Youth Surveys Conducted in Lake Forest/Lake Bluff
Across the state of Illinois, schools are offered the opportunity every two years, free of charge, to administer a survey to students in 6, 8, 10, and 12th grades. This survey corresponds to a national survey given to millions of students each year. Survey questions include attitudes and behaviors about things such as alcohol and drug use, school activity participation, nutrition, and other issues facing youth. Students could take the test via computer or on paper, and results were completely anonymous.In 2008, Lake Forest High School, Deerpath Middle School and Lake Bluff Middle School participated in the survey (only LFHS had participated in 2006). Many other schools in Lake County participated, and hundreds of schools in the state also took the survey.
These survey results indicate that alcohol is by far the drug of choice among our youth, and there is a dramatic progression of usage from extremely low in 6th to over half using in the past month in 12th grade. The most pronounced increase in use occurs between 8th grade and 10th grade.
Complete results for Middle Schools and LFHS
Binge Drinking, defined as the consumption of five drinks in a row on one occasion in the past two weeks, is also a concern among our youth, even among youth as young as 8th grade. The level of binge drinking is lower than other schools in Lake County in middle school, and higher than schools in Lake County overall once our students reach high school.
For frequently asked questions about the IYS, please go to http://www.illinoisyouthsurvey.org/faq/
Parent Survey
In 2008, over 700 parents participated in an on-line survey on Issues Affecting our Youth. A summary of the findings are available by clicking here.Some highlights:
- The majority of parents are very concerned about their kids and:
- Drinking & Driving
- Binge Drinking
- Alcohol Use by Teens
- Stress & Anxiety
- Having Sex
- Peer Pressure to Do Risky Things
- Depression and other Psychological Problems
- Most respondents agree that parents have the primary responsibility for teaching youth about drugs, alcohol, sex but a significant number of respondents said the schools have this primary responsibility.
- The majority of parents don’t want kids to drink, even when they reach 16+, and most do not feel that it is okay for kids to drink at home.
- Nearly 45% of respondents believe local kids take their first drink in Middle School, and 62% believe that regular teen alcohol use starts in high school.
- 75% responded that they believe the majority of local teens start being sexually active in high school.
- There is some confusion about the relative level of alcohol in beer vs hard liquor (many believe beer has less alcohol, which is not true), and whether alcohol is a stimulant (it is actually a depressant).
- Most respondents don’t know that European youth have more problems with binge drinking than American youth.
- The majority of respondents think that lowering the drinking age
should not be a strategy we use to address underage drinking, but 46%
believe that it could be part of the recommended strategy. For
more information on this, go to the coalition
position paper on this
issue.
- Things people think we should do:
- Crack down on stores or restaurants who provide alcohol to kids
- Prosecute adults who provide alcohol to kids
- Educate parents on the risks of underage drinking
- Increase education on risky behavior in schools
- Enforce laws that penalize parents for serving or failing to supervise teens
- Develop additional alcohol free things for kids to do.