The Arlington Partnership for Children, Youth, and Families


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The World According to Our Kids

Overview Background Survey Findings Reality Check Conclusions More Info Appendix
2001 Report
2002 Report

Reports and Publications :: The World According to Our Kids
Findings from the Arlington Youth Surveys

More is Better: Average Number of Assets

Research has shown that high levels of assets both protect youth from problem behavior and promote positive attitudes and actions. [In this report, all information referring to Assets, Deficits, Thriving Behaviors and High Risk Behavior patterns comes from "Developmental Assets: A Profile of Your Youth for Arlington, VA", prepared by the Search Institute.]

What level of assets do Arlington County youth report? According to figure 1, in each grade except grade six, students report fewer than half of the 40 assets.

	Average Number of Assets
All grades	19
Grade 6	22
8	19
10	17
12	19

Figure 1.

  Search has proposed as an ideal that all young people have 31 or more of the 40 developmental assets. Few communities report such positive results and Arlington is no exception. Only 8 percent of youth in the County reported this level.

  The pattern of asset levels across grades is similar to the pattern found in other communities - highest at grade six and then falling to a low during grade ten, with a slight increase in grade 12. This slight increase, however, may reflect the effects of drop-outs, if students with the fewest assets are most likely to leave school before graduating.

Creating a Safe, Supportive Community: External Assets

  Figure 2 shows the percentage of youth in each grade reporting each of the external assets; that is, the assets that emerge from relationships and opportunities created by adults. The rates reported by students range from 22 percent (community values youth) to 66 percent (family support, positive peer influence). In the case of most external assets, less than half of young people in Arlington County report having the asset.

  Figure 2 identifies areas of relative strength and concern for Arlington County. In the absence of clear community norms, we describe the external assets reported by more than half of students as strengths and those reported by less then a third as concerns. However, some citizens may feel that even 50 percent is too low and work to achieve higher asset levels in this community.

		Other Commu- nities	Arlington County All Grades	Students in grade:
Asset Type	External Asset			6	8	10	12
Support	Family support	64	66	76	66	56	65
	Positive family communication	26	28	37	31	21	23
	Other adult relationships	41	43	48	43	35	46
	Caring neighborhood	40	39	53	38	33	32
	Caring school climate	25	32	43	32	24	30
	Parents involved in school	29	28	39	31	24	17
Empowerment	Community values youth	20	22	33	17	19	20
	Youth as resources	25	26	31	24	21	27
	Service to others	50	46	51	43	42	47
	Feels safe in community	55	47	37	45	46	59
Boundaries and	Family boundaries	43	40	45	42	37	34
expectations	School boundaries	46	48	66	56	37	34
	Neighborhood boundaries	46	44	60	46	39	31
	Adult role models	27	30	34	32	21	33
	Positive peer influence	60	66	86	67	62	52
	High expectations	41	46	60	54	37	32
Constructive	Creative activities	19	25	24	23	23	30
use of time	Youth programs	59	60	62	56	60	63
	Religious community	64	55	68	55	46	50
	Time at home	50	55	64	59	52	47

Figure 2. Percent of Arlington Youth Reporting Each External Asset, by Grade
Several notable patterns are evident in figure 2:

More than half of students report experiencing the following five assets:
1. family support
2. youth programs
3. positive peer influence
4. religious community
5. time at home
Fewer than one third of students report experiencing the following seven assets:
1. positive family communication
2. caring school climate
3. parent involvement in schooling
4. community values youth
5. youth as resources
6. adult role models
7. creative activities.
Rates for community values youth are especially low. Only 22 percent of students report that the community values youth. Fewer than one in five 8th and 10th graders report this asset.
With a few exceptions, most notably safety, the percent of students who report each external asset is highest for grade 6 and lowest for grade ten or twelve. In contrast, the percent of students reporting "safety" increases from 37% in 6th grade to 57% in 12th grade.

External Assets: How Does Arlington Compare to Other Communities?

The results for external assets closely mirror the results for other participating communities, as reported in the Search Institute publication A Fragile Foundation. These other communities do not comprise a nationally representative sample so we know only how Arlington youth differ from youth in these selected communities, not all youth in these grades. There are some significant differences in the levels at which youth report particular assets:

Youth in other communities are more likely to report safety (55% vs. 47% for Arlington), and religious community (64% vs. 55% for Arlington).
Youth in other communities are less likely to report caring school climate (25% vs. 32% for Arlington), creative activities (19% vs. 25% for Arlington), positive peer influence (60% vs. 66% for Arlington) and high expectations (41% vs. 46% for Arlington).

Strength from Within: Internal Assets

Figure 3 shows the percentage of youth in each grade reporting each of the internal assets, the assets that reflect the values and competencies that young people need to be self-regulating adults. These rates range from 30 percent (reading for pleasure) to 70 percent (positive view of the future).

At least half of students report experiencing four of the five Commitment to Learning assets; five of the six Positive Values assets; one of the five Social Competencies assets; and two of the four Positive Identity assets. Fewer than one third of students report experiencing reading for pleasure and planning and decision-making.

		Other Commu- nities	Arlington County All Grades	Students in grade:
Type of Asset	Internal Asset			6	8	10	12
Commitment	Achievement motivation	63	64	70	63	62	62
to learning	School engagement	64	51	58	46	47	53
	Homework	45	65	67	60	66	67
	Bonding to school	51	50	60	46	46	50
	Reading for pleasure	24	30	42	28	19	30
Positive	Caring	43	51	56	48	52	50
values	Equality & social justice	45	56	56	52	58	58
	Integrity	64	69	60	62	71	81
	Honesty	63	60	63	53	59	63
	Responsibility	60	56	56	51	56	62
	Restraint	42	45	70	49	36	27
Social competencies	Planning & decision-making	29	31	34	27	31	34
	Interpersonal competence	43	46	53	45	45	42
	Cultural competence	35	54	57	53	51	56
	Resistance skills	37	46	58	41	37	48
	Peaceful conflict resolution	44	47	52	45	42	49
Positive	Personal power	45	44	36	44	40	55
identity	Self-esteem	47	47	50	45	41	53
	Sense of purpose	55	54	54	53	50	59
	Positive view of future	70	70	70	68	69	74

Figure 3. Percent of Arlington Youth Reporting Each Internal Asset, by Grade

  Rates for internal assets do not display a single pattern by grade. Focusing on changes from 6th to 10th grade, some assets show strong declines (e.g., restraint, reading for pleasure, resistance skills); some show no particular pattern (e.g., homework, equality and social justice); and some show modest increases (e.g., integrity).

  Of notable concern are strong declines in two assets: reading for pleasure (declining from 42 percent in 6th grade to 19 percent in 10th grade) and restraint with respect to the use of alcohol, drugs, and sexual activity (declining from 70 percent in 6th grade to 27 percent in 12 grade).   Resistance skills, the ability of young people to resist peer pressure and stay away from dangerous situations, drops from 58% in 6th grade to 37% in 10th grade. This pattern, the reverse pattern of what we desire and hope, clearly merits immediate attention.

Internal Assets: How Does Arlington Compare to Other Communities?

  For internal assets, differences between Arlington County and other participating communities are larger and occur more frequently than for external assets. Arlington County youth report a five percentage point difference (or more) for seven of the 20 internal assets, as shown in figure 3, with especially large differences for homework and cultural competence. Where these large differences exist, Arlington youth are more likely to report having the asset, with the exception of school engagement.

Negative Influences: Developmental Deficits

  While the Assets Framework generally takes a positive approach to youth development, communities must also monitor the negative influences in young peoples lives. According to Search, deficits, such as physical abuse or too much time alone, tend to limit young peoples access to external assets, block the development of internal assets, or ease the way into risky behavior. For example, kids who are fixated on video games may not be participating in the constructive activities that will help them grow into responsible adults.

		Students in grades:
Deficit	Total	6	8	10	12
Alone at home	56	41	54	60	64
TV overexposure	37	31	40	43	32
Physical abuse	26	28	29	27	21
Victim of violence	29	36	33	25	23
Drinking parties	46	6	37	60	77
Note: The “drinking parties” deficit refers to attending parties where other young people are consuming alcohol. Definitions of other deficits appear in the appendix.

Figure 4. Percent of Arlington Youth Reporting Each of 5 Deficits, by Grade
  Figure 4 shows the Arlington County results for five deficits that can be measured with a self-report survey. However, because the surveys were completed in schools, the sample does not include dropouts, who are likely to experience these deficits more often.

  For this reason, we believe deficit levels among all county youth are likely to be higher than the rates shown in figure 4.

  Figure 4 also shows how deficit levels vary by grade level. Focusing on changes from 6th to 10th grade, physical abuse stays relatively steady (but far too high), victim of violence declines, and the other three increase steadily.

Developmental Deficits: How Does Arlington Compare to Other Communities?

  Compared to youth in other communities that have participated in the survey, a higher percentage of Arlington youth report TV overexposure (30% in other participating communities vs. 37% in Arlington) and alone at home (48% vs. 56% in Arlington), with especially large differences by 12th grade for alone at home (50% in other participating communities vs. 64% in Arlington).

  Fewer Arlington youth (across all grades) report drinking parties (51% in other communities vs. 46% in Arlington). However, this difference is much smaller (only 3 percentage points) in 12th grade.

Risk Behaviors and High Risk Patterns: A Cause for Concern

  Both youth surveys contain extensive questions on risk behaviors; that is, negative and potentially life-threatening behaviors including drug and alcohol use, depression and suicide, fighting, and early and unprotected sexual intercourse. In general, the two surveys produced similar statistics, reinforcing our belief that the survey data are giving an accurate picture of these behaviors. For this report, we rely on the results from the Asset survey unless noted.

  Figure 5 shows the percent of Arlington youth who report selected risk behaviors. Figure 5 reveals that about one-third or fewer students overall are engaging in any one of these risk behaviors. However, the overall averages mask important differences by grade. Use of alcohol, other substances, sexual activity, and school truancy tend to be higher in high school while and hitting, fighting, and related behaviors tend to be lower.

		Students in grades
Risk Behavior	All	6	8	10	12
Alcohol use in past 30 days	30	7	24	36	50
Tobacco use in past 30 days	17	2	13	20	33
Marijuana use in past year	19	1	13	24	37
Drinking and driving (as passenger)	31	17	27	32	46
Sexual intercourse, ever	26	7	18	32	44
Shoplifted in past year	29	21	36	33	26
Vandalism in past year	17	15	22	18	13
In trouble with police in past year	18	13	20	18	21
Hit someone in last year	33	37	39	34	23
Hurt someone in last year	12	13	15	10	10
In group fight in last year	18	20	22	16	14
Carried a weapon in past year	9	6	10	10	10
Threatened to hurt someone	26	26	33	23	22
Skipped school in past month	34	12	18	42	62
Gambling	29	24	33	24	34
Eating disorder	17	16	13	22	17
Depressed or sad most of the time	19	16	19	23	17
Attempted suicide, ever	16	13	19	19	13

Figure 5. Percent of Arlington Youth Reporting Selected Risk Behaviors, by Grade

  Are these numbers cause for alarm? Both the levels and patterns suggest that, at minimum, community members should be concerned. Rates of alcohol use, skipping school, and drinking and driving reported by high school students and rates of violence (e.g. hitting someone), gambling and shoplifting reported by middle school students are alarmingly high. Alcohol use increases from 7% reported by students in 6th grade to 50% by students in 12th grade, fueled in part by a sense of inevitability that parents may share.

  Finally, as detailed as it is, the table (figure 5) does not give us the full picture - it shows the participation rate for each risk behavior in isolation. It does not show us what percent of students are engaged in at least one risky behavior or what proportion are engaged in multiple risk patterns.

  Some adults may dismiss these findings by noting that youthful experimentation is just part of growing up. Indeed, most experts feel that some experimentation in risky activities is part of normal adolescent development.

In recognition of this pattern, Search defines high-risk patterns of behavior that indicate a more serious and persistent problem (see appendix for details). For example, a student who has used alcohol in the past 30 days is engaging in risk-taking. A student who has used alcohol at least three times in the past month or gotten drunk in the past two weeks is engaged in a high risk pattern with respect to alcohol.

High Risk Behaviors: How Does Arlington Compare to Other Communities?

  Figure 6 shows the percent of Arlington youth who report selected high risk patterns and compares those figures with rates reported by other participating communities.

  [Note: the rates in figure 5 refer to risk behaviors in the past 30 days or year. The rates in figure 6, in contrast, depend on whether the student ever participated in the activity.]

	Other Communities	Arlington County	Students in grade:
High-Risk Pattern			6	8	10	12
High-risk: alcohol	27	20	6	15	22	36
High-risk: depression / suicide	23	28	23	29	33	25
High-risk: anti-social behavior	23	21	13	28	21	19
High-risk: violence	33	26	27	30	27	20
High-risk: school problems	20	29	14	21	32	46

Figure 6. Percent of Arlington Youth Reporting Selected High-Risk Behaviors, by Grade (Compared to Other Communities)

  In the absence of explicit community standards, we note as problem areas any high-risk pattern reported by 20 percent or more of students. We use a lower percentage as the cut-off for identifying problems because these behaviors are more serious and potentially harmful.

  Twenty percent or more of Arlington youth report five of the ten high-risk patterns. (Overall rates for all 10 high-risk patterns appear in the appendix.) In the case of suicide/depression and violence, 20 percent or more of students report high risk patterns at each grade level. Finally, over one-third of 12th grade students report a high risk pattern of alcohol use and nearly half report school problems.

  How does the Arlington County experience with high-risk patterns compare with other communities where the Assets survey has been administered? According to "A Fragile Foundation", compared to these communities, youth in Arlington County are more likely to report high-risk patterns related to suicide and school problems and less likely to report high-risk patterns related to alcohol and violence. County youth are slightly less likely to demonstrate high risk patterns in terms of shoplifting and other anti-social behaviors but the difference is probably not significant.

When Do Risky Behaviors Begin?

  Adults in the community also need to consider the age of onset when assessing the seriousness of risk behaviors. Age of initiation is a powerful predictor of consequences and dependence for both alcohol use and cigarette smoking. For example, adolescents who use alcohol at early ages tend to use it more frequently and are less likely to stop using it. (For additional information, see Appendix: Supplemental Information on Assets and Behavior Patterns.)

  When do risky behaviors begin? The YRBS survey provides some data on that question. About 21 percent of 6th graders reported ever thinking seriously about killing themselves. About 17 percent had ever carried a weapon, and 49 percent had ever been in a physical fight. Students in the 10th grade indicated that a significant minority begin to experiment with substances before middle school, as shown in figure 7. Five percent of 10th graders reported having had sexual intercourse at age 11 or younger.

	Alcohol	Cigarettes	Marijuana
10 years or younger	10	6	2
11 or 12 years old	12	11	4
13 or 14 years old	26	18	12
15 years or older	17	10	14

Figure 7. Percent of 10th Graders Reporting Initial Use of Selected Substances, by Age

Not Just Surviving: Eight Indicators of Thriving

Helping our youth avoid risks is only one way to enhance their development. As parents, teachers, mentors, and neighbors of youth, we want to do more for our young people. We want to know that they are not just surviving to adulthood, but are thriving.

There is no single, accepted measure of thriving. As a starting point, Search defines eight behaviors, skills or dispositions to serve as markers of successful development. Figure 8 displays the percent of youth that report each of these indicators. Ideally, youth should demonstrate at least six of the eight thriving indicators.

		Students in grade:
Thriving indicator	All	6	8	10	12
Succeeds in school	23	24	25	19	25
Helps others	80	85	80	79	79
Values diversity	65	65	65	62	67
Maintains good health	53	61	55	49	49
Exhibits leadership	71	72	66	67	79
Resists danger	25	21	26	27	25
Delays gratification	46	52	45	44	42
Overcomes adversity	65	69	63	62	69

Figure 8. Percent of Arlington Youth Reporting Each Thriving Indicator, by Grade

Thriving Indicators: How Does Arlington Compare to Other Communities?

  Like students in other participating communities, youth in Arlington County were most likely to report helps others, exhibits leadership, overcomes adversity, and values diversity. As in other communities, they were least likely to report school success and resists danger.

  However, the level of resists danger is much lower compared to other communities (25% in Arlington vs. 36% in other participating communities) and increases only modestly from 6th to 12th grade. Maintains good health declines markedly from 6th to 10th grade but generally stays at or above one-half. The remainder tend to show decreases as grade level increases from six to 10, then rises in 12th grade (which, like asset levels, may reflect the effect of dropping out by those young people with the fewest assets.)

  Other data from the YRBS survey suggest that Arlington youth understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Over 70 percent of 6th, 8th, and 10th graders report vigorous exercise three or more times per week. Gang membership (a reverse thriving indicator) ranges from 9 percent of 6th and 8th graders to only 3 percent of 12th graders. And between 72 and 80 percent of students report that they wear a seat belt always or most of the time.

Putting the Pieces Together: How Assets and Deficits Affect Our Kids

  Assets are powerful. In communities across the country, Search Institute has found that assets play three critical roles in the lives of young people:

Preventing youth from engaging in many forms of high-risk behavior, such as alcohol use and violence;
Enhancing the lives of our youth and helping them to thrive by making it more likely that they will help others, follow a healthy lifestyle, and demonstrate leadership;
Helping youth to minimize the effect of deficits in their lives.

Figure 9 demonstrates some of these relationships by looking at measures of risk-taking and thriving for groups of youth reporting different levels of assets in their lives. Students who report high levels of assets (31 to 40) are most likely to thrive and least likely to engage in risky behaviors. For example, only five percent of young people with the lowest asset levels (0 to 10 assets) report school success. But 56 percent of the young people with the highest asset levels (31 to 40) report this measure of thriving.

As in other communities, these patterns hold for every thriving indicator and risk behavior defined by Search Institute. While these patterns dont establish a cause and effect relationship between assets and behavior, other research does.

	All	Youth reporting given level of assets
Thriving Indicator	Youth	0-10	11-20	21-30	31-40
Succeeds in school	23	5	19	34	56
Values diversity	65	46	60	75	92
Maintains good health	53	28	48	64	81
	All	Youth reporting given level of assets
Risk Behavior	Youth	0-10	11-20	21-30	31-40
Current alcohol use	30	50	35	21	8
Shoplifted	29	56	34	16	5
Marijuana use in past year	19	37	24	10	3
Sad or depressed, most times	19	26	22	13	4

Figure 9. Percent of Arlington Youth Reporting Thriving Indicators or Risk Behaviors, by Asset Level

All grades

Other Commu- nities

Arlington County All Grades

Support

Family support

Other Commu- nities

Arlington County All Grades

Commitment

Positive

Alone at home

Students in grades

All

Alcohol use in past 30 days

Other Communities

Arlington County

Students in grade:

Succeeds in school

Succeeds in school

Other Commu-
nities

Other Commu-
nities