Behavioral study of Lynn high school kids full of good news

LYNN – Lynn teens are drinking less alcohol, smoking less marijuana and they have shown little interest in abusing prescription drugs, according to results of surveys taken by high school students.That information is part of a snapshot of Lynn teens captured by the Lynn High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey that was adapted from surveys taken by the state Department of Education and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Since 1991, health officials and educators have used the anonymous surveys to gauge teen involvement in behaviors that compromise health and jeopardize futures.According to the CDC, it is easier and more effective to intervene and change those behaviors in children and adolescents than it is to convince adults to change and avoid potential long-term risks and consequences.School Superintendent Catherine Latham said last May was the first time in a number of years that Lynn students have participated in the survey.A total of 2,691 teens, or 68 percent of Lynn’s high school students, took the survey and their answers are being analyzed by the entire school staff, led by Dennis Thompson, assistant director of curriculum for health and physical education.”The results of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey indicate areas of celebration where school and community efforts are making great strides and areas of concern where future efforts need to be concentrated,” said Latham.The survey, which asked kids about their perceptions as well as their behaviors, showed that parents have made it clear that cigarettes and alcohol should be off-limits. Seventy-nine percent of Lynn high school students reported their parents believed smoking was inappropriate and a risky behavior, and 78 percent said their parents disapproved of drinking regularly. However, only 61 percent of the students surveyed said their parents disapproved of smoking marijuana.Latham said families had done a good job reinforcing the message about the risks of tobacco and alcohol, but she was even more encouraged that the vast majority of kids surveyed felt they had adults in their lives who they could turn to. Eighty-six percent of students said they had a parent, guardian or other adult they could talk to while 59 percent said they knew teachers and school staff, in whom they felt they could confide.Compared with the state 2007 average of 44 percent, more Lynn students, or 53 percent, said they have had sex.That total includes 39 percent of freshmen, 48 percent of sophomores, 62 percent of juniors and 70 percent of seniors.Among the Lynn students who admitted they have been sexually active, 57 percent said they used a condom the last time they had sexual intercourse.However, while 58 percent of freshmen and sophomores said they used condoms, only 49 percent of juniors, and 54 percent of seniors took that step.Latham also saw some progress in the students’ responses to questions about violent behaviors and experiences.”In comparison with state 2007 high school survey results for violence, the percentage of Lynn high school students involved in fights, bullying events or the carrying of weapons was consistently lower than state percentages,” she said.While 22 percent of students across the state reported being bullied more than once over the course of a year, 16 percent of Lynn high students said bullying had been a problem.However, 24 percent of Lynn students also said they had been involved in a physical fight within the last year, and 10 percent admit carrying a weapon to school sometime within 30 days of when the survey was taken.While many may find those numbers alarming, the survey answers that may be the most surprising, and most disturbing, for the majority of parents and adults came in response to a series of questions about suicide. Thirteen percent of Lynn high school students said they have seriously considered suicide over the past year. The same percent of students reported they had planned out a suicide and 13 percent also said they had tr