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Youth Assets / City Surveys
A strong community is one that promotes youth assets: family, school and community supports, youth leadership, access to quality schools and health care, life skills and constructive use of time. Young people blessed with these assets are less likely to engage in negative and risky behaviors.
In 2005 and 2007, the Rochester City School District and surrounding Monroe County School Districts included questions about youth assets in the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Over 4,000 Rochester City School District high school students completed the surveys in 2005 and 2007. 2,010 randomly selected surveys from the City and suburban districts were compiled in 2005 to create a County-wide report. The responses about youth assets are summarized below:
High school students were asked about their self-esteem and their family and school supports.
|
|
| YRBS Question — High School 2005 and 2007 |
City
YRBS
2005
|
City
YRBS
2007
|
County*
YRBS
2005
|
|
“I like myself”
|
| --students strongly agree |
64%
|
64%
|
46%
|
| --students agree |
29%
|
28%
|
45%
|
| --students disagree or strongly disagree |
7%
|
8%
|
9%
|
|
“My family gives me help and support when I need it”
|
| --students strongly agree |
47%
|
47%
|
48%
|
| --students agree |
34%
|
34%
|
34%
|
| --students are not sure, disagree or strongly disagree |
19%
|
19%
|
18%
|
|
“In my family there are clear rules about what I can / cannot do”
|
| --students strongly agree |
46%
|
46%
|
39%
|
| --students agree |
34%
|
34%
|
41%
|
| --students disagree or strongly disagree |
20%
|
20%
|
20%
|
| When I have important questions about life, |
| --I know 3 or more adults that I feel comfortable going to for help (not counting parents) |
38%
|
38%
|
37%
|
| --I know 1 or 2 adults that I feel comfortable going to for help (not counting parent) |
43%
|
43%
|
46%
|
| -- I don’t know adults that I feel comfortable going to for help (not counting parent) |
19%
|
20%
|
17%
|
|
“I get a lot of encouragement at my school”
|
| --students strongly agree |
25%
|
24%
|
20%
|
| --students agree |
39%
|
38%
|
41%
|
| --students disagree or strongly disagree or not sure |
36%
|
39%
|
39%
|
|
|
* combines City and suburban
3,215 Rochester City School District middle school students completed a similar Youth Risk Behavior Survey in 2005. They answered questions about their self image, family relationships, schools, their use of time and their roles in the community. |
|
|
| YRBS Question — Middle School 2005 |
City
YRBS
2005
|
“On the Whole, I like myself.”
|
|
--Strongly agree, agree
|
91%
|
|
--Disagree, strongly disagree
|
9%
|
“I know how to say no when someone wants me to do things I know are wrong or dangerous”
|
|
--Somewhat or very much like me
|
75%
|
|
--A little like me or not at all like me
|
25%
|
|
“People who know me would say I care about other people’s feelings”
|
|
--Very much like me or quite like me
|
47%
|
|
--Somewhat like me
|
22%
|
|
--A little like me or not at all like me
|
31%
|
|
“I stand up for what I believe in”
|
|
--Almost always
|
41%
|
|
--Very often or often
|
31%
|
|
--Somewhat, sometimes
|
20%
|
|
--Rarely, not at all
|
7%
|
“My family gives me help and support when I need it”
|
|
--Strongly agree, agree
|
82%
|
|
--Not sure, disagree, strongly disagree
|
18%
|
“In my family, there are clear rules about what I can and cannot do”
|
|
--Strongly agree, agree
|
82%
|
|
--Not sure, disagree, strongly disagree
|
18%
|
“If you had important questions about your life, how many adults do you know (not counting your parents) to whom you feel comfortable going for help?”
|
|
--Three or more
|
45%
|
|
--One or two
|
38%
|
|
--None
|
17%
|
“My teachers really care about me.”
|
|
--Strongly agree, agree
|
48%
|
|
--Not sure
|
36%
|
|
--Disagree, strongly disagree
|
17%
|
“I get a lot of encouragement at my school.”
|
|
--Strongly agree, agree
|
57%
|
|
--Not sure
|
24%
|
|
--Disagree, strongly disagree
|
19%
|
“In my school, there are clear rules about what students can and cannot do.”
|
|
--Strongly agree, agree
|
81%
|
|
--Not sure
|
11%
|
|
--Disagree, strongly disagree
|
9%
|
|
“During a typical school week, what do you do the most number of days after school?”
|
|
--Stay at school and participate
|
22%
|
|
--Go home and stay there
|
37%
|
|
--Go to a friend’s house
|
14%
|
|
--Hang out
|
17%
|
|
--Participate elsewhere
|
11%
|
“In an average week, how many hours do you spend helping other people (without getting paid) to make you city a better place for people to live?”
|
|
--zero
|
59%
|
|
--one or two
|
26%
|
|
--three or more
|
15%
|
“In my community, I feel I matter to people.”
|
|
--Strongly agree, agree
|
45%
|
|
--Not sure
|
35%
|
|
--Disagree, strongly disagree
|
20%
|
“I am given lots of chances to help make my community a better place in which to live.”
|
|
--Strongly agree, agree
|
39%
|
|
--Not sure
|
30%
|
|
--Disagree, strongly disagree
|
32%
|
“I am good at making decisions and following through on them.”
|
|
--Yes
|
70%
|
|
--No
|
11%
|
|
--Not sure
|
19%
|
“During an average week, how many hours do you spend practicing or taking lessons in music, art, drama or dance, after school or weekends?”
|
|
--Six or more hours
|
8%
|
|
--Three to five hours
|
12%
|
|
--One or two
|
26%
|
|
--None
|
55%
|
“Do you play on any sports teams?”
|
|
--Yes
|
45%
|
|
--No
|
55%
|
“Which of the following have you done with a parent in the past four weeks?” (Select one or more responses.)
|
|
--Gone shopping
|
38%
|
|
--Played a sport
|
9%
|
|
--Talked about someone you’re dating or a party
|
12%
|
|
--Gone to a movie, play, museum, concert, sports event
|
14%
|
|
--Had a talk about a personal problem of yours
|
10%
|
|
--Had a serious argument about your behavior
|
9%
|
|
--Talked about your school work or grades
|
24%
|
|
--Worked on a school project
|
6%
|
|
--Talked about other things you’re doing in school
|
18%
|
|
--None of the above
|
10%
|
“You are satisfied with the way your mother and you communicate with each other.”
|
|
--Strongly agree, agree
|
70%
|
|
--Neither agree nor disagree
|
16%
|
|
--Disagree, strongly disagree
|
11%
|
|
--No contact
|
4%
|
“You are satisfied with the way your father and you communicate with each other.”
|
|
--Strongly agree, agree
|
50%
|
|
--Neither agree nor disagree
|
14%
|
|
--Disagree, strongly disagree
|
17%
|
|
--No contact
|
19%
|
“When was the last time you saw a doctor or health care provider for a check up or physical exam when you were not sick or injured?”
|
|
--Past twelve months
|
58%
|
|
--Between twelve and 24 months
|
9%
|
|
--More than twenty four months ago or never
|
8%
|
|
--Not sure
|
25%
|
“During the past 12 months, did you get a chance to speak with a doctor or other health care provider privately?”
|
|
--Yes
|
35%
|
|
--No
|
65%
|
|
|
City of Rochester Middle School
Youth Assets, Spring 2000
A youth asset survey was administered in Spring 2000 to students in grades 6 – 8 at Charlotte, Jefferson, Madison, Douglas, Nathaniel Rochester, Dr. Freddie Thomas and The Young Mothers Program. A total of 3,600 students completed the survey.
The following summary is taken from the report of Rochester Middle School Youth prepared by the Search Institutein 2000:
|
|
|
| Resource |
Defination |
(%)
|
|
Caring Adults
|
Youth who say parents give them help and support |
84
|
| Youth who say they would talk with a parent about an important concern…drugs, alcohol, sex, etc. |
65
|
| Youth who say teachers care about them |
56
|
| Youth who say neighbors care about them |
38
|
| Youth who have a formal mentor |
36
|
| Youth with mentors who see him/her once a week or more |
52
|
Safe Places and
Structured Activities |
Boys who feel safe in the places they go after school*
Girls who feel safe in the places they go after school*
|
72
64
|
Boys who are involved in structured activities for 3 or more hours per week**
Girls who are involved in structured activities for 3 or more hours per week**
|
65
62
|
| Youth who attend religious services or programs |
58
|
| Healthy Start |
Youth who have been to a dentist in the last 12 months |
73
|
| Youth who have been to a doctor for a checkup or physical in the last 12 months |
80
|
| Youth with access to a nurse’s office or clinic at school |
83
|
| Marketable Skills |
Youth who know how to use a computer to do things like schoolwork, finding information, or typing papers |
82
|
| Youth who agree that “skills I am learning in school are preparing me for a future job” |
77
|
| Opportunities to Serve |
Boys who spend 1 or more hours per week helping other people without getting paid***
Girls who spend 1 or more hours per week helping other people without getting paid***
|
48
53
|
| Youth who have been asked 3 or more times in the last year to help on service or volunteer projects |
24
|
|
|
|
*Youth reporting they never feel unsafe in the place they go after school.
**Structured activities refer to participation in school or community sports teams; clubs or
organizations at or outside of school; programs, groups, or services at a church, synagogue,
mosque, or other religious or spiritual place; and/or music, art, drama, or dance lessons or practice.
***Helping other people without getting paid is defined as helping out at a hospital, daycare
center, food shelf, youth program, or community service agency, or doing other things to make
their city a better place for people to live
Search Institute
The Survey of Student Resources and Assets
Schools in Rochester City School District
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