Presented ByRYASAP Catalyst for Community Change

Bridgeport, CT

In Cooperation WithSearch Institute, Minneapolis, MN

duBay Horton Associates. Bridgeport, CT

October 2008

2008 PROFILE OF YOUTH IN GREATER BRIDGEPORT

2008 PROFILE OF YOUTH

OVERVIEW

3,302 youth surveyed, an 18% sample of youth, grades 7-12 in Greater Bridgeport Participating public school districts --- Bridgeport, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford and Trumbull, CT Racial and Ethnic Breakdown

53% White17% African American19% Hispanic7% Multi-racial4% Asian/Pacific Islander<1% Native American

DEVELOPMENTAL ASSETSEXTERNAL ASSETS

Positive experiences and support a young person receives from

formal and informal connections to the community

SUPPORT1.Family Support2.Positive family Communication3.Other Adult Relationships4.Caring neighborhood5.Caring School Climate6.Parent Involvement in Schooling

EMPOWERMENT1.Community Values Youth2.Youth Utilized As Resources3.Service To Others4.Safety – Youth Feels Safe!

BOUNDARIES AND EXPECTATIONS1.Family Boundaries2.School Boundaries3.Neighborhood Boundaries4.Positive Adult Role Models5.Positive Peer Influence6.High Expectations

CONSTRUCTIVE USE OF TIME1.Creative activities2.Available Youth Programs3.Spiritual Community4.Time At Home

DEVELOPMENTAL ASSETSINTERNAL ASSETS

Things a community and family nurture within youth sothey can contribute to their own development

COMMITMENT TO LEARNING1.Achievement Motivation2.School Engagement3.Homework (1 hour/night)4.Bonding To School5.Reading for Pleasure

POSITIVE VALUES1.Caring and Helping2.Equality and Social Justice3.Integrity4.Honesty5.Responsibility6.Restraint

SOCIAL COMPETENCIES1.Planning and Decision Making2.Interpersonal Competence3.Cultural Competence4.Resistance Skills5.Peaceful Conflict Resolution

POSITIVE IDENTITY1.Personal Power2.Self-Esteem3.Sense of Purpose4.Positive View of Personal Future

SETTINGS FOR POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

Physical and psychological safety and security Developmentally appropriate structure, clear expectations, and opportunities to take part in leadership roles Emotional and moral support Opportunities to experience supportive adult relationships Opportunities to learn how to form close, durable relationships with peers that support healthy behaviors

Opportunities to feel a sense of belonging Opportunities to develop positive social values and norms Opportunities for skill-building and mastery Opportunities to develop self-confidence in one’s ability to master one’s environment Opportunities to make a contributions to one’s community and develop a sense of mattering Strong links between families, schools, peers and broader community resources

ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT ASSETS

Individuals do not need the entire range of assets to thrive. Combinations of assets across domains reflect equally positive adolescent development.

Having more assets is better than having a few. Having strong assets in one category can offset weak assets in another. However, life is easier to manage if one has assets in all domains.

Continued exposure to positive experiences, settings and people, as well as opportunities to gain and refine life skills, supports young people in the acquisition and growth of these assets.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS1998-2008

ASSETS

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

ASSETS – 1998-2008

ASSETS BY GRADE LEVEL

THRIVING INDICATORSThose assets that predict future

thriving behaviors

THRIVING INDICATORS

SUPPORT

SUPPORTMUNICIPAL COMPARISONS

EMPOWERMENT

BOUNDARIES AND EXPECTATIONS

CONSTRUCTIVE USE OF TIME

COMMITMENT TO LEARNING

POSITIVE VALUES

POSITIVE VALUESMUNICIPAL COMPARISONS

SOCIAL COMPETENCIES

SOCIAL COMPETENCIESMUNICIPAL COMPARISONS

POSITIVE IDENTITY

POSITIVE IDENTITYMUNICIPAL COMPARISONS

HIGHLIGHTS1998—2008

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

YOUTH REPORTING RISKY BEHAVIORS1998-2008

RISKY BEHAVIORSMUNICIPAL COMPARISONS

RISKY BEHAVIORS

PREDICTIVE DEFICITSThose behaviors that make youth most at-risk of

future problems

PREDICTIVE DEFICITSMUNICIPAL COMPARISONS

TOBACCO USEAGE OF ONSET

ALCOHOL USEAGE OF ONSET

MARIJUANA USEAGE OF ONSET

TOBACCO, ALCOHOL & MARIJUANA30 DAY USE

TOBACCO USEPARENTAL APPROVAL

ALCOHOL USEPARENTAL APPROVAL

TOBACCO USEPEER APPROVAL

ALCOHOL USEPEER APPROVAL

MARIJUANA USEPEER APPROVAL

CONCLUSIONS

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

CONCLUSIONS

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