Lynn middle school kids’ trends solid

LYNN – Lynn middle school students play hard, they don’t smoke and most have little interest in marijuana, but the results of a survey taken last spring show they are grappling with other problems that threaten their health and their future.The Lynn Middle School Youth Risk Behavior Survey, taken by 2,174 students, or 80 percent of the kids in Breed, Marshall and Pickering middle schools, shows the majority of students trust their parents and teachers and they agree with the advice adults offer about the risks of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and sex. But not all kids are following that advice.”We didn’t really know what to expect from the results,” said Dennis Thomson, director of curriculum for health and physical education. “We have great kids, but we weren’t sure what the statistics would show.”There was some good news in the numbers. Eighty-three percent of Lynn’s sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders reported being physically active, only 7 percent smoked cigarettes with any regularity, only 2 percent said they had ever used a prescription drug that was a stimulant and only 1 percent said they had taken a prescription tranquilizer.But some significant areas of concern also emerged from the results. For Thomson and School Superintendent Catherine Latham, the most troubling results were the students’ responses to questions on suicide.According to the survey, 22 percent of middle school students have thought about suicide, 13 percent have gone as far as planning their deaths and 8 percent have attempted to kill themselves.Thomson said that generally, girls will think about suicide and boys will act on the idea.”Our kids in today’s society are growing up so much faster, and media and television and their influence are so much more severe,” said Thomson. “We are finding that kids are feeling a lot more stress than ever before, and when parents are stressed, kids are stressed.”Latham said schools are working with outside agencies to help kids develop strategies to cope with stress.Thomson said building self esteem and confidence among young students is one of the best defenses against despair and distractions, such as drugs and alcohol.”We are trying to find something each kid can excel at,” said Thomson. “Whether it’s math, science or physical education, we want to focus on allowing kids to experience success.”Confidence and self-esteem may also be the best weapons against another behavioral trend that poses risks for Lynn’s young teens. According to the survey, 22 percent of the middle school population has already had their first sexual experience. Out of those students, 65 percent said they had used a condom the last time they had intercourse.”Those numbers and the statistics on pregnancy have really touched us,” said Thomson.He added that Lynn Schools have launched a partnership with Girls, Inc. to address teen pregnancy.Girls, Inc. helps young girls set and work toward goals, and the program stresses avoiding risks that could jeopardize their futures. But the organization also provides teens with factual information about sex and birth control, something Lynn school do not do.”Our policy right now is abstinence and that’s what our health teachers teach,” said Thomson. “But we’ve also started a conversation with the school committee to ask them to review that policy.”Thomson said the survey speaks volumes about the reality that middle school kids live in today, and he feels an approach that arms kids with information about both abstinence and birth control is something that needs to be considered.Violence is another threat many middle school kids said they routinely face. More than half of the students surveyed said they had been in a physical fight, and 32 percent said they have been bullied more than once during the past year.Thomson said the schools are working with the city on gang prevention and the best place to start is in middle school.”We explain the repercussions of belonging to a gang,” said Thomson. “Getting an ol