Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Survey finds risky behavior decreasing among local high schoolers
WEST GOSHEN » Survey results show that risky behavior has decreased among high schoolers and slightly increased for middle schoolers.
Dr. Leigh Ann Ranieri, director of pupil services for the West Chester Area School District, cited results culled from the Pennsylvania Youth Survey, which is administered every other year to WCASD 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th graders.
The presentation by Ranieri was part of a Thursday West Chester Communities that Care meeting attended by two dozen local prevention professionals, business leaders, elected officials, local school administrators and community members.
The survey gauges behaviors such as substance abuse, gun violence, and vaping and smoking. Comparisons are made from survey to survey, district-wide, as well as compared to other schools on state and national levels.
Three thousand students participated in the WCASD survey, with risk factors determined at: 24 percent of parents favorable to drug use; parental attitudes favorable to antisocial behavior at 41 percent and a low commitment by students to school at 44 percent.
“We are lucky to live and work in an area that studies youth behavior and influences over time, Community that Care’s Community Mobilizer Loretta Cohen said. “Using this data allows West Chester to develop proactive strategies directed toward growing trends specific to our area.”
Ranieri dished out dozens of statistics.
“Recent emphasis has been on supporting students identified with mental health and or substance abuse concerns,” Ranieri said. “We are looking to focus on the operations which will mitigate the risks some of our student population faces.”
So why the increase for 6 and 8th graders?
“Most are at risk developmentally—they are vulnerable—it’s easy for them to be attracted to some of those things not appropriate,” Ranieri said about 6th and 8th graders.
Ranieri attributed decreases for risky behavior among high schoolers to a school district increase in the number and breadth of mental health support.
Stakeholders will meet in smaller groups prior to the October Communities that Care meeting in a bid to seek solutions.