Bach Harrison, L.L.C.

Survey Research & Evaluation Services

2019 Prevention Needs

Assessment Survey

Summary of Profile Report

for:
Delaware County, NY
Sponsored By:

116 Main Street

Delhi, NY 13753

116 South 500 East

Salt Lake City, Utah 84102

Phone: (801) 359-2064

Fax: (801) 524-9688

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This report presents a brief summary of the Delaware County Profile Report compiled
from the 2019 administration of the Prevention Needs Assessment (PNA). Readers are
strongly encouraged to examine the full Profile Report for more information and a better
understanding of the data.

Participants

The Delaware County Public Schools PNA included a survey of students in the 8th, 10th,
and 12th grades. A total of 178 surveys were found to be valid and honest. The male
students totaled 56.5% of those surveyed and 43.5% were female. The 8th grade
students contributed 37.6% of the utilized surveys, the 10th grade added 32.6%, and
12th graders contributed 29.8%. Students who identified themselves as White
contributed 89.3% of the surveys, Hispanic had 2.8%, African American students
contributed 1.1%, both Asian and Pacific Islander students were represented by 0.6% of
responses, and no Native American students were available to participate. Multi-racial
students comprised 5.6% of those surveyed. The survey overall had good participation
rates, with 178 completed forms out of a sample of 238 for a participation rate of 74.7%.
Rates of 60.0% or higher mean the report is a good indicator of the levels of substance
abuse, risk, protection, and antisocial behavior in this population.

Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Use

Alcohol - Lifetime and 30-day Use:

Experimentation with alcohol increases steadily in each grade measured from 31.1% in
the 8th grade, to 54.7% in the 10th grade, and finally with 75.5% of 12th graders reporting
having tried alcohol at least once in their lives. Lifetime alcohol use is viewed to be a
measure of experimental use and past-month use is viewed to be a measure of more
regular use. Scores for Delaware County were significantly higher than those of
Monitoring the Future (MTF) – a national survey of youth in the United States in grades
8, 10 and 12. The 8th grade’s score was 7.6 points above MTF, the 10th grade was 11.7
points over, and the 12th grade was 7.0 points higher than the national rate of 58.5% for
that grade. Overall, the district has higher-than-average lifetime alcohol use rates with a
lifetime score of 52.1% - 10.9 points above MTF.
Results for 30-day use showed greater regular alcohol consumption among teens in
Delaware County overall than their nationwide counterparts by 38.8% (30.6%, 11.9
points higher than MTF). High school seniors had the largest disparity with double the
percentage of students using alcohol in the last month (60.4%, 30.2 points higher than
MTF). The 8th grade (10.2%) exceeded the average by 2.0 points, and the 10 th grade’s
rate of 26.4% was 7.8 points above the norm.

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Alcohol - Binge Drinking:
Two out of the three grades surveyed reported rates of binge drinking (having more
than 5 drinks at a time) that surpassed the national average. The 12th grade saw the
most pronounced results (31.9%) with over half the number of students who drank
regularly also admitting to binge drinking behavior. This rate was more than double the
MTF mark of 13.8%. The 8th grade was the other age group in which its score (8.3%)
outpaced the MTF, this time by 4.7 points – again more than double the norm. The 10th
grade’s rate of 7.5% put it 1.2 points below the norm, but the higher rates of use among
other grades helped push the overall rate of binge drinking in Delaware County to
30.6%.
The degree to which grades participated in binge drinking may be due to students’
attitudes about the riskiness of using alcohol to excess. When asked how much
someone risks harming themselves by drinking 5 or more drinks in a row once or twice
each weekend (e.g. binge drinking at parties), 47.1% of 10th graders in the district
thought it put them at “Great risk,” while just 40.7% of 8th graders and 32.6% of 12th
graders felt the same. Making students aware of and getting them to internalize the
dangers associated with binge drinking can be an effective way to combat this behavior.

Cigarettes:
While it could not be described as “popular,” cigarette use among youth in Delaware
County exceeded national norms overall, with lifetime use at 17.9% (1.8 points over)
and 30-day use (6.4%) surpassing MTF by 1.8 points. The 12th grade had the highest
rates of smoking in both categories (31.9% lifetime, 10.6% 30-day) and showed the
strongest levels of retention with roughly a third of students who try cigarettes going on
to use them more regularly. The 8th grade saw the lowest participation rates in smoking
with only 1.8% of students reporting regular cigarette use, and experimentation with
smoking at 8.8%. Low numbers of students trying cigarettes or using them regularly is a
positive outcome, but as will be discussed in the next section, it may be that many
students have simply moved instead to e-cigarettes or vaping.

E-Cigarettes:
E-cigarettes and vaping are prevalent among young people in Delaware County; scores
in 2018 were among the highest marks overall and across all grades. The 12th grade
showed the highest rates of experimentation with these types of smoking devices at
47.9%, exceeding the MTF by 5.4 points. Past-month use in the 12th grade was also
higher than MTF by 10.3 points with more than a third of students in that grade using
vaping devices regularly. Overall lifetime use was 36.9%, 3.5 points above the national
norm, and 30-day use surpassed the nationwide average by 1.7 points at 21.0%.
Just one grade fell below both the number of students nationwide trying e-cigarettes
and continuing to use them more regularly. Delaware County 8th graders were 1.2
points lower than lifetime MTF vaping at 20.3% and 1.8 points below the MTF 30-day
use rate of 10.4%. For teens in this region, high rates of regular vaping stand in sharp
contrast to low cigarette use, with more than four times as many 8th graders (8.6%),
more than twice as many 10th graders (20.8%), and more than three times as many 12th
graders (37.0%) saying they used e-cigarettes than those who reported using cigarettes
in the past month.

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In all grades, vaping is more popular than any other illicit substance except alcohol, and
e-cigarettes are among the top three most-used ATODs overall and in every grade
surveyed.

Marijuana:
In many previous surveys in other parts of the United States, marijuana has been the
second-most used drug among young people. With the advent of measuring e-cigarette
use since 2017, it has been bumped to third overall in Delaware County. Marijuana may
be comparatively less popular, but with the exception of 8th grade lifetime use, it saw
higher use among students when compared to their peers nationwide. The 8th grade
was nearly at MTF rates with its score of 13.3% just 0.6 points below the norm.
When examining reasons for marijuana use, it may be helpful to focus on its
accessibility to young people. A majority of youth in Delaware County (56.1%) believed
it would be “Sort of easy” or “Very easy” to get their hands on the drug, and 51.4% of
12th graders said it would be “Very easy” for them to obtain marijuana. Some of this may
be due to close proximity to others who use marijuana. Overall, 58.5% of students said
that they had at least one best friend who used marijuana and nearly a third (32.1%)
had a sibling who smoked pot. In the 12 th grade, the number of students with siblings
who used marijuana jumped to 44.7%. Preventing access to marijuana – especially
from those in young people’s circle of influence – could be a way of potentially
decreasing its use.

Chewing Tobacco:
In many parts of the country, chewing tobacco use is quite low among teens, but in
more rural areas – like Delaware County – it continues to be something that interests
young people. Past-month use was 1.8 points higher than MTF overall, but the 12th
grade’s use of this substance was what really fueled those numbers. Almost one in
three seniors (31.9%) have tried chewing tobacco in some form – more than triple the
national rate, and about a third of those students (10.9%) continue the habit. That is
more than double the MTF 30-day use rate of 4.2%.

Inhalants:
When other illicit substances are harder to come by, some students – especially
younger ones – try using inhalants to get high since they are usually more readily
available, often legally, from stores or in the home. This was especially true for the 8th
grade where experimentation with inhalants is at its highest out of any grade surveyed
(6.7%). Past-month use was much lower (older grades reported no inhalant use), but
the 8th grade remained on top with the highest percentage of young people exhibiting
this behavior (1.7%).
The difficulty of obtaining other illicit substances may play some part in the popularity of
inhalants among youth in the 8th grade. When asked, “If you wanted to get ______, how
easy would it be for you to get some?”, 56.4% of 8th graders said it would “Sort of hard”
or “Very hard” to get alcohol, 67.2% said they would have the same difficulty getting
marijuana, and those rates climbed even higher to 78.2% for prescription drugs and
finally 89.1% for harder drugs like cocaine, LSD, or amphetamines. It is important to
make young people aware that similar health risks exist from inhaling chemicals as they
do from taking ATODs despite the fact that they are easier to come by.

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Other Drugs:
In Delaware County, the 12th grade experienced the greatest number of top scores in
lifetime use of other substances with higher rates of use of Hallucinogens (12.5%, 5.9
points over MTF), Amphetamines (6.3%), Tranquilizers (6.3%) Cocaine (4.2%, 0.3
points over MTF), and Other Narcotics (4.2%). Sedatives were at their highest lifetime
rate in the 8th grade at 3.4%, and Synthetic Marijuana (3.8%) and Ecstasy (3.8%) had
their highest rates of experimentation in the 10th grade.
Things looked much the same for past-month drug use, with the 12th grade having the
greatest percentage of students using almost all other substances regularly except for
Caffeine Pills in the 10th grade (1.9%) and Tranquilizers and Other Narcotics in the 8th
grade, both at 1.7%. Overall the region saw mostly lower-than-average scores in these
other substances; only 30-day (5.6%) and lifetime (1.9%) use of hallucinogens and 30-
day use of ecstasy (0.6%) were higher than national norms. The low use of these
substances is a positive outcome and allows prevention efforts to more closely focus on
the other substances that present a greater challenge among Delaware County youth.

Energy Drinks:
Energy drinks reach their peak popularity in the 12th grade in Delaware County, where
44.7% of students say they consume them regularly (lifetime use for energy drinks is
not measured.) They are less popular among other students from 24.5% in the 10th
grade, to 27.6% in the 8th grade. These beverages are mostly unregulated and contain
high amounts of caffeine and other stimulants. It is worthwhile to examine their use
among youth, who according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, should not
consume energy drinks because they are linked to harmful effects in children’s
developing neurological and cardiovascular systems. Warnings on the labels for these
beverages themselves describe them as “not for children.”

Antisocial Behavior

In most cases, antisocial behaviors in Delaware County are reported at rates below
national norms, in some instances well below. While this is a positive result, there were
behaviors in the 8th grade that exceeded the Bach-Harrison Norm (BH Norm) - an
aggregate, weighted measure from eight statewide surveys and five large regional
surveys representing youth across the United States. The only measure to exceed
national norms overall was Carried a Handgun (8.1%) by 1.1 points.

Being Drunk or High at School

The higher-than-average rates of regular marijuana and alcohol use have carried over
into students’ behavior at school, with 9.2% of students overall reporting being drunk or
high in class. Delaware County did remain 1.2 points below the BH Norm overall. In the
12th grade, nearly one in five students (19.2%) admitted to coming to school under the
influence – 4.0 points higher than students the same age nationwide. When asked how
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many times in the past year students had come to school drunk or high, 9.6% of 12th
graders said they had only done so between 1 and 5 times, but 9.5% made it more of a
habit admitting to doing so at least 6 times in the last 12 months.
Younger grades surveyed were not as prone to use while at school; the 10th grade’s
score of 7.3% put it 4.2 points below the national average, and the 8th grade’s rate of
3.0% was 2.1 points under the BH Norm.

Suspended from School

School suspensions were at their highest in the 10th grade at 13.0%, but there was a
sharp drop-off by senior year with only 1.9% of students reporting being suspended.
Overall rates of school suspension were at 7.0% for the district, below the BH Norm by
3.0 points.

Selling Illegal Drugs

The rate of drug distribution by peers in the 2019 study was at its highest in the 12th
grade at 5.8%, but the 8th grade (4.5%) was the only age group in Delaware County to
surpass the BH Norm, this time by more than double (BH Norm 2.2%). Compared to
national rates, the region overall was on par with the BH Norm at 4.1% for Delaware
County compared with 4.5% nationwide. When students were asked to share whether
any of their best friends sold drugs, 10.9% of students overall – and 11.7% of 8th
graders – said at least one of their four closest friends were involved in that activity.
Preventing use also means preventing supply, and efforts to reduce the sale and
distribution of drugs among peers can be a powerful aid in stopping the spread of
ATODs.

Attacking Others
Violence scores for this population were lower than the national average except in the
8th grade (12.3%, 2.9 points over BH Norm). The percentage of 8th grade students who
attacked someone with the idea of seriously hurting them was higher than all other
grades surveyed by at least 50.0%. The 10th grade exhibited the lowest rate for this
behavior at 3.6%, and the 12th grade was slightly higher at 5.8%. When asked, 50.7% of
8th grade students said it was only “A Little Bit Wrong” or “Not Wrong at All” to pick a
fight, the most out of any of the grades surveyed. Changing attitudes with this group of
students who don’t feel fighting is wrong may play a part in lessening violent incidents in
school.

Carried a Handgun
The overall scores for this behavior (8.1%) were higher than the BH Norm boosted
mostly by 15.2% of 8th graders responding that they had carried a handgun in the
past year. Often in rural areas, students misinterpret things like hunting or target
shooting as carrying a handgun rather than carrying a gun for nefarious purposes, since
these things can be a part of everyday life for them. It’s likely this is the case as
evidenced by the complete absence of students in any grade reporting bringing a
handgun to school.

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Gambling
Instances of gambling in Delaware County were relatively low with most overall scores
barely approaching the BH Norm, and many much lower. The overall percentage of
students who gambled in any form during the past year was 25.7%. Students in the 12th
grade reported the highest rate of gambling at 38.2%. The three most popular forms of
gambling were playing the lottery (18.7%), betting on sports (6.8%), and betting on
cards at 5.1%.

Risk Factors

This administration of the PNA Survey showed mostly higher-than-average risk scores,
with all but five overall scores outpacing the national average. The 10th grade had the
fewest youth scoring as at-risk in 8 out of the 20 scale scores. The 12th grade had the
highest risk scores in 9 of the scales measured. The widest differences between the BH
Norm and Delaware County overall were in “Low Commitment to School” in the School
Domain at 69.5% (21.9 points above BH Norm) and “Rewards for Antisocial Behavior”
in the Peer-Individual Domain at 60.0% (18.4 points above BH Norm).

Community Domain:
Both scales in this domain deal with attitudes toward drug use. “Laws and Norms Favor
Drug Use” scored highest among 8th (47.3%), 10th (59.2%) and 12th graders (77.1%),
and all marks in this scale exceeded the BH Norm. The scores for “Perceived
Availability of Drugs” were much lower, with the 10th grade’s (22.4%) and 12th grade’s
(22.9%) scores falling at least 5.0 points below the BH Norm. A closer examination of
which substances young people find particularly difficult to obtain shows that certain
ATODs are helping to keep this score low while others are viewed as more readily
available. When asked “If you wanted to get some marijuana, how easy would it be for
you to get some?” 10.9% of 8th graders, 26.5% of 10th graders, and 51.4% of 12th
graders said it would be “Very easy” for them to get it. Contrast this with rates of 3.6%,
6.1%, and 5.7% for those same grades when asked about LSD, cocaine,
amphetamines or other drugs.

Family Domain:
Conflict in the home, a lack of clear rules governing substance abuse and antisocial
behavior, and older siblings or relatives setting less-than-positive examples can all
contribute to a teen’s participating in negative behaviors. One scale, “Parent Attitudes
Favor Antisocial Behavior,” had scores over 50.0% in all three grades and was the only
scale to have a majority of students at risk overall (56.5%). The 8th grade led in only one
scale: “Poor Family Management” with a score of 43.9%. The 10th grades scored
highest in “Sibling Drug Use” (45.8%) and “Parent Attitudes Favor Antisocial Behavior”
(58.0%), and the 12th grade had the most students at-risk in the “Family Conflict”
(50.0%), “Parent Attitudes Favor Drug Use” (52.5%), and “Exposure to Adult Antisocial
Behavior” (52.9%) scales.

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School Domain:
Data in the 2019 Delaware County study show lower risk scores for “Academic Failure”
than “Low Commitment to School” – the only two scales in this domain – with the
second measure having the highest overall risk score out of all scales and domains.
Scores in “Academic Failure” for grades 8 (47.7%), 10 (38.9%), and 12 (49.1%) were at
least 5.0 points higher than the BH Norm and the scores for “Low Commitment to
School” (8th grade – 71.2%, 10th grade – 72.7%, 12th grade – 64.2%) were more than
15.0 points higher than the BH Norm.
“Low Commitment to School” measures things like how important students feel their
schoolwork is, whether they find class time interesting and whether they enjoy being in
school in general. Only 3.4% of students said they thought their school courses were
“Very interesting and stimulating,” and 45.3% said they “Often” or “Almost Always”
hated being in school.
When students are engaged in their academic life and see it benefitting them later on,
they are less likely to take part in behaviors that might jeopardize the payoff for all that
hard work. Prevention efforts might look for ways to help students see the value in an
education and the path it provides to a successful future.

Peer-Individual Domain:
The Peer-Individual domain uses 10 separate scales to construct a picture of how
student introduction to delinquency and association with friends who use drugs and
engage in problem behaviors puts them at risk of engaging in those same types of
actions themselves. When looking at this picture, it is hard to miss the scale that scored
the highest: “Perceived Risk of Drug Use” (65.6%). This scale was the highest or
second-highest in every grade, presenting a strong pattern of being at risk no matter
what the age group.
When students don’t believe they will suffer any physical harm or consequences if they
take ATODs, then they are much more likely to do so. “Perceived Risk of Drug Use”
deals with students’ beliefs on how likely they are to harm themselves physically, or in
other ways, if they use drugs and alcohol. Scores for this scale start fairly high at 60.0%
in the 8th grade, and continue to rise with the other two grades – 10th (64.0%) and 12th
(74.5%) – all showing a majority of students at risk. All groups of students’ scores
surpassed the BH Norm, the largest difference being among high school seniors who
were 15.9 points higher than the national average.
Not all substances are viewed as equally dangerous by Delaware County youth.
According to the crosstab results, 58.9% of students said there was “Great Risk” from
smoking one or more packs of cigarettes a day, but only 31.8% said smoking marijuana
regularly put them at a similarly high level of risk, and that number diminishes to 14.0%
of students believing that trying marijuana once or twice has the same adverse effects.
Similarly, only 30.1% of kids believed regular alcohol use (1-2 drinks nearly every day)
put them at “Great Risk” of negative outcomes or health problems; and only slightly
more agreed for binge drinking (5 or more drinks once or twice each weekend) with a
score of 40.4%. Altering students’ perception that ATODs, particularly alcohol and

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marijuana, are safe and consequence-free might be necessary in any attempt to
persuade young people in Delaware County to avoid their use.
The second-highest scores in the Peer/Individual Domain were in the “Rewards for
Antisocial Behavior” scale. In much the same fashion as “Perceived Risk of Drug Use,”
scores were at their lowest in the 8th grade at 60.0%, increased to 64.0% in the 10th
grade, and the 12th grade had 74.5% of students scoring as at-risk. All grades’ scores
and the overall mark of 60.0% were at least 15.0 higher than the BH Norm.
A positive area in this domain was the relatively low scores for “Interaction with
Antisocial Peers,” the lowest being just 19.2% in the 12th grade. Associating with other
teens who are not involved in negative activities can make choosing to refrain as well
that much easier.

Protective Factors

When it came to protective factors, the Family Domain experienced positive outcomes,
with all three overall scale scores higher than the national average, and “Belief in the
Moral Order” as well as “Prosocial Involvement” in the Peer-Individual Domain
exceeding the national norm. The other measures in the Peer-Individual Domain
experienced the lowest rates of protection, while the 8th grade struggled the most out of
any age group with all of its scores falling below the BH Norm. Conversely, the 10th and
12th grades were above average in the number of students receiving protection in more
than half of the protective factor scales.

Community Domain:
In the sole scale for this domain, “Rewards for Prosocial Involvement,” the 12th grade
had the highest score at 54.1% and the lowest score belonged to the 8th grade at
38.6%. The 10th and 12th grades were both above the scores of their peers in other
parts of the country. Overall, Delaware County was just a few points over the BH Norm
at 44.1%. The community domain is a measure of how connected young people feel to
their neighborhood, and this scale specifically asks them to reflect on whether their
neighbors notice when they are doing well and care about their problems and well-
being. Prevention is a community effort, and expanding beyond students to those they
interact with may help to raise this score.

Family Domain:
The Family Domain exhibited strong rates of protection overall, with the majority of
students receiving protection in each of the three scales that make up the category.
“Family Attachment” continued to be the strongest overall at 68.5%, 8.4 points above
the BH Norm. The 10th grade’s scores were the highest in every category, with “Family
Attachment” (81.6%), “Opportunity for Prosocial Involvement” (67.3%), and “Rewards
for Prosocial Involvement” (66.0%) all with a strong majority of students receiving
protection and all significantly above national rates. Positive family bonds and open
communication at home can provide a good place for prevention efforts to begin,
especially if there exists opportunities and incentives within that framework.

School Domain:

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A majority of students in Delaware County see school as a place with a variety of fun
activities where they receive praise and positive reinforcement. When this is the case, it
can provide motivation for teens to become good citizens of their school rather than
engage in antisocial behaviors. The 12th grade was the highest on the “Opportunity for
Prosocial Involvement” scale with 65.4%, and the 10th grade’s score of 71.2% in
“Rewards for Prosocial Involvement” put it on top for that scale. All overall scores were
above 50.0%, but were nevertheless below the BH Norm by at least 13.0 points. Almost
all students (95.3%) were happy with the amount of activities outside of school that
were available to them, and 67.9% said that their teachers noticed and let them know
when they are doing well. An opportunity exists to reinforce school accomplishments at
home because only about a third (33.7%) said that the school passed on news of
academic or behavioral accomplishments to their parents.

Peer-Individual Domain:
The Peer-Individual Domain was a mixed bag for Delaware County, with certain scales
surpassing national rates but others falling well below average. High scores in “Belief in
the Moral Order” (65.2%) and “Prosocial Involvement” (60.7%) had a strong majority of
students receiving protection and kept solidly above the BH Norm, yet when scales
scored poorly – as was the case in the other three scales in this domain – they did not
meet the 50.0% threshold of students receiving protection and were outpaced by other
areas of the country.
When looking at the picture of the scores in this domain, it is encouraging to see places
where prevention efforts can leverage areas of positive development to improve areas
in which Delaware County is struggling. For instance, while scores for “Rewards for
Prosocial Involvement” were as low as 36.7% in the 8th grade, rates for participating in
“Prosocial Involvement” were much higher (8th – 51.5%, 10th – 65.5%, 12th – 67.3%).
Finding ways to reward and encourage young people who are already scoring highly
because they are involved in positive activities should only further to increase both
measures.

Sources and Places of Student Alcohol Use

To prevent underage drinking, it is important to understand how kids are getting their
alcohol and where they are using it. Two different sources emerge from the data as the
most likely places teens obtain alcohol depending on their age: “I got it at a party”
topped the list at 70.8% overall and was the most popular choice among older Delaware
County students (12th – 83.3%, 10th – 69.6%); “I got it from someone I know age 21 or
older” was second at 63.9%. It’s interesting to note that for students in the 8th grade, two
popular sources were “I got it from home with my parents’ permission” and “I got it from
a family member or relative other than my parents” both at 53.8%. Working with parents
to talk to their teens and ensure that there will not be alcohol at the parties they attend
and educating them on the dangers of establishing a permissive attitude towards
alcohol consumption in the home, even if they believe their children are safer when
supervised, can be effective steps in prevention efforts. Only a slight majority of
Delaware County students (52.1%) had had a talk with either of their parents about the
dangers of underage drinking – keeping those lines of communications open and
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making sure parents follow up on those discussions with clear expectations can be an
important first step. When it comes to using the alcohol they find, students in Delaware
County are primarily drinking at their home or someone else’s home without any parent
permission (49.3%) or at home with their parent’s permission (62.7%).

Consequences and Perceived Risk of Alcohol Use and Binge Drinking

When young people drink, it can be difficult for them to do so responsibly, and as might
be expected with higher-than-average binge drinking rates, some students experienced
the negative effects of using alcohol to excess. Delaware County high school students
especially reported the most occurrences of physical problems due to their use of
alcohol. The most common negative result of 12th graders’ alcohol use was feeling hung
over (45.0% who used alcohol had this happen once, 32.5% had it happen at least
twice) or feeling sick to one’s stomach or throwing up after drinking (34.2% had this
happen once, 12.2% had it happen at least twice.) The same was true of the 10th
grade, with 8.5% reporting being hung over once, and 6.4% saying it had happened to
them at least twice. The same total became ill from their drinking with 8.5% reporting
being sick once but only 2.1% having it happen two or more times. Only 3.6% of 8th
graders reported being hung over or getting sick from drinking, the most prevalent
consequences for those who drank in that age group.
Additionally, there were social repercussions to students drinking with some notable
numbers being: 2.5% of 12th graders came to school or work drunk, 4.9% of 12th
graders got into a conflict with someone they were dating or with friends due to alcohol
use, and 12.2% of seniors found themselves at least once in sexual situations they
regretted because they had been impaired by alcohol.

Disapproval of Alcohol and Substance Use

An opportunity exists to combat the influences of peer pressure to engage in substance

abuse by asking students to consider how they might appear to the rest of their friends if
they start using drugs or alcohol regularly - particularly if they start experiencing the
physical and social problems reported by some students when doing so discussed
earlier in this report. When asked to estimate how their friends would react to their use
of alcohol regularly, a great many – as high as 82.7% of 10th graders, and 75.9% overall
– students in Delaware County thought their friends would feel it was “Wrong” or “Very
wrong” to do so. No grade’s response was below 60.0%, indicating that most students
felt this was a behavior their friends would look down upon. Although numbers were
lower – especially among older students – when asked about marijuana (57.0% overall),
they were nevertheless significant. Posing the question to students, “How will you look
to your friends?” could be a powerful influencer judging by their responses in this portion
of the data.

Perception of Use vs. Actual Use

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While the approach of asking children to consider how they will appear to their friends is
useful when they believe a majority of their peers disapprove of drug or alcohol use, it
can have the opposite effect to those students who hold the misconception that
everyone they know is taking part. What repeated surveying has shown is that many
young people overestimate how much substance abuse is actually taking place among
their classmates.
If we look at the two most commonly abused substances, alcohol and marijuana (e-
cigarettes are not yet measured), we see this borne out, especially among older teens.
Students in the 8th grade had a strong grasp on whether or not kids their age were using
ATODs with most assuming correctly that very few of their peers were involved in that
behavior. Each progressive grade had a more difficult time discerning how many of their
peers were using alcohol and marijuana often. Recall that the rate of 10th grade alcohol
use in the past month was 26.4%, but 27.2% of students in that grade thought the
majority of their peers drank, and while only 20.8% had used marijuana regularly, 32.1%
thought it must more common than not among their classmates.
A majority of 12th graders (60.4%) had drank alcohol in the past month, but more than a
quarter of students (28.9%) of students in that grade thought that “Most” or “Almost All”
(Between 71%-100%) of their peers drank. The 30-day marijuana use rate for the 12th
grade was 33.3%, but 37.4% of those students thought it was half or more of their
classmates who were smoking marijuana. Making young people aware of how low the
actual rate of use is for these substances can help to dispel the myth that “everyone is
doing it,” and make declining to do so that much easier.

Reference: Delaware County Prevention Needs Assessment Profile Report, 2019. Bach
Harrison, LLC.

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 Table 1. Risk & Protective Factor Scale Definitions
Community Disorganization
Low Neighborhood
Attachment
Laws and Norms Favorable
Toward Drug Use
Perceived Availability of
Drugs
Opportunities for Positive
Involvement
Rewards for Positive
Involvement
Exposure to Adult Antisocial
Behavior
Sibling Drug Use
Family Conflict
Parental Attitudes Favorable
Toward Antisocial Behavior
& Drugs
Poor Family Management
Community Domain Risk Factors
Research has shown that neighborhoods with high population density, lack of natural surveillance of
public places, physical deterioration, and high rates of adult crime also have higher rates of juvenile
crime and drug selling.
A low level of bonding to the neighborhood is related to higher levels of juvenile crime and drug selling.
Research has shown that legal restrictions on alcohol and tobacco use, such as raising the legal drinking
age, restricting smoking in public places, and increased taxation have been followed by decreases in
consumption. Moreover, national surveys of high school seniors have shown that shifts in normative
attitudes toward drug use have preceded changes in prevalence of use.
The availability of cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, and other illegal drugs has been related to the use of
these substances by adolescents.
Community Domain Protective Factors
When opportunities are available in a community for positive participation, children are less likely to
engage in substance use and other problem behaviors.
Rewards for positive participation in activities helps children bond to the community, thus lowering their
risk for substance use.
Family Domain Risk Factors
When children are raised in a family or are around adults with a history of problem behaviors (e.g.,
violence or ATOD use), the children are more likely to engage in these behaviors.
Youth who are raised in a family where their siblings use drugs are more likely to use drugs themselves.
Children raised in families high in conflict, whether or not the child is directly involved in the conflict,
appear at risk for both delinquency and drug use.
In families where parents use illegal drugs, are heavy users of alcohol, or are tolerant of children’s use,
children are more likely to become drug abusers during adolescence. The risk is further increased if
parents involve children in their own drug (or alcohol) using behavior, for example, asking the child to
light the parent’s cigarette or get the parent a beer from the refrigerator.
Parents’ use of inconsistent and/or unusually harsh or severe punishment with their children places them
at higher risk for substance use and other problem behaviors. Also, parents’ failure to provide clear
expectations and to monitor their children’s behavior makes it more likely that they will engage in drug
abuse whether or not there are family drug problems
Family Domain Protective Factors
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Family Attachment Young people who feel that they are a valued part of their family are less likely to engage in substance
use and other problem behaviors.

Opportunities for Prosocial Young people who are exposed to more opportunities to participate meaningfully in the responsibilities
Involvement and activities of the family are less likely to engage in drug use and other problem behaviors.

Rewards for Prosocial When parents, siblings, and other family members praise, encourage, and attend to things done well by
Involvement their child, children are less likely to engage in substance use and problem behaviors.

School Domain Risk Factors

Academic Failure Beginning in the late elementary grades (grades 4-6) academic failure increases the risk of both drug
abuse and delinquency. It appears that the experience of failure itself, for whatever reasons, increases the
risk of problem behaviors.

Low Commitment to School Surveys of high school seniors have shown that the use of hallucinogens, cocaine, heroin, stimulants, and
sedatives or non-medically prescribed tranquilizers is significantly lower among students who expect to
attend college than among those who do not. Factors such as liking school, spending time on homework,
and perceiving the coursework as relevant are also negatively related to drug use.

School Domain Protective Factors

Opportunities for Prosocial When young people are given more opportunities to participate meaningfully in important activities at
Involvement school, they are less likely to engage in drug use and other problem behaviors.
Rewards for Prosocial When young people are recognized and rewarded for their contributions at school, they are less likely to
Involvement be involved in substance use and other problem behaviors
Peer-Individual Risk Factors
Early Initiation of Antisocial Early onset of drug use predicts misuse of drugs. The earlier the onset of any drug use, the greater the
Behavior and Drug Use involvement in other drug use and the greater frequency of use. Onset of drug use prior to the age of 15
is a consistent predictor of drug abuse, and a later age of onset of drug use has been shown to predict
lower drug involvement and a greater probability of discontinuation of use.
Attitudes Favorable Toward During the elementary school years, most children express anti-drug, anti-crime, and pro-social attitudes
Antisocial Behavior and Drug and have difficulty imagining why people use drugs or engage in antisocial behaviors. However, in
Use middle school, as more youth are exposed to others who use drugs and engage in antisocial behavior,
their attitudes often shift toward greater acceptance of these behaviors. Youth who express positive
attitudes toward drug use and antisocial behavior are more likely to engage in a variety of problem
behaviors, including drug use.
Friends' Use of Drugs Young people who associate with peers who engage in alcohol or substance abuse are much more likely
to engage in the same behavior. Peer drug use has consistently been found to be among the strongest
predictors of substance use among youth. Even when young people come from well-managed families
and do not experience other risk factors, spending time with friends who use drugs greatly increases the
risk of that problem developing.
Interaction with Antisocial Young people who associate with peers who engage in problem behaviors are at higher risk for engaging
Peers in antisocial behavior themselves.
Perceived Risk of Drug Use Young people who do not perceive drug use to be risky are far more likely to engage in drug use.
Rewards for Antisocial Young people who receive rewards for their antisocial behavior are at higher risk for engaging further in
Behavior antisocial behavior and substance use.
Rebelliousness Young people who do not feel part of society, are not bound by rules, don’t believe in trying to be
successful or responsible, or who take an active rebellious stance toward society, are at higher risk of
abusing drugs. In addition, high tolerance for deviance, a strong need for independence and
normlessness have all been linked with drug use.
Depressive Symptoms Young people who are depressed are overrepresented in the criminal justice system and are more likely
to use drugs. Survey research and other studies have shown a link between depression and other youth
problem behaviors.
Gang Involvement Youth who belong to gangs are more at risk for antisocial behavior and drug use.
Peer-Individual Protective Factors
Religiosity Young people who regularly attend religious services are less likely to engage in problem behaviors.
Social Skills Young people who are socially competent and engage in positive interpersonal relations with their peers

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 are less likely to use drugs and engage in other problem behaviors.

Belief in the Moral Order Young people who have a belief in what is “right” or “wrong” are less likely to use drugs.
Prosocial Involvement Participation in positive school and community activities helps provide protection for youth.
Rewards for Prosocial Young people who view working hard in school and the community as rewarding are less likely to
engage in problem behavior.

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