Children: At Promise or At Risk
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Transcript Children: At Promise or At Risk
Children: At Promise or At Risk
Who is an at-risk student?
• Students at risk of school failure and school
failure is linked to other social and mental
problems
• Used to describe young people whose
potential for becoming responsible and
productive adults is limited by challenges
within their environment
The Role of Schools
• Provides an arena for prevention efforts
• All children are expected to attend school in
the United States
• Schools are a place of learning; the act of
acquiring knowledge and skill through
instruction or study
At-Risk Society
• 20% (14.7 million) of America’s children live in
poverty
• Violent youth crime occurs between 3pm and
6pm
• 7,391 children will be injured or killed by guns
before the age of 20 each year
• 190 instances of school shootings since 1990
• Gang involvement is high
Branch 1: Dropping Out
Dropping Out
• Poor students are five times more likely to
drop out than wealthy ones
• Parents who do not value education are most
likely to drop out
• Students who did poorly in elementary school
or repeated a grade twice are likely to drop
out
Dropping Out
• Nationwide only about 80% of students graduate from
high school
• Every 29 seconds another student gives up on school,
resulting in more than one million American high
school students dropping out each year
• Race/ethnicity, and gender contribute to the drop out
rates
• Most students are passing when they drop out –
classes are boring or students are academically
disengaged
• Students are more worried about pregnancy, family
issues, or financial concerns
Drop Out Intervention
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Early Childhood Intervention/Early Literacy Programs
One-on-One Instruction
Middle School to High School Transitioning
Mentoring/Tutoring
After-school Opportunities
Professional Development
Relevant Curriculum/Active Learning
Service Learning
Family Involvement
Safe Learning Environment
Alternative Education/Career Tech Education
Oklahoma Drop Out Data
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9.2% Drop Out Rate
2.3% for single year Drop Out Rate
2,873 Drop Outs are Female
3,305% Drop Outs are Male
Largest proportion leave school at age 18 or in
the 12th grade
• 4,371 students are economically
disadvantaged
Branch 2: Teenage Pregnancy
and Sexuality
Teenage Pregnancy
• Students are bombarded with suggestive
advertising, graphic movies and television shows
• One-fourth of schools in the United States have
“abstinence only” policies (Oklahoma) - research
has proven it to be ineffective
• Teen mothers are less likely to complete high
school (40% receive a high school diploma) and
only 1.5% have a college degree by age 30
• 46% of youth report having sexual intercourse in
high school
Teenage Pregnancy
• Teen pregnancy rates remain higher in the United
States than other countries
• 3 out of 10 of young women become pregnant at
least once before age 20 (750,000 women a year)
• One-fourth of all adolescents will have an STD
before they graduate from high school
• 4 out of 5 of teen pregnancies are unplanned
• 25% of teen will have a 2nd child within 24
months of the first
Sexuality
• GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender)
• Family life may not be safe for this population
• GLBT youth are at a higher risk for substance
abuse, depression, suicide, or running away
Sexuality Fears
- feeling different from peers
- feeling guilty about their sexual orientation
- worrying about the response from their families and
loved ones
- being teased and ridiculed by their peers
- worrying about AIDS, HIV infection, and other sexually
transmitted diseases
- fearing discrimination when joining clubs, sports,
seeking admission to college, and finding employment
- being rejected and harassed by others
Oklahoma Sexuality and
Teenage Pregnancy
• Oklahoma comes in second with a rate of 47.3
per 1,000 births; second only to New Mexico
• National Average is 29.4
• 5,233 births for teens in 2013 (ages 15-19)
Branch 3: Substance Abuse
Drinking, Drugs, and Smoking
Substance Abuse:
Drinking, Drugs, and Smoking
• Pattern of abuse starts early – 30% of 8th graders has
consumed alcohol in the last year
• More than 3,200 students younger than 18 try their first
cigarette each day
• Most widely used illicit drug is marijuana (43% of 12th
graders)
• Over 5% of 12th graders have used cocaine and heroin
• More than half of all students will try an illicit drug by the
time they finish high school
• Prescription drugs like Vicodin and Oxycontin are abused by
1 in 10 high schools students and 15% of students will use
prescriptions in a non-medical manner in the next year.
Smoking
• Electronic cigarettes are
not regulated by any
agency at the state or
federal level.
• Over 18% of 12th
graders have smoked a
hookah in the past year.
Substance Abuse:
Drinking, Drugs, and Smoking
• Grades go down as substance use rise
• More likely to be involved in violent crime
such as murder, rape, or robbery
• Alcohol and drug abuse is associated with
teen pregnancy and STDs
• Approximately 68% of all youth (age 15-20)
deaths (drowning, fires, suicide, homicide,
traffic, alcohol poisoning) involve alcohol
Substance Abuse: Drinking, Drugs, and Smoking
Intervention
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Just Say No
Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.)
Safe and Drug Free Schools program
School guidance and small group programs
• Education needs to occur three to five years
before first use (early elementary)
When a parent talks to their
teenager regularly about the
dangers of drugs and alcohol they
lessen the chance of their child
using drugs by 42%! However, only
25% of teens report on actually
having these conversations.
Substance Abuse: Drinking, Drugs, and Smoking
Oklahoma OPNA Data
# of Youth
6th Grade –
15,734
8th Grade –
13,501
10th Grade –
10,573
12th Grade –
7,713
At least once in your lifetime tried….
Alcohol
25.2%
45.6%
60.6%
71.0%
Cigarettes
13.2%
27.0%
35.4%
45.3%
Marijuana
4.2%
15.2%
26.7%
35.8%
Ecstasy
0.4%
1.8%
2.9%
5.5%
Inhalants
(glue, sprays)
9.9%
12.7%
9.0%
7.0%
Substance Abuse: Drinking, Drugs, and Smoking
Oklahoma OPNA Data
# of Youth
6th Grade –
15,734
8th Grade –
13,501
10th Grade –
10,573
12th Grade –
7,713
At least once in your lifetime tried….
Prescription Drugs
(Valium, Ritalin,
OxyContin)
4.2%
9.6%
14.0%
17.3%
Over the Counter
Drugs (cough
syrup)
1.7%
4.8%
6.5%
7.4%
Sedatives (Valium,
tranquilizers,
sleeping pills)
4.2%
8.5%
11.0%
12.7%
Other Stimulants
(methamphetami
nes)
0.9%
2.4%
4.3%
6.1%
Branch 4: Obesity
and Eating Disorders
Obesity
• 17% of students are obese; triple the rate
from 1 generation ago
• Low socioeconomic background, Mexican
American, or African American are often at
greater risk than other subpopulations
• Pressure to raise test scores schools have
eliminated recess or physical education
• Potential health problems – diabetes, heart
health, low self-esteem
Eating Disorders
• Estimated 20 million women and 10 million men
struggle with eating disorders
• Typically starts between 12 and 20 years of age
• 42% of 1st – 3rd graders want to be thinner
• 81% of 10 year olds are afraid of being fat
• 46% of 9-11 year olds sometimes or often diet;
while 82% of their families are dieting
• Over half of teenage girls and one-third of
teenage boys use unhealthy weight control
behavior
Warning Signs
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Skipped lunch
Avoid food in social settings
Playing with or taking apart food
Using the restroom right after eating
Frequent diets
Weight lose, weight gain, or a fluctuation
Obsession with weight
Excessive exercising
Wearing baggy clothes
Fatigue or dizziness
Obesity and Eating Disorders
Oklahoma Data
• 44th in the nation in the overall health of its
citizens
• The only state whose death rate has been
increasing since 1990
• Funding for public health and prevention
programs decreased in the last 2 years by 40%
($113 to $80 per person)
• One out of two adult Oklahomans is overweight
• One out of five Oklahomans is obese (32.2% or
875,000 people)
Branch 5: Youth Suicide
Youth Suicide
• In grades 9-12, 16% have considered suicide, 13% have
created a plan, and 8% have attempted to complete suicide
• 3rd most common cause of death among adolescents at
4,600 (health specialists suspect it is underreported)
• Every day 11 adolescents will take their life
• Native Americans have the highest suicide rate
• Females are three times more likely to attempt, but males
are four times more likely to die from an attempt
• Substance abusers, teens questioning sexuality, and victims
of physical and sexual abuse are more at risk of completing
suicide
• 157,000 adolescents had medical treatment for selfinflicted injuries last year
Youth Suicide Indicators
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Depression/Persistent sadness
Boredom or low energy
Loss of interest in favorite pastimes
Irritability/Anger
Physical complaints and illness
Serious changes in sleeping and eating
School avoidance or poor performance
Impulsivity
Previous suicidal attempt
Putting personal affairs in order
Giving away prized possessions
Suicide Myths
• No one can stop a suicide, it is inevitable
• Confronting a person about suicide will only
make them angry and increase the risk of suicide
• Only experts can prevent suicide
• Suicidal people keep their plans to themselves
• Those who talk about suicide don’t do it
• Once a person decides to complete suicide, there
is nothing anyone can do to stop them
• If a suicidal youth tells a friend, that friend will
access help
Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR)
Intervention for Anyone at Anytime
• Question (Q)
- Plan a time and place to ask the “S” question
- Try to get the person alone or in some
private setting
- A QPR intervention may take time, so give
yourself plenty of time
Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR)
Invention for Anyone at Anytime
• Persuade (P)
- Make plans to get the person help
- Give your full attention
- Do not interrupt
- Do not rush to judgment or condemnation
- Tame your own fear (It is a Taboo subject)
Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR)
Invention for Anyone at Anytime
• Referral (R)
- The best referral is when you personally take the
person you are worried about to a mental health
provider or other appropriate professional
- The next best referral is when the person agrees
to see a professional and you know they actually
kept the appointment
- The 3rd best referral is getting the person to
agree to accept help, even if in the future
Youth Suicide Oklahoma Data
• Ranked 14th in suicide rates (Improved from
7th in the 1990s)
• 2nd leading cause of death for 10 to 19 age
range
Branch 6: Bullying
Bullying
• One-third of American children report being
bullied at one time or another
• 10% are a continuous target (two or three
come to school everyday fearful of being
harassed)
• 30% of students admit to bullying someone at
least once
• 9 out of 10 LGBT youth are bullied verbally;
while 55.2% are cyberbullied
Bullying
• Bullies seek to control others by taking
advantage of imbalances
- Perceived power: group size, physical strength,
social status, verbal threats, gossip/name
calling
- Boys are more likely to engage in physical
bullying
- Girls commit relational aggression (exclusion,
gossip)
Victim Indicators
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Academic difficulties
Withdrawal from activities
Depression
Suicidal Ideation
Eating disorders
Bully Indicators
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Parents who are bullies
Fights
Vandalize property
Drop out of school
Bullying Myths
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Only a small number of children are affected
Students are just “tattling”
Natural behavior
Boys will be boys
Cyber-Bullying
• Is through email, instant messaging, internet
chat room, electronic devices (cell phones)
• Speeds up bullying process
• Some anonymity for the bully
• Suggested power to the bully or group
• Continues even after school is out
Oklahoma Bullying Data
Violence
• 6% carried a gun
• 8% were physically hurt on purpose by their boyfriend or girlfriend
• 25% were in a physical fight one or more times
School Violence
• 6% carried a weapon such as a gun, knife, or club on school
property
• 6% did not go to school because they felt they would be unsafe at
school or on their way to or from school
• 5% had been threatened or injured with a weapon such as a gun,
knife, or club on school property
• 19% were bullied on school property
• 14% were bullied electronically
Oklahoma Bullying Data
• One out of every 10 students who drops out of
school does so because of repeated bullying
• Over the course of a year, nearly one-fourth of
students across all grades reported that they had
been harassed or bullied on school property
because of their race, ethnicity, gender, religion,
sexual orientation, or disability
• 18% of students in six through eighth grades said
they had been cyber bullied at least once in the
last couple of months; and six percent said it had
happened to them two or more times
Oklahoma Bullying Data
• 17 % of six- to 11 year-olds and 36 % of 12-o
17-year-olds reported that someone said
threatening or embarrassing things about
them through e-mail, instant messages, web
sites, chat rooms, or text messages
• 34 % of bullying victims felt frustrated, over 30
% felt angry, and approximately 22 % felt sad
Jennifer Wilkinson,
M.Ed., LPC NCC, NCSC
Director of Alternative Education
(405) 522-0876
[email protected]