1999-2000 Comprehensive
Community Assessment
Issue Area Factual Data
SPENCER COUNTY
Issue:
“Youth at risk of
failing academically, socially, and in personal relationships”
- Youth
in Poverty:
1995 Census Estimates Spencer County (Percent below U.S. Poverty):
Under age 18: 622 youth 11.2% of all youth in category
Ages 5 –17 389 youth 9.6% of all youth in category
- Family
Structures for Youth (1990 Census):
Children (under age 18):
In Married-Couple Families 4,513 89.1%
Male Headed Families 97 2.0%
Female Headed Families 451 8.9%
Total 5,061
- Teen
Involvement in Dysfunctional Behaviors:
a)
Spencer County School Dropouts:[1]
|
Year |
Grade 7 |
Grade 8 |
Grade 9 |
Grade 10 |
Grade 11 |
Grade 12 |
Un-graded |
|
1998 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
15 |
12 |
7 |
57 |
|
1997 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
8 |
13 |
4 |
0 |
|
1996 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
|
1995 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
6 |
7 |
6 |
0 |
b)
Spencer County Teen Birth Data: [2]
Birth Rates (1997):
|
Age Category |
No. of Teen Births |
Rate per 1,000 teens |
Indiana Rate |
|
15-17 |
22 |
46.8 |
32.1 |
|
18-19 |
37 |
160.9 |
87.5 |
·
Comparison to National Data: [3]
|
U.S. birth rate per 1000 female Teens |
1980 |
1991 |
1997 |
% Change since 1991 |
|
15-17 yr olds |
32.5 |
38.7 |
32.6 |
15.7% |
c) Sexual behavior among teens (U.S): [4]
·
The
table to the right shows the level of sexual activity among teens at various
ages. Sex is still rare among young teenagers, but common in later teen years.
d)
Youth Involvement (Indiana) in Alcohol and Drug
Use/Abuse:
Percent of Indiana Students Who Used
Specific Drugs (Lifetime Usage) – 1999:
[5]
|
Grade
Level |
Alcohol |
Cigarettes |
Marijuana |
Cocaine |
Inhalants |
|
6th Grade |
26.9% |
23.3% |
4.2% |
0.7% |
7.3% |
|
7th Grade |
37.5% |
34.0% |
9.4% |
1.6% |
8.8% |
|
8th Grade |
52.5% |
45.7% |
22.2% |
4.6% |
12.0% |
|
9th Grade |
61.4% |
53.7% |
27.8% |
4.2% |
12.3% |
|
10th Grade |
69.2% |
60.5% |
37.4% |
6.0% |
12.8% |
|
11th Grade |
73.3% |
65.3% |
42.1% |
7.6% |
12.3% |
|
12th Grade |
78.5% |
68.1% |
45.7% |
8.4% |
12.8% |
Percent of Indiana Students Monthly Usage of
Specific Drugs – 1999:
|
Grade
Level |
Alcohol |
Cigarettes |
Marijuana |
Cocaine |
Inhalants |
|
6th Grade |
9.9% |
7.0% |
2.2% |
0.3% |
3.4% |
|
7th Grade |
16.8% |
12.3% |
5.1% |
0.7% |
3.7% |
|
8th Grade |
27.7% |
19.7% |
11.3% |
1.1% |
4.8% |
|
9th Grade |
36.2% |
25.4% |
16.2% |
1.4% |
4.4% |
|
10th Grade |
41.3% |
31.5% |
21.1% |
2.3% |
3.4% |
|
11th Grade |
45.6% |
37.4% |
22.0% |
2.4% |
2.7% |
|
12th Grade |
51.7% |
40.5% |
23.5% |
2.4% |
2.6% |
- Degree
of stay at home mothers.
· 70% of all U.S. married women work outside of the home
- Family
dysfunction:
· 30% of all married women report a severe beating by husband throughout their relationship. [6]
· Over 10% of all children experience severe violence from their parents; However, excluding severe forms of “punishment (without using object – belt, etc.) figure drops to 1.9% of all children. [7]
6. Amount of behavioral problems with children from broken families
· 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes. [8]
· 90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes.
· 85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes. [9]
· 80% of rapists motivated with displaced anger come from fatherless homes. [10]
· 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes. [11]
· 75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes. [12]
· 70% of juveniles in state-operated institutions come from fatherless homes. [13]
· 85% of all youths sitting in prisons grew up in a fatherless home. [14]
· Higher rates of delinquency, problems at school, more likely to drop out.
- Need
for higher education:
· U.S. Graduation Rates: [15]
|
|
1960 |
1998 |
|
High School Graduates |
41% |
83% |
|
College Graduates |
8% |
24% |