SAUGUS — At its meeting on Thursday, the Wellness Committee was briefed on the results of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
The survey, designed to provide educators with insights into health metrics, is offered in the form of a questionnaire throughout the state. Data collected in the spring of 2024 included approximately 1,000 students participating in town.
Choosing between 17 different languages, both high school and middle school students were asked if English was the primary language spoken at home — with 34 percent saying no, identifying Spanish, Portuguese and Haitain-Creole as the top spoken languages at the high-school level, and Spanish, Portuguese and Vietnamese at the middle-school level.
Reports of bullying at the high-school level were slightly higher than that of the statewide average of 11 percent, at 14 percent, with 76 students reporting bullying within the last 12 months.
At the middle-school level, numbers were higher, with approximately 35 percent reporting having been bullied at school, and 17 percent reporting cyberbullying.
With regard to the perceived treatment of students, six high school students felt they had been treated poorly due to their race or ethnicity, with 66 reporting the same at the middle school.
Substance use, and vaping in particular, is down at the high school level. The number of students reporting vaping decreased from 26 percent in 2022 to 17.8 pecent this year, with ages 13 to 14 being the most common of beginning to use vapes. At the middle school, 6 percent, or 30 students, have reported using vapes, with age 10 being the most common to begin use.
Alcohol usage at the high school is down, at 19 percent, with the most common age of introduction being 14 years old. Binge drinking has increased, with 9.4 percent of students reporting binge drinking.
There has been in an increase in those at the middle-school level using alcohol, with 11 perent, or 55 students, reporting having used alcohol, with the average age of introduction being 8 years old.
The School Committee is expected to be briefed more fully on the results of the survey.
