SWYS 2001 News - Friends
and Activities Important for Teens
Student responses to the question: "where do you feel
you fit in best?"
Friends are an important part of a teen's life. In fact, 45%
of teens in Southwest Wisconsin would go to a friend if they
had a personal problem. Eighty-four percent of teens report that
they fit in with one or more groups of friends. However, 7% of
teens say they choose to be alone or report feeling left out.
Only about 6% report they worry quite a bit about being picked
on or physically hurt by another teen.
Those are among the findings of the Southwest Wisconsin Youth Survey (SWYS)
survey conducted by 19 of 31 school districts in the Cooperative Educational
Service Agency (CESA) District 3 as reported by UW-Extension. More than 5,700
students in grades 7 through 12 in the school districts of Argyle, Barneveld,
Benton, Belmont, Black Hawk, Cassville, Darlington, Dodgeville, Iowa-Grant,
Lancaster, Mineral Point, Pecatonica, Platteville, Potosi, River Ridge, River
Valley, Seneca, Shullsburg and Southwestern completed the survey in September
of 2001. UW-Extension faculty in Grant, Iowa and Lafayette counties are involved
in processing and presenting the findings.
"Ninety percent of the teens surveyed agree or strongly agree that they
can stand up for their beliefs and resist negative peer pressure," reports
Interim Grant County Family Living Agent Christina Kenney. "In line with
that response, about 15% of the teens say they worry some or quite a bit about
being pressured into drinking or doing drugs. Fifteen percent of teens also worry
some or quite a bit that their friends drink or smoke too much and 32% of the
males and 49% of the females worry at least a little that they do not have the
things their friends have."
The survey also asked teens how they spend their time. "Fifty-nine percent
of the teens report they spend five or more hours per week in extra-curricular
activities, like sports, FFA, or band " according to Iowa County Family
Living Agent Ruth Schriefer. "Interestingly, 43% of the students who receive
As or A/Bs say they spend 10 or more hours per week in extra-curricular activities."
"More females than males spend time in out-of-school activities like music
or dance lessons, 4-H, or church with 50% of the males and 65% of the females
saying they spend one or more hours per week in these activities," reports
Deb Ivey, 4-H Youth Development Agent in Iowa County. "Participating in
activities outside of school affects how teens feel about themselves and their
communities. Sixty-two percent of the teens who have very high self-esteem spend
one or more hours per week in activities outside of school and 66% of the teens
who are attached to their community participate in activities outside of school
one or more hours per week. In addition, students who spend time outside of the
school day in extra curricular activities, studying, in non-school activities
and students who do chores at home report higher grades than those who do not."
"Teens are also busy with other activities. Forty-two percent of the males
and 63% of the females report spending five or more hours per week on homework
while 36% of the males and 42% of the females are on the Internet one to four
hours per week. However, many more males (33%) than females (8%) spend over five
hours per week playing video computer games," says Tom Schmitz, Grant/Lafayette
Youth Development Educator. "In addition, 31% of the 12th graders in the
survey report working 20 or more hours per week. Over 70% of the 12th graders
report that a salary is their primary source of income."
Finding time to eat meals with a family is a challenge for many families, but
eating at least three evening meals together per week, based on the survey
results, influences a teen's self-esteem, their school satisfaction, their
grades, their behavior and their attitudes. In the survey, 61% of the 7th -
9th graders eat three or more evening meals per week with their families, but
only 46% of the 10th-12th graders eat three or more evening meals per week
with their families.
The SWYS survey was funded in large part by the Grant County Tobacco-Free Coalition,
the Lafayette County Tobacco-Free Coalition and the Iowa County Tobacco Coalition.
Other funders included Lafayette County Families First, participating school
districts, the Department of Transportation, United Way of Iowa County, Iowa
County Family Preservation and Support, UW-Extension Southern District Resource
Management Team, the Biddick Foundation the Alliant Foundation, and the Iowa
County Domestic Violence Task Force.
A full report on the SWYS survey results is due out this spring. Schmitz, Kenney,
Ivey and Schriefer are also giving community presentations on the data. For
more information on the survey contact your local school district, Schmitz
and Kenney at 723-2125 or Ivey and Schriefer at 935-0391.
Student responses to the question: "where do you feel you
fit in best?"
Return to 2001 News Releases
Tom
Schmitz, Grant/Lafayette County Youth Development Educator
Youth and Agriculture Center P.O. Box 31, Lancaster, WI 53813
Phone: 608-723-2125 Fax: 608:723-4315
E-mail: thomas.schmitz@ces.uwex.edu |
