In FY 03, DHS Child and Family Services staff would collect evaluation data and information on expansion costs from County and community-based providers. During the FY 04 budget cycle, they would make recommendations on County funding levels to meet the need. This work would be closely coordinated with the broader DHS review of expansion of parenting resources described under the Goal 1 recommendations.

  Developmental assets built through early intervention and parenting programs include: a sense of safety at home, family support, positive family communication, parent involvement in schooling, family boundaries, adult role-models, and high expectations.

Review Methods of Violence Prevention Among Youth

  Another form of violence the work group considered was bullying, harassment, fighting and personal aggression among youth. According to the Assets survey, an average of 26% of youth surveyed across grades 6-12 reported having fought, hit, or injured someone, carried or used a weapon, or threatened physical harm 3 or more times in the last 12 months.

  According to the YRBS survey, 21% of middle-school students report having ever carried a weapon, and 18-19% of middle and high-school students report that their property has been damaged or stolen at school in the past year. Only 46% of youth surveyed report that they have empathy, sensitivity, or friendship skills (interpersonal competence); and 47% report that they seek to resolve conflict non-violently. More disturbing is that the percentage of Arlington youth reporting interpersonal competence and peaceful conflict resolution skills decrease as young people move through 6th through 12th grade.

  The work group reviewed violence prevention efforts currently in place in the schools, including peer mediation programs, training for bullying reduction, supports for sexual minority youth, and other violence prevention curricula. These efforts aim to build skills in conflict resolution, anger management, effective communication, respect, empathy, and diversity awareness.

  The Goal 3 work group reinforces the recommendations laid out earlier concerning a review by the Schools of the effectiveness of these programs, followed by a plan for systematically integrating them in the schools, beginning at the elementary school level. The work group recommends that there be a zero-tolerance for harassment or violence of any type in the schools.

Integrate Mental Health Support in the Schools

  School staff in the work group consistently voiced a need for more therapeutic services in the schools. During the focus groups, teens articulated a need for a caring, trusting relationship with teachers, especially during a time of crisis. And yet, all agree that teachers are overwhelmed with academic demands and often are not empowered with the time, skills, or resources to cope with students emotional needs. Likewise, school counselors are more focused on scheduling issues, testing and assessments related to supporting the educational process.

  The Assets survey indicates that 19% of students across grades 6-12 are depressed most of the time (with the rate at 23% for 10th graders), and 16% have actually attempted suicide. The YRBS survey indicates that 26% of middle-school students have seriously thought of killing themselves at some time, while nearly 19% of high-school students have seriously considered suicide in the last 12 months.

  These data and input are of great concern to the Partnership and to parents and young people themselves. Parents express a desire to learn how to recognize signs of depression or anxiety in their children and how to get assistance when the signs appear. As a result, the Partnership recommends that the County and Schools work together to:

  The estimated cost of the three mental health positions would be $198,000 in salaries and expenses. These personnel would be trained in mental health (including suicidality, depression, abuse and trauma) and substance abuse (because these issues are often related). They would screen, assess, and provide therapeutic services to students and families most in need, and make linkages to needed resources in the community. They would also train teachers, counselors, and other school staff, parents, and students themselves in how to recognize and respond to signs of anxiety and depression.

Develop Awareness and Prevention Campaigns

  The YRBS and Assets survey data provide a tremendous amount of information concerning alcohol, substance abuse, suicidal thoughts, sexual activity and health and safety practices of Arlington youth. There is also data on high-risk patterns of behavior, which indicate a more serious and persistent problem. In the absence of explicit community standards, the Partnership report on the survey results (The World According to Our Kids) notes as problem areas any high-risk pattern reported by 20 percent or more of students.

  Using this standard, Arlington County has a problem in five of the ten high-risk patterns identified by the Search Institute:

  The Partnership work group should also recruit local businesses to help design and execute these campaigns. The identification of target behaviors and design of awareness and prevention materials would occur in FY 03, with campaigns launched in FY 04.

  In the Task Force and Partnership focus groups, teens provided considerable input concerning the ineffectiveness of much of the substance abuse prevention material currently used in the Schools and other organizations. They recommend that they be updated and introduced at the elementary level. They prefer to get messages from young people who can speak from real-life experience. They also express a desire for direction on what were supposed to do and not just what were not supposed to do.

  In developing the awareness/prevention campaigns, the input from young people should be used, and continued youth involvement will be important through the execution of any campaign.

  Developmental assets that are addressed through these prevention efforts include: boundaries and expectations in the home, neighborhood and school; integrity, responsibility, and restraint; resistance skills; personal power; self-esteem; sense of purpose; positive view of future; and positive peer influence. Including youth input demonstrates that the community values youth and that youth are given useful roles.

Offer More Meaningful Sex Education in the Community

  The work group did an extensive review of sex education programs and materials used in the schools, the faith community, and other community settings. Again, youth have provided much input through the Task Force and Partnership focus groups on the ineffectiveness of sex education as they have experienced it. And again, they indicate that materials used in the schools are outdated and not presented early enough. The YRBS data indicate that 7% of sixth graders have had sexual intercourse, with this number increasing to 44% by grade 12.

  Indeed, the Family Life sex education curriculum in the Arlington Public Schools is constrained in what it can cover and is basically an abstinence-based message, though it also includes HIV/AIDS prevention information. Although there are some additional pregnancy prevention curricula in the schools, they are used to a limited degree only with targeted students.

  However, the work group identified several promising models used in the community that are more current, relevant, and, in some cases, inclusive of the family. These community models include: