Ellington Youth Services and the council for Developing Positive Youth Culture (DPYC) in cooperation with the Ellington Public Schools have conducted student surveys every four years for the past 20 years. The latest survey was taken by students in grades 7-12 online in May of 2017.
The objective of the survey has been to learn the nature and extent of substance abuse, school environment and other risky behaviors among Ellington students in grades 7-12. In earlier years it included grade 6. We are able to compare behaviors over the years and in turn plan for various programs, services, and curriculum for the young community including their parents. Our student survey data has also enabled the town to apply for grants and we have been fortunate to have received two DMHAS grants that covered seven years from 2007 to 2014.
The good news is our students are making better choices since the first survey was taken in 1996. The past month trends have decreased over the years for grades 9-12, and some trends for middle school students have risen a bit. Alcohol remains the most used drug for teens in Ellington with marijuana coming in second. There is also a high percentage of students who feel e-cigarettes are not as harmful as regular cigarettes.
In addition, the increased use of technology in students led to some questions about sexting in the survey. Sexting is defined as – “the sending of sexually explicit digital images, videos, text messages, or emails, usually by cell phone.”
The "smart phone" has been around for 20 years, however, the first iPhone was released in June of 2007. It is important to note that from the last survey the amount of middle school students who carry smart phones most likely has increased.
In the 2017 survey for grades 7 & 8, 5.7% of male and 19.1% of female students felt pressured to send a “sext.” For grades 9-12, 5.8% male and 21.2% female students felt pressured to send a “sext.” The overall amount of middle school students who felt pressure doubled from 2013 to 2017 from 6.3% to 12.7%. For high school students the pressure decreased from 2013 to 2017 from 20.6% to 14.0%.
This last two years Ellington Youth Services and Ellington Middle School have joined together to offer several programs for parents addressing youth and technology and the teen brain.
Ellington Student Survey
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