2007 YOUTH RISK BEHAVIOR SURVEY DATA:

DURHAM COUNTY AND COMPARISON LOCATIONS

Youth Violence

Durham County YRBS

YRBS BackgroundDurham County specificsYRBS limitationsYRBS benefitsMiddle School RisksHigh School RisksSummary

Durham County YRBS: Background

National school-based surveyDeveloped by CDCAdministered every other yearMonitors health risk behaviors affecting the

adolescent population Behaviors contributing to unintentional and

intentional injuries Substance use Sexual behaviors Dietary habits, physical activity

Durham County YRBS: County Specific

2007: first year YRBS administered in Durham County

876 students participated 484 middle school respondents (6th,7th,8th grades) 392 high school students (9th, 10th, 11th, 12th grades)

(Note: convenience sampling was used in high schools - 85% were 9th graders)

Participation was voluntary for all Administered during one school day Alternate activities provided for students who did not

participate

Durham County YRBS: Limitations

First year: no comparison for trending of risk behaviors

Data are self-reported, not from direct observation Potential for under-or over-reporting of behaviors

Data do not reflect entirety of adolescent youth sub-population (i.e. students in private schools, alternative education programs, and drop-outs)

Survey does not address how or why students engage in risky behaviors ( only who, what, where, when)

Durham County YRBS: Benefits

Survey is standardizedWe now have county-level baseline data for risky

behavior engagement and exposure for adolescents. Data can be compared to regional, state, and national data.

Data are useful for: Creating awareness about youth violence Informing program/ intervention planning to address or reduce

risky behaviors

Re-assessment in the future will allow for trending changes in risky behaviors, evaluation of interventions.

DATA PRESENTATIONTERMINOLOGY

YRBS

Durham County YRBS: Data Presentation

Data for the Durham YRBS are reported in frequency (raw number) and percent of students with similar categorized responses (used as average response rate for comparison)

Types of responses: Yes/no Categorization of attitudes or beliefs (strongly agree/

agree/unsure/disagree/ strongly disagree) Numerical (i.e., number of times participated in “x” behavior 0,1,2…) Demographic categories

Data are presented for three sub-populations : Durham County , State of NC, Central Region of NC

Data for Middle School reported separately from High School

NOTE: For the purposes of the following data presentation, samples are not separated by race, gender, or specific grade.

Durham County YRBS: Data PresentationPercent Variance

The relationship between the Durham student sample response and that from each of the comparison sites (regional or state) is presented in the measure “percent variance”.

Using this measure, we are trying to determine the similarity (or difference) between the Durham County (DC) student response for YRBS question and that of the state and regional comparison group. A larger value for % variance indicates less similarity. A smaller value for % variance indicates more

similarity. A % variance of less that 10% means no significant

difference between the DC and comparison sample response.

Durham County YRBS: Data PresentationPercent Variance

Durham County YRBS: Data PresentationPercent Variance

What does this all mean? With a higher value for percent variance for any YRBS

question, there is “something different” about the sample of Durham County students that they are participating in or are exposed to risky behaviors with a greater (or lesser) occurrence than the whole of students in the comparison group(s).

We do not know what that “something different” is necessarily, we just know that it is a factor in the DC students’ lives.

Examples highlighted in following slides

Durham County YRBS: Data PresentationChart Overview

Data are presented in charts, each with the following components: A paraphrased version of the YRBS question Average response from each sample of students,

measured as a percent. Samples are labeled: Durham County, State (NC), Regional (Central Region of NC).

Highest value for average bolded Percent Variance comparing Durham County

sample average with each comparison sample (State or Regional)

Significant variance measures, with Durham County students being at a higher risk for a violent occurrence are in bold.

Variance measures that are negative (Durham County students have a lesser risk than a comparison) are in parentheses.

NUMBERS OF STUDENT PARTICIPANTS

DURHAM COUNTY:484CENTRAL REGION:993

STATE:3256

Data from Middle School Students

Durham County YRBS: Middle School Violence-Related Behaviors

Question Durham

(%)

NC(%)

Region

(%)

Durham-NC

(%variance)

Durham -Region

(%variance)

13. Required medical treatment for an injury sustained in a fight

9.7 5.3 5.8 83.0% 67.2%

15. Had something stolen/ damaged on school property in past 12 months

35.9 27.8 30.2 29.1% 18.9%

11. Threatened or injured with a weapon on school property in past 12 months

8.5 7.6 8.9 11.8% (4.5%)

14. Did not go to school 1+ days because student did not feel safe there or traveling

6.2 5.7 6.3 8.8% (1.6%)

12. Has ever been in a physical fight

58.9 56.5 59.6 4.2% (1.2%)

10. Has ever carried a weapon such as a gun, knife or club

28.7 37.2 34.5 (22.8%) (16.8%)

Durham County YRBS: Middle School Violence –related behaviors

Risks more prevalent reported by Durham County students as compared to both state and regional data: More likely to require medical treatment for injury

sustained in fight More likely to have something stolen/damaged on

school pr0perty

Risks more prevalent reported by DC Students as compared to state only: More likely to be threatened or injured on school

property in past 12 months

Durham County YRBS: Middle School Violence –related behaviors

Risks less prevalent as reported by Durham County Students as compared to both state as regional data: Less likely to have carried a weapons such as a gun,

knife, or club

NUMBER OF STUDENT PARTICIPANTS

DURHAM COUNTY:392 CENTRAL REGION:1260

STATE: 3500

Data from High School Students

Durham County YRBS: High SchoolViolence-Related Behaviors (1)

Question Durham(%)

NC(%)

Region(%)

Durham-NC(%variance)

Durham-Region( % variance)

22. Was in a physical fight school property in past 12 mo.

23.4 10.4 9.6 125.0% 143.8%

21. Required medical treatment for an injury sustained in a fight in past 12 months

8.2 3.7 3.6 121.6% 127.8%

18. Threatened or injured with a weapon on school property in past 12 months

12.5 6.6 6.3 89.4% 98.4%

17. Did not go to school 1+ days because student did not feel safe there or traveling to and from

10.8 7.0 6.7 54.3% 61.2%

20. Was in a physical fight during past 12 months 45.2 30.1 29.2 50.2% 54.8%

Durham County YRBS: High SchoolViolence-Related Behaviors (2)

Question Durham

(%)

NC(%)

Region(%)

Durham-NC

(%variance)

Durham-Region(% variance)

24. Victim of forced sexual intercourse 11.1 9.3 9.0 19.4% 23.3%15. Carried a weapon 1+ days in past 30 days 24.9 21.2 20.0 17.5% 24.5%19. Had something stolen/damaged on school property in past 12 mo.

29.3 26.9 26.7 8.9% 9.7%

16. Carried a weapon on school property 1+ days in past 30 days

7.3 6.8 6.3 7.4% 15.9%

23. Victim of physical abuse by boyfriend or girlfriend in past 12 mo.

13.9 13.2 12.2 5.3% 13.9%

Durham County YRBS: High School Violence –related behaviors

Durham County High School students reported a greater incidence of participation in or exposure to numerous violent risk behaviors including: Physical fighting both on and off school property

Most significant difference is fighting on school property Severity of fights- measured as respondent requiring

medical attention for fight-related injuries Being threatened or injured with a weapon Being fearful of safety at or in transit to school Carrying weapons

Durham County YRBS: Middle School and High School

Bullying–related behavior

28.8% of middle school and 30.1% of high school students reported having been harassed or bullied 1+ times on scho0l property in last year.

51.6% of middle school students and 45.9% of high school students indicate they believe harassment/bullying is a problem in schools.

These numbers do not vary significantly from estimates from either state or central subpopulations.

SUMMARY

Durham County YRBS

Durham County YRBS: SummaryDurham County versus NC and Regional

Durham County high school students reported significantly greater rates of exposure to many violent behaviors than students in the state and regional comparison populations.

Durham County students are at a higher risk of being victimized, or engaging in victimizing actions than students in the broader comparison populations. Some examples: Involvement in physical fights Injuries from fight requiring medical attention Carrying weapons, Victimization in schools: damaged property, threatened

with weapon, bullying, fearful of safety in school, sexual assault

Durham County YRBS: SummaryMiddle School versus High School

Comparing the Durham middle school and high school samples The reported incidence of exposure risky violence-related

behaviors increases with the high school sample the % variance of the Durham County sample response

from the comparison samples (NC and central NC) increases with the high school sample.

Our middle school students are more similar to the comparison groups for many of the violence indicators.

Durham County YRBS: Summary

The sample of students from Durham County report

higher exposures to many violence-related behaviors, as compared to the comparison groups of NC and Central Region

These data support anecdotal reports of the pervasiveness of youth-violence in Durham County, and corroborate data collected in other arenas on exposure of the Durham County student population to violence-related activities.

We still are without an understanding of why Durham County students are reporting such higher rates of exposure to violence and violent behaviors.

Durham County YRBS: SummaryNext Steps

Find out the why?

Closer analysis of the data may offer some information Population profiles, socioeconomic status, comparison with the

violent crime indicators for all of Durham County and comparison sites.

Middle School students seem to not have as high of an exposure to violent crime , nor as great of a deviation in exposure from the two comparison populations as do the Durham County High School sample population. What is happening in the interim contributing to the dramatic

increase in violence-related behaviors exposures as the student move to high school?

How do the contributing factors differ among the Durham County student population an the regional and/or state comparison groups?

YRBS: Resources

Durham County YRBS report: www.healthydurham.org

North Carolina and Central Region Data and Reports http://www.nchealthyschools.org/data/yrbs/