Quick Facts

2000 Profiles of Student Life: Attitudes and Behaviors Survey, for youth with only 0-10 of the assets.

External Assets

• Three percent of youth who had 0-10 assets indicated they have the Positive Family Communication asset - young person and her/his parent(s) communicate positively, and young person willing to seek advice and counsel from parent(s).
• Starting as early as 8^th grade, only 2% of low asset youth reported their school provided a caring, encouraging environment, Caring School Climate asset.
• Only 1% of 0-10 asset youth have the Community Values Youth asset and 2% have the Youth as Resources asset.
• Three percent of youth with 0-10 assets reported having parents and other adult's model positive, responsible behavior, Adult Role Models asset.
• Only 15% of 8^th grade youth who had 0-10 assets believed that both parents and teachers encourage the young person to do well, High Expectations asset.
• According to the 2000 data, 52% of youth from the aggregate sample spent one or more hours per week in a religious institution, Religious Community asset. This compared to only 24% of youth with 0-10 assets.

Internal Assets

• Of youth reporting 0-10 assets, 11% reported they care about his or her school; 15% reported doing at least one hour of homework every school day; and 22% indicated they are actively involved in learning.
• Of 8^th grade youth who had 0-10 assets:
  • 3% reported placing high value on helping other people, Caring
  • 13% placed high value on promoting equality and reducing hunger and poverty, Equality and Social Justice
  • 4% believed it is important not to be sexually active or to use alcohol or other drugs, Restraint
• Thirty-two percent of aggregate youth reported the Planning and Decision Making asset while only 7% of low asset youth reported this asset.
• Six percent of low asset youth could resist negative peer pressure, Resistance Skills.
• Positive Identity assets:
  • Personal Power - Young person feels he or she has control over "things that happen to me"
        % Aggregate = 49%    % 0-10 Asset Youth= 18%
  • Self-Esteem - Young person reports having a high self-esteem
        % Aggregate = 47%    % 0-10 Asset Youth = 21%
  • Sense of Purpose - Young person reports "my life has a purpose"
        % Aggregate = 56%    % 0-10 Asset Youth = 21%

Risk-Taking Behaviors

• Of youth having 0-10 assets, 77% of males and 86% of females reported attending one or more parties in the last year "where other kids their age were drinking."
• Low asset youth tend to begin using substances at a young age. Sixty-three percent of 8^th grade youth reported "attending one or more parties in the last year where other kids their age were drinking." This grew to 90% by 12^th grade.
• Of youth with 0-10 assets, females (74%) were more likely to report "having used alcohol one or more times during the last 30 days" than males (65%).
• Of the youth who reported having 0-10 assets, females (68%) were more likely than males (57%) to report "having smoked cigarettes once or more during the last 30 days."
• Eighth grade youth (27%) with 0-10 assets were more likely to report they "sniffed or inhaled substances to get high once or more in the last 12 months" than 12^th grade youth (10%) with 0-10 assets.
• Thirty-nine percent of 0-10 asset youth indicated they "have used illicit drugs once or more during the last 12 months." This behavior started early with 23% of 8^th graders reporting illicit drug use.
• Fifty-two percent of 12^th grade youth who had 0-10 assets reported "driving after drinking once or more during the last 12 months."
• Females (73%) who had 0-10 assets were much more likely than males (59%) to indicate they "rode with a driver who had been drinking once or more during the last 12 months." Fifty-seven percent of 8^th grade youth indicated they rode with someone who had been drinking.
• Eighth grade (51%) 0-10 asset youth were more likely than 12^th grade (44%) 0-10 asset youth to report they "shoplifted once or more during the last 12 months."
• Eighth grade (49%) 0-10 asset youth were more likely than 12^th grade (37%) 0-10 asset youth to report they "committed vandalism once or more during the last 12 months."
• Eighth grade youth were more likely than 10^th or 12^th grade youth to report violent behaviors. Eighth grade youth reported the following:
  • 76% hit someone once or more during the last 12 months
  • 36% physically hurt someone once or more during the last 12 months
  • 49% have been in a group fight once or more during the last 12 months
  • 27% carried a weapon for protection once or more during the last 12 months
• Of youth who reported having 0-10 assets, 32% of females and 13% of males reported having engaged in bulimic or anorexic behavior.
• Of 0-10 asset youth, 8^th graders (26%) were more likely to report they felt sad or depressed most or all of the time during the last month than 12^th graders (22%). Females (38%) were more likely than males (14%) to report depression.
• Twenty-six percent of 8^th grade youth who had 10 assets or fewer reported they have attempted suicide one or more times.
• Forty-five percent of youth who had 10 or fewer assets reported they exhibit leadership. Additionally, 62% reported they help friends or neighbors one or more hours per week.

Thriving Indicators

• Of eighth grade students having 0-10 assets, 11% reported that they "get mostly A's on report card." For these students, this dropped notably in 10^th grade with only 5% of students reporting having the Succeeds in School Thriving Indicator.
• Females who had 0-10 assets (71%) were much more likely than males with 0-10 assets (57%) to report that they help friends or neighbors one or more hours per week. Eighth grade students (59%) were much less likely than 12^th grade students (63%) to report having the Helps Others thriving indicator.
• Of the youth in this data set, 8^th graders (37%) were more likely than 12^th graders (23%) to Value Diversity. There was also a significant spread between males (24%) and females (39%) to place high importance on getting to know people of other racial/ethnic groups.
• By 12^th grade, only 13% of 0-10 asset youth reported they pay attention to healthy nutrition and exercise. This reflects a drop in this thriving indicator across grades from 8^th (26%) to 10^th (28%) and to 12^th (13%). Females were much less likely than males to report they Maintain Good Health.
• Although 50% of males who had 0-10 assets reported they have been a leader of a group or organization in the last 12 months, only 36% of females reported having the Exhibits Leadership Thriving Indicator.

Five Deficits

• More than half (57%) of youth who had 0-10 assets reported being Alone at Home two or more hours per school day. There was no significant difference between males and females; however, 10^th grade youth (63%) were most likely than 8^th grade youth (57%) or 12^th grade youth (50%) to report being home alone.
• Males who had 0-10 assets (43%) were much more likely than females (24%) to report watching TV or videos three or more hours per school day. Eighth grade students (43%) had the highest rates of TV Overexposure.
• Thirty-seven percent of youth with 0-10 assets reported one or more incidents of Physical Abuse - Have you ever been physically harmed where someone caused you to have a scar, black and blue marks, welts, bleeding, or a broken bone by someone in your family or someone living with you? Females (41%) were more likely than males (34%) to report this deficit.
• Eighth grade students (53%) were much more likely than 10^th (39%) and 12^th grade (33%) students to report experience one or more incidents of being the Victim of Violence - How many times in the last two years have you been the victim of physical violence where someone caused you physical pain or injury? This deficit was not significantly different between males and females.
• Drinking Parties - 80% of youth reported "attending one or more parties in the last year where other kids their age were drinking." Females with 0-10 assets (86%) were more likely than males (77%) to report this deficit. The behavior started young, 8^th grade (63%) and escalated in 10^th grade (87%) and again in 12^th grade (90%).

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Contact Judy Watson-Olson or Karen Thompson at (906)228-8919 with questions/comments
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This page was last updated on Tuesday, January 06th, 2009