDisorganization(82),Perceived Availability of Handguns (74),Lack of Commitment to School (72) and
Perceived Availability of Drugs (61). Fulton County 12th graders reported their four highest levels of risk
for Perceived Availability of Handguns (78),Community Disorganization (76),Laws and NormsFavorable to Drug Use (58) and Peer Rewards for Antisocial Behavior (58).
Comparisons to Pennsylvania Statewide
Additional insight into the protective factor profile for Fulton County can be gained through a comparisonto results from Pennsylvania statewide. Table 29 presents protective factor scale scores for Pennsylvania
statewide. The differences between profiles from Fulton County and Pennsylvania statewide can be
summarized by comparing the average protective factor scale score within each grade level. As the bottomrows of Tables 27 and 29 show,students in Fulton County reported a higher average level of protection
than students in Pennsylvania statewide as a whole. This trend is particularly pronounced in the 10th and12thgrades, where Fulton County students reported average protection scores that were notably higher thantheir Pennsylvania statewide counterparts (56 and 63 for Fulton County versus 51 and 50 for Pennsylvania
statewide). Across the nine protective factor scales, the most pronounced differences in average levels ofprotection were for the following three scales:Community Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement,
School Rewards for Prosocial Involvement and Community Rewards for Prosocial Involvement.
Table 30 presents grade-level risk factor scale scores for Pennsylvania statewide. Like the protectivefactors, the differences between Fulton County and Pennsylvania statewide are best summarized by
comparing the average risk factor scale score within each grade level. As the bottom rows of Tables 28
and 30 show, students in Fulton County reported a higher average level of risk than students inPennsylvania statewide as a whole. This trend is particularly pronounced in the 6th, 8th and 10th grades,
where Fulton County students reported average risk scores that were notably higher than their
Pennsylvania statewide counterparts (54, 53 and 53 for Fulton County versus 47, 48 and 48 forPennsylvania statewide). Across the 21 risk factor scales, the most pronounced differences in average
levels of risk were for the following three scales:Perceived Availability of Handguns,Lack ofCommitment to School and Laws and Norms Favorable to Drug Use.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-46 -
Table 27.Protective Factor Scale Scores,Fulton County 20096th7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall
CommunityDomain Community Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement 41 --53 --60 --55 52
Community Rewards for Prosocial Involvement 44 --55 --61 --67 56
FamilyDomain Family Attachment 55 --59 --50 --70 59
Family Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement 49 --51 --54 --65 53
Family Rewards for Prosocial Involvement 46 --48 --47 --60 49
SchoolDomain School Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement 52 --59 --65 --58 58
School Rewards for Prosocial Involvement 63 --67 --81 --68 69
Peer andIndividualDomain
Religiosity 37 --48 --30 --62 45
Belief in the Moral Order 54 --57 --59 --65 58
Average 49 --55 --56 --63 55
Table 28.Risk Factor Scale Scores,Fulton County 2009 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall
CommunityDomain Low Neighborhood Attachment 57 --43 --50 --40 47
Community Disorganization 82 --74 --78 --76 76
Transitions and Mobility 50 --40 --43 --39 42
Laws and Norms Favorable to Drug Use 57 --63 --68 --58 62
Perceived Availability of Drugs 61 --64 --65 --49 62
Perceived Availability of Handguns 74 --80 --66 --78 76
FamilyDomain Poor Family Management 50 --45 --48 --35 45
Family Conflict 58 --58 --55 --44 55
Family History of Antisocial Behavior 51 --44 --50 --47 47
Parental Attitudes Favorable toward ATOD Use 47 --49 --62 --45 51
Parental Attitudes Favorable toward AntisocialBehavior 57 --59 --65 --45 57
SchoolDomain Poor Academic Performance 58 --49 --43 --37 48
Lack of Commitment to School 72 --53 --53 --54 57
Peer andIndividualDomain
Rebelliousness 46 --59 --39 --48 51
Friends’ Delinquent Behavior 44 --44 --40 --53 45
Friends’ Use of Drugs 44 --46 --44 --47 46
Peer Rewards for Antisocial Behavior 39 --52 --57 --58 52
Favorable Attitudes toward Antisocial Behavior 48 --48 --48 --47 48
Favorable Attitudes toward ATOD Use 48 --44 --62 --42 48
Low Perceived Risks of Drug Use 44 --43 --48 --42 44
Early Initiation of Drug Use 44 --44 --42 --37 42
Sensation Seeking 56 --56 --48 --44 53
Average 54 --53 --53 --#48 52
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-47 -
Table 29.Protective Factor Scale Scores,Pennsylvania Statewide 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall
CommunityDomain Community Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement 33 --38 --38 --40 37
Community Rewards for Prosocial Involvement 50 --51 --53 --52 52
FamilyDomain Family Attachment 59 --55 --54 --52 55
Family Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement 54 --52 --50 --50 51
Family Rewards for Prosocial Involvement 56 --52 --53 --51 53
SchoolDomain School Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement 58 --59 --51 --53 55
School Rewards for Prosocial Involvement 58 --59 --55 --54 57
Peer andIndividualDomain
Religiosity 45 --45 --45 --43 45
Belief in the Moral Order 62 --59 --57 --55 58
Average 53 --52 --51 --50 51
Table 30.Risk Factor Scale Scores,Pennsylvania Statewide 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall
CommunityDomain Low Neighborhood Attachment 42 --45 --47 --45 45
Community Disorganization 72 --70 --69 --69 70
Transitions and Mobility 41 --49 --51 --47 47
Laws and Norms Favorable to Drug Use 50 --52 --52 --55 52
Perceived Availability of Drugs 54 --56 --53 --52 53
Perceived Availability of Handguns 59 --58 --53 --47 53
FamilyDomain Poor Family Management 44 --47 --50 --48 47
Family Conflict 51 --53 --50 --53 52
Family History of Antisocial Behavior 41 --44 --43 --46 44
Parental Attitudes Favorable toward ATOD Use 45 --46 --47 --49 47
Parental Attitudes Favorable toward AntisocialBehavior 56 --54 --57 --61 57
SchoolDomain Poor Academic Performance 42 --44 --43 --44 43
Lack of Commitment to School 49 --46 --48 --49 48
Peer andIndividualDomain
Rebelliousness 40 --45 --44 --42 43
Friends’ Delinquent Behavior 40 --42 --43 --44 42
Friends’ Use of Drugs 41 --42 --40 --42 41
Peer Rewards for Antisocial Behavior 43 --43 --47 --55 47
Favorable Attitudes toward Antisocial Behavior 46 --45 --46 --48 46
Favorable Attitudes toward ATOD Use 43 --46 --47 --48 46
Low Perceived Risks of Drug Use 45 --49 --55 --57 51
Early Initiation of Drug Use 39 --40 --38 --39 39
Sensation Seeking 47 --43 --43 --42 44
Average 47 --48 --48 --#49 48
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-48 -
Protective Factors
Protective factors are characteristics that are known to decrease the likelihood that a student will engage in
problem behaviors. For example, bonding to parents reduces the risk of an adolescent engaging in problembehaviors.
The Social Development Strategy organizes the research on protective factors. Protective factors can
buffer young people from risks and promote positive youth development. To develop these healthypositive behaviors, young people must be immersed in environments that consistently communicate
healthy beliefs and clear standards for behavior; that foster the development of strong bonds to membersof their family, school and community; and that recognize the individual characteristics of each youngperson.
Community Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement
When young people become involved in their communities byparticipating in activities and organizations that foster healthy
development, they are more likely to form connections withprosocial peers. Community involvement also provides theopportunity to bond with adult role models—such as neighbors,
police, clergy and other community leaders—who can give moralguidance and emotional support. This protective factor ismeasured by survey items such as “Which of the following
activities for people your age are available in your community:Sports teams, Scouting, Boys and girls clubs, 4-H clubs, Service
Clubs?”
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 52 on the CommunityOpportunities for Prosocial Involvement scale, two points higher than the normative average
of 50.
■Across grade levels, percentile scores for Community Opportunities for ProsocialInvolvementrange from a low of 41 among 6th graders to a high of 60 among 10th graders.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 52 on the CommunityOpportunities for Prosocial Involvement scale, 15 points higher than the statewide score of37.
Community Rewards for Prosocial Involvement
Young people experience bonding as feeling valued and beingseen as an asset. Students who feel recognized and rewarded by
their community are less likely to engage in negative behaviors,because that recognition helps increase a student’s self-esteem andthe feeling of bondedness to that community.Community Rewards
for Prosocial Involvement is measured by such items as “There
are people in my neighborhood who are proud of me when I dosomething well.”
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentilescore of 56 on the Community Rewards for Prosocial
Involvement scale, six points higher than the normative
average of 50.
Community Opportunities forProsocial Involvement
41 53 60 55 52
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
Community Rewards for
Prosocial Involvement
44 55 61 67 56
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-49 -
■Across grade levels, percentile scores for Community Rewards for Prosocial Involvement
range from a low of 44 among 6th graders to a high of 67 among 12th graders.
■Overall,Fulton County students received a percentile score of 56 on the Community Rewardsfor Prosocial Involvement scale, four points higher than the statewide score of 52.
Family Attachment
One of the most effective ways to buffer children against riskfactorsis to strengthen their bonds with family members who
embody healthy beliefs and clear standards. If children are
attached to their parents and want to please them, they will be lesslikely to threaten that connection by doing things that their parents
strongly disapprove of. This protective factor is measured by such
items on the survey as “Do you share your thoughts and feelingswith your mother?”
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentilescore of 59 on the Family Attachment scale, nine pointshigher than the normative average of 50.
■Across grade levels, percentile scores for Family Attachment range from a low of 50 among10thgraders to a high of 70 among 12th graders.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 59 on the Family Attachment
scale, four points higher than the statewide score of 55.
Family Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement
When students have the opportunity to make meaningful
contributions to their families, they feel closer to their familymembers and are less likely to get involved in risky behaviors.
These opportunities for involvement reinforce family bonds and
cause students to more easily adopt the norms projected by theirfamilies. For instance, children whose parents have high
expectations for their school success and achievement are less
likely to drop out of school. This protective factor is surveyed bysuch items as “My parents ask me what I think before most family
decisions affecting me are made.”
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentilescore of 53 on the Family Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement scale, three points higher
than the normative average of 50.
■Across grade levels, percentile scores for Family Opportunities for Prosocial Involvementrange from a low of 49 among 6th graders to a high of 65 among 12th graders.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 53 on the Family Opportunitiesfor Prosocial Involvement scale, two points higher than the statewide score of 51.
Family Attachment
55 59 50
70 59
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
Family Opportunities forProsocial Involvement
49 51 54 65
53
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-50 -
Family Rewards for Prosocial Involvement
When family members reward their children for positive
participation in activities, it further strengthens the bonds thechildren feel to their families, and helps promote clear standards
for behavior. This protective factor is measured by such survey
items as “How often do your parents tell you they’re proud of youfor something you’ve done?”
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile
score of 49 on the Family Rewards for ProsocialInvolvementscale, one point lower than the normative
average of 50.
■Across grade levels, percentile scores for Family Rewards for Prosocial Involvement rangefrom a low of 46 among 6th graders to a high of 60 among 12th graders.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 49 on the Family Rewards forProsocial Involvement scale, four points lower than the statewide score of 53.
School Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement
Giving students opportunities to participate in important activitiesat school helps to create a feeling of personal investment in theirschool. This results in greater bonding and adoption of the
school’s standards of behavior, reducing the likelihood that they
will become involved in problem behaviors. This protective factoris measured by survey items such as “In my school, students have
lots of chances to help decide things like class activities andrules.”
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile
score of 58 on the School Opportunities for ProsocialInvolvementscale, eight points higher than the normative
average of 50.
■Across grade levels, percentile scores for School Opportunities for Prosocial Involvementrange from a low of 52 among 6th graders to a high of 65 among 10th graders.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 58 on the School Opportunitiesfor Prosocial Involvement scale, three points higher than the statewide score of 55.
Family Rewards for ProsocialInvolvement
46 48 47 60 49
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
School Opportunities for
Prosocial Involvement
52 59 65 58 58
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-51 -
School Rewards for Prosocial Involvement
Making students feel appreciated and rewarded for their
involvement at school further strengthens school bonding, andhelps to reduce the likelihood of their involvement in drug use and
other problem behaviors. This protective factor is measured by
such statements as “The school lets my parents know when I havedone something well.”
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile
score of 69 on the School Rewards for ProsocialInvolvementscale, 19 points higher than the normative
average of 50.
■Across grade levels, percentile scores for School Rewards for Prosocial Involvement rangefrom a low of 63 among 6th graders to a high of 81 among 10th graders.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 69 on the School Rewards forProsocial Involvement scale, 12 points higher than the statewide score of 57.
Religiosity
Religious institutions can help students develop firm prosocial
beliefs. Students who have preconceived ideas about certainactivities are less vulnerable to becoming involved with antisocial
behaviors because they have already adopted a social normagainst those activities.Religiosity is measured by the question“How often do you attend religious services or activities?”
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentilescore of 45 on the Religiosity scale, five points lower
than the normative average of 50.
■Across grade levels, percentile scores for Religiosityrange from a low of 30 among 10th graders to a high of 62 among 12th graders.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 45 on the Religiosity scale,
equaling the statewide score of 45.
School Rewards for ProsocialInvolvement
63 67
81
68 69
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
Religiosity
37 48
30
62
45
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-52 -
Belief in the Moral Order
When people feel bonded to society, they are more motivated to
follow society’s standards and expectations. Therefore, it isimportant for families, schools and communities to have clearly
stated policies on ATOD use. Young people who have developed
a positive belief system, and a clear sense of right and wrong, areless likely to become involved in problem behaviors. For example,
young people who believe that drug use is wrong might be
protected against peer influences to use drugs.Belief in the MoralOrderis measured by items on the survey such as “It is all right to
beat up people if they start the fight.”
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentilescore of 58 on the Belief in the Moral Order scale, eight points higher than the normative
average of 50.
■Across grade levels, percentile scores for Belief in the Moral Order range from a low of 54among 6th graders to a high of 65 among 12th graders.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 58 on the Belief in the MoralOrderscale, equaling the statewide score of 58.
Risk Factors
Risk factors are characteristics in the community, family, school and individual’s environments that areknown to increase the likelihood that a student will engage in one or more problem behaviors. For
example, a risk factor in the community environment is the existence of laws and norms favorable to drug
use, which can affect the likelihood that a young person will try alcohol, tobacco or other drugs. In thosecommunities where there is acceptance or tolerance of drug use, students are more likely to engage in
alcohol, tobacco and other drug use.
Low Neighborhood Attachment
Higher rates of drug problems, delinquency and violence occur in
communities or neighborhoods where people feel little attachment
to the community. Perhaps the most significant issue affectingcommunity attachment is whether residents feel they can make a
difference in their own lives. If the key players in the
neighborhood—such as merchants, teachers, clergy, police andsocial services personnel—live outside the neighborhood,
residents’ sense of commitment will be lower. This low sense of
commitment may be reflected in lower rates of voter participationand parental involvement in schools.
The Low Neighborhood Attachment scale on the survey uses three
items to measure the level of attachment that students feel to their neighborhoods. This risk factor ismeasured by items such as “I’d like to get out of my neighborhood” and “If I had to move,I would miss
the neighborhood I now live in.”
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 47 on the Low Neighborhood
Attachment scale, three points lower than the normative average of 50.
Belief in the Moral Order
54 57 59 65 58
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
Low Neighborhood Attachment
57
43 50 40 47
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-53 -
■Across grade levels, percentile scores for Low Neighborhood Attachment range from a low of
40 among 12th graders to a high of 57 among 6th graders.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 47 on the Low NeighborhoodAttachmentscale, two points higher than the statewide score of 45.
Community Disorganization
The Community Disorganization scale pertains to students’feelings and perceptions regarding their communities and other
external attributes. It is based on students’ responses to five items,
four of which indicate a neighborhood in disarray (e.g., theexistence of graffiti, abandoned buildings, fighting and drug
selling). The fifth item is “I feel safe in my neighborhood.”
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentilescore of 76 on the Community Disorganization scale, 26
points higher than the normative average of 50.
■Across grade levels, percentile scores for CommunityDisorganizationrange from a low of 74 among 8th graders to a high of 82 among 6th graders.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 76 on the CommunityDisorganizationscale, six points higher than the statewide score of 70.
Transitions and Mobility
Even normal school transitions are associated with an increase inproblem behaviors. When children move from elementary schooltomiddle school or from middle school to high school, significant
increases in the rates of drug use, school dropout and antisocialbehavior may occur. This is thought to occur because by making a
transition to a new environment, students no longer have the
bonds they had in their old environment. Consequently, studentsmay be less likely to become attached to their schools and
neighborhoods, and do not develop the bonds that protect them
from involvement in problem behaviors.
The Transitions and Mobility scale on the survey measures how
often the student has changed homes or schools in the past year and since kindergarten. This risk factor is
measured with items such as “How many times have you changed schools (including changing fromelementary to middle and middle to high school) since kindergarten?” and “How many times have you
changed homes since kindergarten?”
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 42 on the Transitions andMobilityscale, eight points lower than the normative average of 50.
■Across grade levels, percentile scores for Transitions and Mobility range from a low of 39among 12th graders to a high of 50 among 6th graders.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 42 on the Transitions and
Mobility scale, five points lower than the statewide score of 47.
Community Disorganization
82 74 78 76 76
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
Transitions and Mobility
50 40 43 39 42
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-54 -
Laws and Norms Favorable to Drug Use
Students’ perceptions of the rules and regulations concerning
alcohol, tobacco and other drug use that exist in theirneighborhoods are also associated with problem behaviors in
adolescence. Community norms—the attitudes and policies a
community holds in relation to drug use and other antisocialbehaviors—are communicated in a variety of ways: through laws
and written policies, through informal social practices and through
the expectations parents and other members of the communityhave of young people. When laws and community standards are
favorable toward drug use, violence and/or other crime, or even
when they are just unclear, young people are more likely toengage in negative behaviors (Bracht and Kingsbury, 1990).
An example of conflicting messages about drug use can be found in the acceptance of alcohol use as a
social activity within the community. The beer gardens popular at street fairs and community festivals arein contrast to the “Just Say No” messages that schools and parents may be promoting. These conflicting
and ambiguous messages are problematic in that they do not have the positive impact on preventingalcohol and other drug use that a clear, consistent, community-level, anti-drug message can have.
This risk factor is measured by six items on the survey, such as “How wrong would most adults in your
neighborhood think it was for kids your age to drink alcohol?” and “If a kid smoked marijuana in yourneighborhood, would he or she be caught by the police?”
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 62 on the Laws and NormsFavorable to Drug Use scale, 12 points higher than the normative average of 50.
■Across grade levels, percentile scores for Laws and Norms Favorable to Drug Use range
from a low of 57 among 6th graders to a high of 68 among 10th graders.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 62 on the Laws and NormsFavorable to Drug Use scale, 10 points higher than the statewide score of 52.
Laws and Norms Favorable toDrug Use
57 63 68 58 62
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-55 -
Perceived Availability of Drugs
The perceived availability of drugs, alcohol and handguns in a
community is directly related to the prevalence of delinquentbehaviors. In schools where children believe that drugs are more
available, a higher rate of drug use occurs.
The Perceived Availability of Drugs scale on the survey isdesigned to assess students’ feelings about how easily they can get
alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Elevation of this risk factor scale
may indicate the need to make alcohol, tobacco and other drugsmore difficult for students to acquire. For instance, a number of
policy changes have been shown to reduce the availability of
alcohol and cigarettes. Minimum-age requirements, taxation andresponsible beverage service have all been shown to affect the perception of availability of alcohol.
This risk factor is measured by four items on the survey, such as “If you wanted to get some marijuana,how easy would it be for you to get some?”
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 62 on the Perceived
Availability of Drugs scale, 12 points higher than the normative average of 50.
■Across grade levels, percentile scores for Perceived Availability of Drugs range from a low of
49 among 12th graders to a high of 65 among 10th graders.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 62 on the PerceivedAvailability of Drugs scale, nine points higher than the statewide score of 53.
Perceived Availability of Handguns
If students believe that it would be difficult to get a handgun, theyare less likely to become involved with the unauthorized andunsupervised use of firearms.Perceived Availability of Handguns
is measured by the question “If you wanted to get a handgun, howeasy would it be for you to get one?”
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile
score of 76 on the Perceived Availability of Handgunsscale, 26 points higher than the normative average of 50.
■Across grade levels, percentile scores for PerceivedAvailability of Handguns range from a low of 66 among10thgraders to a high of 80 among 8th graders.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 76 on the PerceivedAvailability of Handguns scale, 23 points higher than the statewide score of 53.
Perceived Availability of Drugs
61 64 65
49
62
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
Perceived Availability of
Handguns
74 80
66 78 76
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-56 -
Poor Family Management
The risk factor scale Poor Family Management measures two
components of family life: “poor family supervision,” which isdefined as parents failing to supervise and monitor their children,
and “poor family discipline,” which is defined as parents failing to
communicate clear expectations for behavior and givingexcessively severe, harsh or inconsistent punishment. Children
who experience poor family supervision and poor family
discipline are at higher risk of developing problems with drug use,delinquency, violence and school dropout.
Sample items used to survey Poor Family Management include
“Would your parents know if you did not come home on time?”and “My family has clear rules about alcohol and drug use.”
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 45 on the Poor FamilyManagementscale, five points lower than the normative average of 50.
■Across grade levels, percentile scores for Poor Family Management range from a low of 35
among 12th graders to a high of 50 among 6th graders.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 45 on the Poor FamilyManagementscale, two points lower than the statewide score of 47.
Family Conflict
Bonding between family members, especially between childrenand their parents or guardians, is a key component in the
development of positive social norms. High levels of familyconflict interfere with the development of these bonds, and
increase the likelihood that young people will engage in illegal
drug use and other forms of delinquent behavior.
Family Conflict is measured by four items on the survey, such as
“People in my family often insult or yell at each other.”
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentilescore of 55 on the Family Conflict scale, five points
higher than the normative average of 50.
■Across grade levels, percentile scores for Family Conflict range from a low of 44 among 12th
graders to a high of 58 among 6th and 8th graders.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 55 on the Family Conflict
scale, three points higher than the statewide score of 52.
Poor Family Management
50 45 48 35 45
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
Family Conflict
58 58 55 44 55
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-57 -
Family History of Antisocial Behavior
If children are raised in a family where a history of addiction to
alcohol or other drugs exists, the risk of their having alcohol orother drug problems themselves increases. If children are born or
raised in a family where criminal activity or behavior is normal,
their risk for delinquency increases. Similarly, children who areborn to a teenage mother are more likely to become teen parents,
and children of dropouts are more likely to drop out of school
themselves. Children whose parents engage in violent behaviorinside or outside the home are at greater risk for exhibiting violent
behavior themselves. Students’ perceptions of their families’
behavior and standards regarding drug use and other antisocialbehaviors are measured by the survey.Family History of Antisocial Behavior is assessed by items such as
“Has anyone in your family ever had a severe alcohol or drug problem?”
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 47 on the Family History ofAntisocial Behavior scale, three points lower than the normative average of 50.
■Across grade levels, percentile scores for Family History of Antisocial Behavior range from alow of 44 among 8th graders to a high of 51 among 6th graders.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 47 on the Family History of
Antisocial Behavior scale, three points higher than the statewide score of 44.
Parental Attitudes Favorable toward ATOD Use
Students’ perceptions of their parents’ opinions about alcohol,
tobacco and other drug use are an important risk factor. Infamilies where parents use illegal drugs, are heavy users of
alcohol or are tolerant of use by their children, children are more
likely to become drug users in adolescence.Parental AttitudesFavorable toward ATOD Use is measured by survey items such
as “How wrong do your parents feel it would be for you to smoke
marijuana?”
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile
score of 51 on the Parental Attitudes Favorable towardATOD Use scale, one point higher than the normativeaverage of 50.
■Across grade levels, percentile scores for Parental Attitudes Favorable toward ATOD Use
range from a low of 45 among 12th graders to a high of 62 among 10th graders.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 51 on the Parental Attitudes
Favorable toward ATOD Use scale, four points higher than the statewide score of 47.
Family History of Antisocial
Behavior
51 44 50 47 47
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
Parental Attitudes Favorable
toward ATOD Use
47 49
62
45 51
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-58 -
Parental Attitudes Favorable toward Antisocial Behavior
Students’ perceptions of their parents’ opinions about antisocial
behavior are also an important risk factor. Parental attitudes andbehavior regarding crime and violence influence the attitudes and
behavior of children. If parents approve of or excuse their children
for breaking the law, then the children are more likely to developproblems with juvenile delinquency.Parental Attitudes Favorable
toward Antisocial Behavior is measured by survey items such as
“How wrong do your parents feel it would be for you to pick afight with someone?”
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile
score of 57 on the Parental Attitudes Favorable towardAntisocial Behavior scale, seven points higher than the normative average of 50.
■Across grade levels, percentile scores for Parental Attitudes Favorable toward AntisocialBehaviorrange from a low of 45 among 12th graders to a high of 65 among 10th graders.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 57 on the Parental Attitudes
Favorable toward Antisocial Behavior scale, equaling the statewide score of 57.
Poor Academic Performance
Beginning in the late elementary grades, poor academic
performance increases the risk of drug use, delinquency, violenceand school dropout. Children fail for many reasons, but it appearsthat the experience of failure increases the risk of these problem
behaviors.
Poor Academic Performance—students’ feelings about their
performance at school—is measured with two questions on the
survey: “Putting them all together, what were your grades like lastyear?” and “Are your school grades better than the grades of most
students in your class?” Elevated findings for this risk factor scale
suggest that students believe that they have lower grades thanwould be expected, and they perceive they have below-average grades, compared to their peers.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 48 on the Poor AcademicPerformancescale, two points lower than the normative average of 50.
■Across grade levels, percentile scores for Poor Academic Performance range from a low of
37 among 12th graders to a high of 58 among 6th graders.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 48 on the Poor AcademicPerformancescale, five points higher than the statewide score of 43.
Parental Attitudes Favorabletoward Antisocial Behavior
57 59 65
45 57
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
Poor Academic Performance
58 49 43 37 48
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-59 -
Lack of Commitment to School
Nine items on the survey assess Lack of Commitment to School—a
student’s general feelings about his or her schooling. Survey itemsinclude “How important do you think the things you are learning
in school are going to be for your later life?” and “Now, thinking
back over the past year in school, how often did you enjoy beingin school?” Elevated findings for this risk factor scale suggest that
students feel less attached to, or connected with, their classes and
school environments. Lack of commitment to school means thechild has ceased to see the role of student as a positive one. Young
people who have lost this commitment to school are at higher risk
for a variety of problem behaviors.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 57 on the Lack of Commitment
to School scale, seven points higher than the normative average of 50.
■Across grade levels, percentile scores for Lack of Commitment to School range from a low of53 among 8th and 10th graders to a high of 72 among 6th graders.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 57 on the Lack of Commitmentto School scale, nine points higher than the statewide score of 48.
Rebelliousness
The survey also assesses the number of young people who feelthey are not part of society, who feel they are not bound by rules,and who don’t believe in trying to be successful or responsible.
These students are at higher risk of drug use, delinquency andschool dropout.Rebelliousness is measured by three items, such
as “I ignore the rules that get in my way.”
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentilescore of 51 on the Rebelliousness scale, one point higher
than the normative average of 50.
■Across grade levels, percentile scores for Rebelliousnessrange from a low of 39 among 10th graders to a high of 59 among 8th graders.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 51 on the Rebelliousness scale,
eight points higher than the statewide score of 43.
Lack of Commitment to School
72
53 53 54 57
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
Rebelliousness
46
59
39 48 51
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-60 -
Friends’ Delinquent Behavior
Young people who associate with peers who engage in delinquent
behavior are much more likely to engage in delinquent behaviorthemselves. This is one of the most consistent predictors identified
by research. Even when young people come from well-managed
families and do not experience other risk factors, spending timewith peers who engage in delinquent behavior greatly increases
the risk of their becoming involved in delinquent behavior.Friends’ Delinquent Behavior is measured by survey items suchas “In the past year, how many of your four best friends have been
suspended from school?”
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentilescore of 45 on the Friends’ Delinquent Behavior scale, five points lower than the normative
average of 50.
■Across grade levels, percentile scores for Friends’ Delinquent Behavior range from a low of40 among 10th graders to a high of 53 among 12th graders.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 45 on the Friends’ DelinquentBehaviorscale, three points higher than the statewide score of 42.
Friends’ Use of Drugs
Young people who associate with peers who engage in substanceuse are much more likely to engage in it themselves. This is one ofthe most consistent predictors identified by research. Even when
young people come from well-managed families and do notexperience other risk factors, spending time with peers who use
drugs greatly increases a youth’s risk of becoming involved in
such behavior.Friends’ Use of Drugs is measured by survey itemssuch as “In the past year, how many of your best friends have used
marijuana?”
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentilescore of 46 on the Friends’ Use of Drugs scale, four
points lower than the normative average of 50.
■Across grade levels, percentile scores for Friends’ Use of Drugs range from a low of 44among 6th and 10th graders to a high of 47 among 12th graders.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 46 on the Friends’ Use ofDrugsscale, five points higher than the statewide score of 41.
Friends’ Delinquent Behavior
44 44 40
53 45
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
Friends’ Use of Drugs
44 46 44 47 46
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-61 -
Peer Rewards for Antisocial Behavior
Students’ perceptions of their peer groups’ social norms are also
an important predictor of involvement in problem behavior. Anyindication that students feel that they get positive feedback from
their peers if they use alcohol, tobacco or other drugs, or if they
get involved in delinquent behaviors, is important to note andunderstand. When young people believe that their peer groups are
involved in antisocial behaviors, they are more likely to become
involved in antisocial behaviors themselves. This risk factor ismeasured by items such as “What are the chances you would be
seen as cool if you smoked marijuana?”
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentilescore of 52 on the Peer Rewards for Antisocial Behavior scale, two points higher than the
normative average of 50.
■Across grade levels, percentile scores for Peer Rewards for Antisocial Behavior range from alow of 39 among 6th graders to a high of 58 among 12th graders.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 52 on the Peer Rewards forAntisocial Behavior scale, five points higher than the statewide score of 47.
Favorable Attitudes toward Antisocial Behavior
During the elementary school years, children usually expressanticrime and prosocial attitudes and have difficulty imaginingwhy people commit crimes or drop out of school. However, in
middle school, as others they know participate in such activities,their attitudes often shift toward greater acceptance of these
behaviors. This acceptance places them at higher risk for these
antisocial behaviors.
These attitudes are measured on the survey by items like “How
wrong do you think it is for someone your age to pick a fight with
someone?”
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 48 on the Favorable Attitudes
toward Antisocial Behavior scale, two points lower than the normative average of 50.
■Across grade levels, percentile scores for Favorable Attitudes toward Antisocial Behaviorrange from a low of 47 among 12th graders to a high of 48 among 6th, 8th and 10th graders.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 48 on the Favorable Attitudestoward Antisocial Behavior scale, two points higher than the statewide score of 46.
Peer Rewards for AntisocialBehavior
39 52 57 58 52
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
Favorable Attitudes toward
Antisocial Behavior
48 48 48 47 48
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-62 -
Favorable Attitudes toward ATOD Use
During the elementary school years, children usually express anti-
drug attitudes and have difficulty imagining why people usedrugs. However, in middle school, as others they know participate
in such activities, their attitudes often shift toward greater
acceptance of these behaviors. This acceptance places them athigher risk. This risk factor scale,Favorable Attitudes toward
ATOD Use,assesses risk by asking young people how wrong they
think it is for someone their age to use drugs. Survey items used tomeasure this risk factor include “How wrong do you think it is for
someone your age to drink beer, wine or hard liquor (for example,
vodka, whiskey or gin) regularly?” An elevated score for this riskfactor scale can indicate that students see little wrong with using drugs.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 48 on the Favorable Attitudestoward ATOD Use scale, two points lower than the normative average of 50.
■Across grade levels, percentile scores for Favorable Attitudes toward ATOD Use range from
a low of 42 among 12th graders to a high of 62 among 10th graders.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 48 on the Favorable Attitudes
toward ATOD Use scale, two points higher than the statewide score of 46.
Low Perceived Risks of Drug Use
The perception of harm from drug use is related to bothexperimentation and regular use. The less harm that an adolescent
perceives as the result of drug use, the more likely it is that he orshe will use drugs.Low Perceived Risks of Drug Use is measured
with four survey items, such as “How much do you think people
risk harming themselves if they try marijuana once or twice?” Anelevated score can indicate that students are not aware of, or do
not comprehend, the possible harm resulting from drug use.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentilescore of 44 on the Low Perceived Risks of Drug Use
scale, six points lower than the normative average of 50.
■Across grade levels, percentile scores for Low Perceived Risks of Drug Use range from a lowof 42 among 12th graders to a high of 48 among 10th graders.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 44 on the Low Perceived Risksof Drug Use scale, seven points lower than the statewide score of 51.
Favorable Attitudes towardATOD Use
48 44
62
42 48
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
Low Perceived Risks of Drug Use
44 43 48 42 44
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-63 -
Early Initiation of Drug Use
The initiation of alcohol, tobacco or other drug use at an early age
is linked to a number of negative outcomes. The earlier thatexperimentation with drugs begins, the more likely it is that
experimentation will become consistent, regular use. Early
initiation may lead to the use of a greater range of drugs, as wellas other problem behaviors. This scale is measured by survey
items that ask when drug use began.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentilescore of 42 on the Early Initiation of Drug Use scale,
eight points lower than the normative average of 50.
■Across grade levels, percentile scores for Early Initiation of Drug Use range from a low of 37among 12th graders to a high of 44 among 6th and 8th graders.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 42 on the Early Initiation ofDrug Use scale, three points higher than the statewide score of 39.
Sensation Seeking
Constitutional factors are individual characteristics that may have
a biological or physiological basis. Constitutional factors thatincrease risk are often seen as sensation seeking, low harm
avoidance and lack of impulse control. They appear to increasethe risk of young people using drugs, engaging in delinquentbehavior and/or committing violent acts.Sensation Seeking is
measured by survey items such as “How many times have youdone crazy things even if they are a little dangerous?”
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile
score of 53 on the Sensation Seeking scale, three pointshigher than the normative average of 50.
■Across grade levels, percentile scores for Sensation Seeking range from a low of 44 among
12th graders to a high of 56 among 6th and 8th graders.
■Overall, Fulton County students received a percentile score of 53 on the Sensation Seeking
scale, nine points higher than the statewide score of 44.
Early Initiation of Drug Use
44 44 42 37 42
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
Sensation Seeking
56 56 48 44 53
0
20
40
60
80
100
6 8 10 12 Overall
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-65 -
Appendix A: Additional Prevention Planning DataIntroduction
The following section presents detailed response data for survey items that may be of particular interest to
prevention planners. Some of this information has already been presented earlier in this report in the form
of several of the risk factor scale scores (see Section 5). These detailed response data have been providedto help communities form a more complete picture of the attitudes and behaviors held by the youth who
were surveyed. It is helpful, however, to view this information within the context of the risk and protective
factor framework covered earlier in this report.
Risk of Harm
Perception of risk is an important determinant in the decision-making process young people go throughwhen deciding whether or not to use alcohol, tobacco or other drugs (Bachman, Johnston, O’Malley &
Humphrey, 1988). Data analysis across a range of Communities That Care Youth Survey communities
shows a consistent negative correlation between perception of risk and the level of reported ATOD use.That is, generally when the perceived risk of harm is high, reported frequency of use is low. Evidence alsosuggests that perceptions of the risks and benefits associated with drug use sometimes serve as a leading
indicator of future drug use patterns in a community (Bachman, Johnston, O’Malley &Humphrey, 1986).Table 31 presents prevalence rates for surveyed youth assigning “great risk” of harm to four drug use
behaviors: regular use of alcohol (one or two drinks nearly every day), regular use of cigarettes (a pack or
more daily), trying marijuana once or twice, and regular use of marijuana. These four survey items formthe risk factor scale Low Perceived Risks of Drug Use.Comparison data from the statewide survey are
presented in Table 32.
Table 31.Percentage of Youth Who Reported Perception of “Great Risk” of Harm,Fulton County2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%Drinking Alcohol Regularly 34.6 --30.9 --27.9 --28.6 30.8
Smoking Cigarettes Regularly 71.2 --70.9 --60.5 --54.8 66.4
Trying Marijuana Once or Twice 48.1 --32.7 --23.3 --38.1 35.2
Smoking Marijuana Regularly 82.7 --85.5 --55.8 --64.3 76.1
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Appendix A
Additional Prevention
Planning Data
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-66 -
Table 32.Percentage of Youth Who Reported Perception of “Great Risk” of Harm, PennsylvaniaStatewide 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%
Drinking Alcohol Regularly 40.3 --30.2 --25.2 --26.2 30.1
Smoking Cigarettes Regularly 71.7 --67.5 --63.0 --64.6 66.5
Trying Marijuana Once or Twice 46.0 --36.1 --21.5 --15.4 29.0
Smoking Marijuana Regularly 83.2 --74.5 --54.9 --43.2 63.0
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Disapproval of Drug Use
Personal approval or disapproval is another key attitudinal construct that influences drug use behavior
(Bachman et al., 1988). Like risk of harm, disapproval is negatively correlated with the level of reportedATOD use across a range of Communities That Care Youth Survey communities. Personal disapproval was
measured by asking surveyed youth how wrong it would be for someone their age to drink alcohol
regularly, smoke cigarettes, smoke marijuana, or use other illicit drugs (“LSD, cocaine, amphetamines oranother illegal drug”).The rates presented in Table 33 represent the percentages of surveyed youth who
thought it would be “wrong” or “very wrong” to use each drug. These four survey items form the risk
factor scale Favorable Attitudes toward ATOD Use.Comparison data from the statewide survey arepresented in Table 34.
Table 33.Percentage of Youth Who Indicated Personal Disapproval of Drug Use,Fulton County2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%Drinking Alcohol Regularly 96.2 --79.1 --52.3 --50.0 73.0
Smoking Cigarettes 96.2 --87.3 --50.0 --57.1 77.4
Smoking Marijuana 98.1 --90.0 --65.9 --81.0 85.9
Using Other Illicit Drugs 98.1 --97.3 --88.6 --90.5 94.8
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Table 34.Percentage of Youth Who Indicated Personal Disapproval of Drug Use, PennsylvaniaStatewide 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%Drinking Alcohol Regularly 97.2 --82.5 --62.5 --49.2 71.6
Smoking Cigarettes 97.3 --86.7 --72.1 --56.8 77.3
Smoking Marijuana 98.4 --89.0 --73.1 --62.3 79.8
Using Other Illicit Drugs 98.7 --96.3 --92.8 --90.3 94.3
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-67 -
Social Norms
In addition to students’ own attitudes, social norms—the written and unwritten rules and expectations
about what constitutes desirable behavior—shape drug use choices. Since drug-related attitudes andbehaviors are often acquired through peer group interactions, expectations of how one’s peer group might
react have an especially strong impact on whether or not young people choose to use drugs. The data
presented in Table 35 show the percentage of surveyed youth who said that there is a “pretty good” or“very good” chance that they would be seen as cool if they smoked cigarettes, drank alcohol regularly
(once or twice a month) or smoked marijuana. These three survey items form part of the risk factor scalePeer Rewards for Antisocial Behavior.Comparison data from the statewide survey are presented in Table36.
Table 35.Percentage of Youth Who Indicated Peer Approval of Drug Use,Fulton County 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%Drinking Alcohol Regularly 2.0 --15.6 --18.2 --28.6 15.5
Smoking Cigarettes 0.0 --9.2 --15.9 --11.9 8.9
Smoking Marijuana 0.0 --9.2 --13.6 --11.9 8.5
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Table 36.Percentage of Youth Who Indicated Peer Approval of Drug Use, PennsylvaniaStatewide 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%
Drinking Alcohol Regularly 1.4 --6.7 --13.5 --22.2 11.4
Smoking Cigarettes 1.3 --4.7 --6.8 --7.1 5.1
Smoking Marijuana 1.1 --6.0 --13.5 --18.6 10.3
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
In addition to peer attitudes, social norms toward drug use were measured by asking how most
neighborhood adults would view student alcohol, cigarette and marijuana use. Table 37 presents the
percentage of surveyed youth who thought other adults would feel it was “wrong” or “very wrong” to useeach drug. These three survey items form part of the risk factor scale Laws and Norms Favorable to Drug
Use.Comparison data from the statewide survey are presented in Table 38.
Table 37.Percentage of Youth Who Indicated “Other Adults” Disapprove of Drug Use,FultonCounty2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%Drinking Alcohol 86.3 --76.1 --53.5 --41.5 68.4
Smoking Cigarettes 88.2 --78.0 --51.2 --53.7 71.3
Smoking Marijuana 94.1 --91.7 --69.8 --82.9 86.9
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-68 -
Table 38.Percentage of Youth Who Indicated “Other Adults” Disapprove of Drug Use,Pennsylvania Statewide 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%
Drinking Alcohol 90.6 --80.5 --70.1 --60.6 74.8
Smoking Cigarettes 92.2 --83.2 --73.7 --59.5 76.5
Smoking Marijuana 96.2 --90.3 --83.3 --75.9 86.0
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Parental Disapproval of Drug Use
Parental disapproval was measured by asking surveyed youth “how wrong do your parents feel it would be
for you to” drink alcohol regularly, smoke cigarettes, and smoke marijuana.The rates presented in Table
39 represent the percentages of surveyed youth who reported that their parents feel it would be “verywrong” to use each drug. These three survey items form the risk factor scale Parental Attitudes Favorable
toward ATOD Use.Comparison data from the statewide survey are presented in Table 40.
Table 39.Percentage of Youth Who Indicated Parental Disapproval of Drug Use,Fulton County2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%Drink Alcohol Regularly 88.5 --76.4 --52.3 --52.4 70.6
Smoke Cigarettes 94.2 --88.2 --63.6 --69.0 81.9
Smoke Marijuana 94.2 --90.9 --75.0 --85.7 87.9
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Table 40.Percentage of Youth Who Indicated Parental Disapproval of Drug Use, PennsylvaniaStatewide 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%Drinking Alcohol Regularly 93.1 --81.9 --68.3 --54.1 73.5
Smoke Cigarettes 95.1 --87.3 --77.4 --65.4 80.6
Smoke Marijuana 97.2 --91.2 --82.7 --73.3 85.6
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Frequency of Drug Use
While the prevalence rates presented in Section 2 are useful for determining how many kids are currentlyusing or have experimented with a drug, they give no indication of the frequency or intensity of use. Arespondent who reports 1 or 2 occasions of use in the past 30 days is counted the same as one who reports
40 or more occasions of use, even though the level of use is drastically different.Tables 41-48 present thepast-30-day frequency of use reported by surveyed youth for the following drugs: alcohol, cigarettes,
marijuana, and inhalants.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-69 -
Table 41.Past-30-Day Frequency of Alcohol Use,Fulton County 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%0 occasions 90.4 --73.6 --68.2 --47.6 71.8
1 or 2 occasions 7.7 --17.3 --15.9 --19.0 15.3
3 to 5 occasions 1.9 --1.8 --11.4 --14.3 5.6
6 to 9 occasions 0.0 --4.5 --0.0 --11.9 4.0
10 to 19 occasions 0.0 --1.8 --0.0 --4.8 1.6
20 to 39 occasions 0.0 --0.0 --0.0 --2.4 0.4
40 or more occasions 0.0 --0.9 --4.5 --0.0 1.2
Note: Rounding on the above table can produce totals that do not equal 100%.The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students werenot surveyed.
Table 42.Past-30-Day Frequency of Alcohol Use, Pennsylvania Statewide 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%
0 occasions 94.9 --82.8 --69.5 --54.0 74.5
1 or 2 occasions 4.4 --11.9 --19.8 --26.6 16.1
3 to 5 occasions 0.5 --2.9 --5.5 --10.8 5.1
6 to 9 occasions 0.1 --1.0 --2.7 --4.8 2.2
10 to 19 occasions 0.1 --0.6 --1.7 --2.4 1.2
20 to 39 occasions 0.0 --0.3 --0.3 --0.6 0.3
40 or more occasions 0.0 --0.5 --0.4 --0.8 0.5
Note: Rounding on the above table can produce totals that do not equal 100%.The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students werenot surveyed.
Table 43.Past-30-Day Frequency of Cigarette Use,Fulton County 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%Not at all 96.2 --93.6 --75.0 --64.3 85.9
Less than one cigarette per day 3.8 --3.6 --13.6 --11.9 6.9
One to five cigarettes per day 0.0 --0.9 --9.1 --11.9 4.0
About one-half pack per day 0.0 --0.9 --2.3 --7.1 2.0
About one pack per day 0.0 --0.9 --0.0 --2.4 0.8
About one and one-half packs per day 0.0 --0.0 --0.0 --2.4 0.4
Two packs or more per day 0.0 --0.0 --0.0 --0.0 0.0
Note: Rounding on the above table can produce totals that do not equal 100%.The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were
not surveyed.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-70 -
Table 44.Past-30-Day Frequency of Cigarette Use, Pennsylvania Statewide 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%Not at all 99.1 --93.3 --86.1 --79.2 89.0
Less than one cigarette per day 0.6 --3.9 --6.1 --7.7 4.7
One to five cigarettes per day 0.2 --2.0 --4.8 --6.2 3.4
About one-half pack per day 0.1 --0.3 --1.8 --4.2 1.7
About one pack per day 0.0 --0.2 --0.6 --2.1 0.8
About one and one-half packs per day 0.0 --0.0 --0.4 --0.4 0.2
Two packs or more per day 0.0 --0.2 --0.3 --0.3 0.2
Note: Rounding on the above table can produce totals that do not equal 100%.The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students werenot surveyed.
Table 45.Past-30-Day Frequency of Marijuana Use,Fulton County 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%0 occasions 98.1 --94.5 --81.8 --90.5 92.3
1 or 2 occasions 1.9 --2.7 --6.8 --4.8 3.6
3 to 5 occasions 0.0 --0.9 --2.3 --2.4 1.2
6 to 9 occasions 0.0 --0.0 --0.0 --0.0 0.0
10 to 19 occasions 0.0 --0.0 --2.3 --0.0 0.4
20 to 39 occasions 0.0 --0.0 --2.3 --2.4 0.8
40 or more occasions 0.0 --1.8 --4.5 --0.0 1.6
Note: Rounding on the above table can produce totals that do not equal 100%.The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students werenot surveyed.
Table 46.Past-30-Day Frequency of Marijuana Use, Pennsylvania Statewide 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%0 occasions 99.7 --94.6 --85.8 --76.3 88.6
1 or 2 occasions 0.1 --2.5 --5.7 --8.7 4.4
3 to 5 occasions 0.0 --1.0 --2.6 --3.6 1.9
6 to 9 occasions 0.0 --0.6 --1.6 --1.7 1.0
10 to 19 occasions 0.0 --0.4 --1.6 --2.6 1.2
20 to 39 occasions 0.0 --0.2 --0.9 --2.3 0.9
40 or more occasions 0.0 --0.8 --1.7 --4.8 1.9
Note: Rounding on the above table can produce totals that do not equal 100%.The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students werenot surveyed.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-71 -
Table 47.Past-30-Day Frequency of Inhalant Use,Fulton County 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%0 occasions 90.4 --94.5 --97.6 --95.1 94.3
1 or 2 occasions 3.8 --3.6 --0.0 --2.4 2.9
3 to 5 occasions 3.8 --0.9 --2.4 --0.0 1.6
6 to 9 occasions 0.0 --0.0 --0.0 --2.4 0.4
10 to 19 occasions 1.9 --0.0 --0.0 --0.0 0.4
20 to 39 occasions 0.0 --0.0 --0.0 --0.0 0.0
40 or more occasions 0.0 --0.9 --0.0 --0.0 0.4
Note: Rounding on the above table can produce totals that do not equal 100%.The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students werenot surveyed.
Table 48.Past-30-Day Frequency of Inhalant Use, Pennsylvania Statewide 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%0 occasions 93.2 --91.8 --94.5 --96.7 94.1
1 or 2 occasions 5.6 --6.0 --3.7 --2.4 4.3
3 to 5 occasions 0.6 --0.7 --0.8 --0.6 0.7
6 to 9 occasions 0.3 --0.6 --0.4 --0.2 0.4
10 to 19 occasions 0.2 --0.4 --0.2 --0.1 0.2
20 to 39 occasions 0.0 --0.1 --0.1 --0.1 0.1
40 or more occasions 0.1 --0.4 --0.3 --0.1 0.2
Note: Rounding on the above table can produce totals that do not equal 100%.The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students werenot surveyed.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-72 -
Frequency of Bringing a Weapon to School
Table 49 presents the past-30-day frequency of bringing a weapon (such as a gun, knife or club) to school,
reported by surveyed youth.Comparison data from the statewide survey are presented in Table 50.
Table 49.Past-30-Day Frequency of Bringing a Weapon to School,Fulton County 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%Never 96.2 --97.2 --92.7 --90.2 95.1
1 or 2 times 0.0 --2.8 --7.3 --2.4 2.9
3 to 5 times 1.9 --0.0 --0.0 --2.4 0.8
6 to 9 times 1.9 --0.0 --0.0 --0.0 0.4
10 to 19 times 0.0 --0.0 --0.0 --0.0 0.0
20 to 29 times 0.0 --0.0 --0.0 --0.0 0.0
30 to 39 times 0.0 --0.0 --0.0 --0.0 0.0
40+ times 0.0 --0.0 --0.0 --4.9 0.8
Note: Rounding on the above table can produce totals that do not equal 100%.The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students werenot surveyed.
Table 50.Past-30-Day Frequency of Bringing a Weapon to School, Pennsylvania Statewide2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%Never 99.1 --97.9 --97.2 --96.8 97.7
1 or 2 times 0.8 --1.6 --1.5 --1.8 1.5
3 to 5 times 0.0 --0.2 --0.4 --0.6 0.3
6 to 9 times 0.0 --0.1 --0.2 --0.1 0.1
10 to 19 times 0.0 --0.0 --0.1 --0.2 0.1
20 to 29 times 0.0 --0.1 --0.0 --0.1 0.1
30 to 39 times 0.0 --0.0 --0.0 --0.0 0.0
40+ times 0.0 --0.1 --0.6 --0.4 0.3
Note: Rounding on the above table can produce totals that do not equal 100%.The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students werenot surveyed.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-73 -
Gang Involvement
Gangs have long been associated with crime, violence and other antisocial behaviors. Evidence suggests
that gangs contribute to antisocial behavior beyond simple association with delinquent peers. Table 51presents the percentage of surveyed youth indicating gang involvement.Comparison data from the
statewide survey are presented in Table 52.
Table 51.Percentage of Youth Who Indicated Gang Involvement,Fulton County 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%Ever Belonged to a Gang 1.9 --3.7 --7.0 --5.0 4.1
Belonged to a Gang with a Name 0.0 --2.8 --7.0 --2.5 2.9
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Table 52.Percentage of Youth Who Indicated Gang Involvement, Pennsylvania Statewide 2009
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%Ever Belonged to a Gang 4.5 --6.2 --6.7 --5.4 5.7
Belonged to a Gang with a Name 3.1 --5.4 --6.2 --4.5 4.8
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-75 -
Appendix B: Historical Data
Introduction
In addition to the current survey effort, Fulton County administered the PAYS in the fall of 2007.Caution
should be exercised when comparing overall results across survey administrations. This is becausedifferences in the samples, particularly the distribution of the sample across grade levels,can dramatically
impact overall results, making trend comparisons inaccurate for some communities.Also note that risk and
protective factor results from 2001 and 2003 are not included in this report because a different scoringmethodology was used in those years.(Please see Section 5 of this report for more information on risk andprotective factor scoring).
Demographic Trends
The survey measures a variety of demographic characteristics.Table 53 shows selected characteristics of
surveyed Fulton County youth for 2007 and 2009.
Table 53. Selected Demographic Characteristics of Surveyed Youth
Number of Students Percentage of Students
2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009
Overall Valid Surveys ------294 249 ------100.0%100.0%
Sex
Male ------160 119 ------54.4%47.8%
Female ------132 130 ------44.9%52.2%
Did not respond ------2 0 ------0.7%0.0%
Ethnicity
White ------279 223 ------94.9%89.6%
African American ------3 2 ------1.0%0.8%
Latino ------1 1 ------0.3%0.4%
American Indian ------1 0 ------0.3%0.0%
Asian ------0 0 ------0.0%0.0%
Other/Multiple ------9 22 ------3.1%8.8%
Did not respond ------1 1 ------0.3%0.4%
Grade Level
6th ------59 52 ------20.1%20.9%
7th ------0 0 ------0.0%0.0%
8th ------87 111 ------29.6%44.6%
9th ------0 0 ------0.0%0.0%
10th ------80 44 ------27.2%17.7%
11th ------0 0 ------0.0%0.0%
12th ------68 42 ------23.1%16.9%
Note: Rounding can produce totals that do not equal 100%.
Appendix B
Historical Data
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-76 -
ATOD Results, 2007
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-77 -
Table 60.Lifetime Use of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs,Fulton County 2007
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%
Alcohol 22.0 --51.7 --75.0 --85.3 59.9
Cigarettes 13.6 --27.6 --46.3 --67.6 39.1
Smokeless Tobacco 8.5 --21.8 --33.8 --50.0 28.9
Marijuana 0.0 --12.8 --22.8 --29.4 16.8
Inhalants 5.1 --13.8 --5.0 --5.9 7.8
Cocaine 0.0 --0.0 --1.3 --10.3 2.7
Crack Cocaine 0.0 --1.1 --0.0 --2.9 1.0
Heroin 0.0 --1.2 --0.0 --0.0 0.3
Hallucinogens 0.0 --2.3 --3.8 --7.4 3.4
Methamphetamine 0.0 --0.0 --0.0 --2.9 0.7
Ecstasy 0.0 --0.0 --0.0 --4.4 1.0
Steroids 1.7 --2.3 --5.0 --0.0 2.4
Note: The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Table 61.Past-30-Day Use of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs,Fulton County 2007
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%
Alcohol 8.5 --10.5 --30.0 --47.1 23.9
Binge Drinking 5.1 --6.9 --16.3 --29.4 14.3
Cigarettes 5.1 --13.8 --17.5 --26.5 16.0
Smokeless Tobacco 5.1 --10.3 --20.0 --29.4 16.3
Marijuana 0.0 --2.3 --6.3 --14.7 5.8
Inhalants 0.0 --3.4 --1.3 --1.5 1.7
Cocaine 0.0 --0.0 --0.0 --4.4 1.0
Crack Cocaine 0.0 --0.0 --0.0 --0.0 0.0
Heroin 0.0 --1.1 --0.0 --0.0 0.3
Hallucinogens 0.0 --1.1 --0.0 --2.9 1.0
Methamphetamine 0.0 --0.0 --0.0 --1.5 0.3
Ecstasy 0.0 --0.0 --0.0 --1.5 0.3
Steroids 0.0 --0.0 --1.3 --0.0 0.3
Note:The symbol “--” indicates that data are not available because students were not surveyed.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-78 -
Other Antisocial Behavior Results, 2007
Table 65. Prevalence of Other Antisocial Behaviors,Fulton County 2007
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall%%%%%%%%
Attacking Someone with Intent to Harm 6.8 --5.9 --8.8 --8.8 7.5
Attempting to Steal a Vehicle 0.0 --1.1 --1.3 --2.9 1.4
Being Arrested 0.0 --1.1 --6.3 --4.5 3.1
Being Drunk or High at School 0.0 --7.0 --10.0 --19.1 9.2
Getting Suspended 1.7 --9.2 --5.0 --2.9 5.1
Selling Drugs 0.0 --0.0 --1.3 --7.4 2.0
Bringing a Weapon to School 0.0 --2.4 --3.9 --13.2 4.9
Average 1.2 --3.8 --5.2 --8.4 4.7
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-79 -
Risk and Protective Results, 2007
Table 68. Protective Factor Scale Scores,Fulton County 2007
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall
CommunityDomain Community Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement 69 --67 --71 --67 69
Community Rewards for Prosocial Involvement 49 --53 --59 --59 55
FamilyDomain
Family Attachment 45 --59 --51 --57 54
Family Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement 54 --55 --58 --53 55
Family Rewards for Prosocial Involvement 42 --56 --59 --53 55
SchoolDomain
School Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement 46 --50 --64 --55 54
School Rewards for Prosocial Involvement 53 --53 --66 --54 57
Peer andIndividualDomain
Religiosity 52 --44 --53 --64 53
Belief in the Moral Order 57 --62 --69 --63 63
Average 52 --55 --61 --58 57
Table 69. Risk Factor Scale Scores,Fulton County 2007
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Overall
CommunityDomain
Low Neighborhood Attachment 40 --42 --36 --39 39
Community Disorganization 53 --51 --52 --61 54
Transitions and Mobility 49 --45 --40 --42 43
Laws and Norms Favorable to Drug Use 64 --55 --57 --67 60
Laws and Norms Favorable to Handguns 52 --58 --50 --52 53
Perceived Availability of Drugs 46 --44 --41 --54 46
Perceived Availability of Handguns 61 --60 --71 --72 67
FamilyDomain
Poor Family Management 50 --44 --37 --51 44
Family Conflict 55 --44 --58 --58 53
Family History of Antisocial Behavior 47 --43 --45 --59 48
Parental Attitudes Favorable toward ATOD Use 54 --55 --50 --53 53
Parental Attitudes Favorable toward AntisocialBehavior 49 --56 --54 --58 55
SchoolDomain
Poor Academic Performance 50 --50 --38 --39 44
Lack of Commitment to School 56 --58 --36 --42 48
Peer andIndividualDomain
Rebelliousness 46 --44 --51 --47 47
Friends’ Delinquent Behavior 42 --44 --39 --47 43
Friends’ Use of Drugs 49 --48 --43 --54 48
Peer Rewards for Antisocial Behavior 50 --49 --54 --56 52
Favorable Attitudes toward Antisocial Behavior 44 --33 --37 --43 38
Favorable Attitudes toward ATOD Use 46 --41 --42 --39 41
Low Perceived Risks of Drug Use 51 --53 --42 --47 48
Early Initiation of Drug Use 46 --44 --45 --52 46
Sensation Seeking 49 --42 --47 --48 46
Average 50 --48 --46 --51 49
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-81 -
Appendix C: Risk and Protective Factor Scale Construction Summary
Appendix C
Risk and Protective Factor
Scale Construction Summary
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-82 -
Community Domain Scales
RISK FACTORS
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Low Neighborhood Attachment
Q109 I’d like to get out of my neighborhood.
Q102 I like my neighborhood.
Q100 If I had to move, I would miss the neighborhood I now live in.
Community Disorganization
Q103a How much do each of the following statements describe your neighborhood:
crime and/or drug selling.
Q103b How much do each of the following statements describe your neighborhood:
fights.
Q103c How much do each of the following statements describe your neighborhood:
lots of empty or abandoned buildings.
Q103d How much do each of the following statements describe your neighborhood:lots of graffiti.
Q107 I feel safe in my neighborhood.
Transitions and Mobility
Q110 Have you changed homes in the past year?
Q104 How many times have you changed homes since kindergarten?
Q106 Have you changed schools (including changing from elementary to middle andmiddle to high school) in the past year?
Q108 How many times have you changed schools since kindergarten?
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-83 -
RISK FACTORS,CONTINUED
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Laws and Norms Favorable to Drug Use
Q33a How wrong would most adults (over 21) in your neighborhood think it was for
kids your age: to use marijuana?
Q33b How wrong would most adults (over 21) in your neighborhood think it was for
kids your age: to drink alcohol?
Q33c How wrong would most adults (over 21) in your neighborhood think it was for
kids your age: to smoke cigarettes?
Q29 If a kid drank some beer, wine or hard liquor (for example, vodka, whiskey, or
gin) in your neighborhood, would he or she be caught by the police?
Q27 If a kid smoked marijuana in your neighborhood, would he or she be caught bythe police?
Perceived Availability of Drugs
Q25 If you wanted to get some beer, wine or hard liquor (for example, vodka,
whiskey, or gin), how easy would it be for you to get some?
Q26 If you wanted to get some cigarettes, how easy would it be for you to get some?
Q32 If you wanted to get some marijuana, how easy would it be for you to get
some?
Q28 If you wanted to get a drug like cocaine, LSD, or amphetamines, how easy
would it be for you to get some?
Perceived Availability of Handguns
Q30 If you wanted to get a handgun, how easy would it be for you to get one?
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-84 -
PROTECTIVE FACTORS
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Community Rewards for Prosocial Involvement
Q101 My neighbors notice when I am doing a good job and let me know.
Q111 There are people in my neighborhood who encourage me to do my best.
Q105 There are people in my neighborhood who are proud of me when I dosomething well.
Community Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement
Q2912 Which of the following activities for people your age are available in your
community: sports teams?
Q2913 Which of the following activities for people your age are available in your
community: scouting?
Q2914 Which of the following activities for people your age are available in your
community: boys and girls clubs?
Q2915 Which of the following activities for people your age are available in your
community: 4-H clubs?
Q2916 Which of the following activities for people your age are available in your
community: service clubs?
Q555 There are lots of adults in my neighborhood I could talk to about somethingimportant.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-85 -
Family Domain Scales
RISK FACTORS
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Poor Family Management
Q78 My parents ask if I’ve gotten my homework done.
Q80 Would your parents know if you did not come home on time?
Q79 When I am not at home, one of my parents knows where I am and whom I am
with.
Q76 The rules in my family are clear.
Q83 My family has clear rules about alcohol and drug use.
Q82 If you drank some beer or wine or liquor (for example, vodka, whiskey, or gin)
without your parents’ permission, would you be caught by your parents?
Q85 If you skipped school, would you be caught by your parents?
Q84 If you carried a handgun without your parents’ permission, would you be
caught by your parents?
Family Conflict
Q2909 People in my family often insult or yell at each other.
Q2911 People in my family have serious arguments.
Q2910 We argue about the same things in my family over and over.
Parental Attitudes Favorable toward Antisocial Behavior
Q74d How wrong do your parents feel it would be for you to: steal anything worth
more than $5?
Q74e How wrong do your parents feel it would be for you to: draw graffiti, or write
things or draw pictures on buildings or other property (without the owner’s
permission)?
Q74f How wrong do your parents feel it would be for you to: pick a fight with
someone?
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-86 -
RISK FACTORS,CONTINUED
FAM
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Parental Attitudes Favorable toward ATOD Use
Q74a How wrong do your parents feel it would be for you to: drink beer, wine or
hard liquor (for example, vodka, whiskey or gin) regularly?
Q74b How wrong do your parents feel it would be for you to: smoke cigarettes?
Q74c How wrong do your parents feel it would be for you to: smoke marijuana?
Family History of Antisocial Behavior
Q77 Has anyone in your family ever had a severe alcohol or drug problem?
Q75a Have any of your brothers or sisters ever: drunk beer, wine or hard liquor (for
example, vodka, whiskey or gin)?
Q75b Have any of your brothers or sisters ever: smoked marijuana?
Q75c Have any of your brothers or sisters ever: smoked cigarettes?
Q75d Have any of your brothers or sisters ever: taken a handgun to school?
Q75e Have any of your brothers or sisters ever: been suspended or expelled from
school?
Q34a About how many adults (over 21) have you known personally who in the past
year have: used marijuana, crack, cocaine, or other drugs?
Q34b About how many adults (over 21) have you known personally who in the pastyear have: sold or dealt drugs?
Q34c About how many adults (over 21) have you known personally who in the pastyear have: done other things that could get them in trouble with the police, like
stealing, selling stolen goods, mugging or assaulting others, etc?
Q34d About how many adults (over 21) have you known personally who in the pastyear have: gotten drunk or high?
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-87 -
PROTECTIVE FACTORS
FAM
I
L
Y
DOM
A
I
N
Family Attachment
Q87 Do you feel very close to your mother?
Q88 Do you share your thoughts and feelings with your mother?
Q97 Do you feel very close to your father?
Q92 Do you share your thoughts and feelings with your father?
Family Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement
Q99 My parents give me lots of chances to do fun things with them.
Q89 My parents ask me what I think before most family decisions affecting me are
made.
Q96 If I had a personal problem, I could ask my mom or dad for help.
Family Rewards for Prosocial Involvement
Q86 My parents notice when I am doing a good job and let me know about it.
Q91 How often do your parents tell you they’re proud of you for something you’ve
done?
Q93 Do you enjoy spending time with your mother?
Q94 Do you enjoy spending time with your father?
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-88 -
School Domain Scales
RISK FACTORS
SCH
O
O
L
DOM
A
I
N
Poor Academic Performance
Q13 Putting them all together, what were your grades like last year?
Q23 Are your school grades better than the grades of most students in your class?
Lack of Commitment to School
Q3681 How often do you feel that the schoolwork you are assigned is meaningful and
important?
Q3682 How interesting are most of your courses to you?
Q3683 How important do you think the things you are learning in school are going to
be for your later life?
Q3684 Now, thinking back over the past year in school, how often did you: Enjoy
being in school?
Q3685 Now, thinking back over the past year in school, how often did you: Hate beingin school?
Q3686 Now, thinking back over the past year in school, how often did you: Try to doyour best work in school?
Q738 During the LAST FOUR WEEKS, how many whole days have you missedbecause you skipped or “cut”?
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-89 -
PROTECTIVE FACTORS
SCH
O
O
L
DOM
A
I
N
School Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement
Q14 In my school, students have lots of chances to help decide things like class
activities and rules.
Q17 There are lots of chances for students in my school to talk with a teacher one-
on-one.
Q2891 Teachers ask me to work on special classroom projects.
Q2057 There are lots of chances for students in my school to get involved in sports,clubs, and other school activities outside of class.
Q3668 I have lots of chances to be part of class discussions or activities.
School Rewards for Prosocial Involvement
Q15 My teacher(s) notices when I am doing a good job and lets me know about it.
Q21 The school lets my parents know when I have done something well.
Q18 I feel safe at my school.
Q731 My teachers praise me when I work hard in school.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-90 -
Peer and Individual Domain Scales
RISK FACTORS
PEE
R
A
N
D
IND
I
V
I
D
U
A
L
DOM
A
I
N
Low Perceived Risks of Drug Use
Q3687 How much do you think people risk harming themselves (physically or in other
ways) if they: smoke one or more packs of cigarettes per day?
Q3679 How much do you think people risk harming themselves (physically or in other
ways) if they: try marijuana once or twice?
Q3688 How much do you think people risk harming themselves (physically or in other
ways) if they: smoke marijuana regularly?
Q3680 How much do you think people risk harming themselves (physically or in other
ways) if they: take one or two drinks of an alcoholic beverage (beer, wine,
liquor) nearly every day?
Early Initiation of Drug Use
Q60a How old were you when you first: smoked marijuana?
Q60b How old were you when you first: smoked a cigarette, even just a puff?
Q60c How old were you when you first: had more than a sip or two of beer, wine or
hard liquor (for example, vodka, whiskey, or gin)?
Q60d How old were you when you first: began drinking alcoholic beverages
regularly, that is, at least once or twice a month?
Sensation Seeking
Q57a How many times have you done the following things? Done what feels good nomatter what.
Q57b How many times have you done the following things? Done somethingdangerous because someone dared you to do it.
Q57c How many times have you done the following things? Done crazy things evenif they are a little dangerous.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-91 -
RISK FACTORS,CONTINUED
PEE
R
A
N
D
IND
I
V
I
D
U
A
L
DOM
A
I
N
Rebelliousness
Q55 I do the opposite of what people tell me, just to get them mad.
Q62 I ignore rules that get in my way.
Q73 I like to see how much I can get away with.
Friends’ Delinquent Behavior
Q65a Think of your four best friends (the friends you feel closest to). In the past year
(12 months), how many of your best friends have been suspended from school?
Q65b Think of your four best friends (the friends you feel closest to). In the past year
(12 months), how many of your best friends have carried a handgun?
Q65c Think of your four best friends (the friends you feel closest to). In the past year(12 months), how many of your best friends have sold illegal drugs?
Q65d Think of your four best friends (the friends you feel closest to). In the past year(12 months), how many of your best friends have stolen or tried to steal a motor
vehicle such as a car or motorcycle?
Q65e Think of your four best friends (the friends you feel closest to). In the past year
(12 months), how many of your best friends have been arrested?
Q65f Think of your four best friends (the friends you feel closest to). In the past year(12 months), how many of your best friends have dropped out of school?
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-92 -
RISK FACTORS,CONTINUED
PEE
R
A
N
D
IND
I
V
I
D
U
A
L
DOM
A
I
N
Friends’ Use of Drugs
Q58a Think of your four best friends (the friends you feel closest to). In the past year
(12 months), how many of your best friends have smoked cigarettes?
Q58b Think of your four best friends (the friends you feel closest to). In the past year
(12 months), how many of your best friends have tried beer, wine or hard liquor
(for example, vodka, whiskey or gin) when their parents didn’t know about it?
Q58c Think of your four best friends (the friends you feel closest to). In the past year
(12 months), how many of your best friends have used marijuana?
Q58d Think of your four best friends (the friends you feel closest to). In the past year
(12 months), how many of your best friends have used LSD, cocaine,
amphetamines, or other illegal drugs?
Peer Rewards for Antisocial Behavior
Q59a What are the chances you would be seen as cool if you smoked cigarettes?
Q59b What are the chances you would be seen as cool if you began drinkingalcoholic beverages regularly, that is, at least once or twice a month?
Q59c What are the chances you would be seen as cool if you smoked marijuana?
Q59d What are the chances you would be seen as cool if you carried a handgun?
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-93 -
RISK FACTORS,CONTINUED
PEE
R
A
N
D
IND
I
V
I
D
U
A
L
DOM
A
I
N
Favorable Attitudes toward Antisocial Behavior
Q61a How wrong do you think it is for someone your age to take a handgun to
school?
Q61b How wrong do you think it is for someone your age to steal anything worth
more than $5?
Q61c How wrong do you think it is for someone your age to pick a fight with
someone?
Q61d How wrong do you think it is for someone your age to attack someone with the
idea of seriously hurting him or her?
Q61e How wrong do you think it is for someone your age to stay away from schoolall day when their parents think they are at school?
Favorable Attitudes toward ATOD Use
Q67a How wrong do you think it is for someone your age to drink beer, wine or hard
liquor (for example, vodka, whiskey or gin) regularly?
Q67b How wrong do you think it is for someone your age to smoke cigarettes?
Q67c How wrong do you think it is for someone your age to smoke marijuana?
Q67d How wrong do you think it is for someone your age to use LSD, cocaine,amphetamines or another illegal drug?
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-94 -
PROTECTIVE FACTORS
PEE
R
A
N
D
IND
I
V
I
D
U
A
L
DOM
A
I
N
Religiosity
Q54 How often do you attend religious services or activities?
Belief in the Moral Order
Q56 I think it is okay to take something without asking, if you can get away with it.
Q72 I think sometimes it’s okay to cheat at school.
Q63 It is all right to beat up people if they start the fight.
Q64 It is important to be honest with your parents, even if they become upset or youget punished.
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-95 -
Appendix D: Other Resources
Web Sites
Office of National Drug Control Policy www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov
National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information www.ncadi.samhsa.gov
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)www.samhsa.gov
Monitoring the Future www.monitoringthefuture.org
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)www.nida.nih.gov and www.drugabuse.gov
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)www.niaaa.nih.gov
Social Development Research Group www.uwsrd.org/sdrg
Prevention Program Guides
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Western Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies. (2004).Building a successful prevention program: list of all practices.[Data file]. Available at the University of NevadaReno’s Web site,www.casat.unr.edu/bestpractices/alpha-list.php.
Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science. (2004).Blueprints for ViolencePrevention.[Data file]. Available from the University of Colorado Boulder’s Web site,www.colorado.edu/cspv/blueprints.
Hawkins, J. D., & Catalano, R. F. (2004).Communities That Care Prevention Strategies Guide.[Data file]. Available
from the SAMHSA Web site,www.preventionplatform.samhsa.gov.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA). (2004).Model Programs list.[Data file]. Available from the SAMHSA Web site,www.nrepp.samhsa.gov.
Prevention Planning
Hawkins, J. D., Catalano, R. F., & Associates. (1992).Communities that care: Action for drug abuse prevention(1st ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Appendix D
Other Resources
Fulton County Report 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey-97 -
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