“(The SHEU survey) was very, very useful. It gave us reassurance we weren’t missing a trick. For example not many pupils in the sample year groups were taking illegal drugs, which re-enforced our opinions. But the survey also raised issues and flagged some things up. We discovered that some of our girls weren’t eating enough – the percentage of girls in our school not eating lunch the day before the survey was higher than the county average. There were other concerns too, specifically around cigarettes, alcohol and attendance.
The school used this data and took a number of actions to address it. More female peer mentors were put in place and the school asked NEXUS (the Extended Schools service) for help, so they developed a programme for girls which addressed their eating patterns, healthy eating, sex education and self-esteem issues.
We ran an anti-bullying group for Year 9 as a preventative measure, based upon data provided by our current Year 10 students.
The travel data revealed that a high number of pupils took the car to school so we involved the BIKE-IT scheme who ran assemblies, brought in their bikes (including one with a pedal-powered smoothie maker!), and raised awareness of health and green issues.
The information about how happy the students were with their lives raised some concerns as far fewer girls were as happy as the boys, so work was done around developing aspirations, role-models and self-esteem."
Report on weapons
Cash & Carry?
Young people, their friends and offensive weapons. 1996, 82pp. £5 (incl p&p)
This is one of our series of monographs about young people's lifestyles, compiled from data collected using the Health Related Behaviour Questionnaire.
It is an introduction to the findings being made by the Unit with respect to young people carrying weapons. Data collection began in May 1995, before the level of potential violence in and around schools was highlighted by the fatal stabbing of headteacher Philip Lawrence and the Dunblane massacre.
The report, based on questionnaire responses from young people aged between 11 and 16, is divided into two parts, entitled Young people, fear, and self-protection and Making connections.
In the first part it is shown that...
A quarter of all the young people rated safety in their home neighbourhood POOR OR VERY POOR after dark.
More than a quarter of the 12-13 year olds sometimes, often, or very often FELT AFRAID OF GOING TO SCHOOL because of bullying.
When they went out, a half of the 14-15 year olds FELT AFRAID OF BEING PHYSICALLY ATTACKED sometimes, often, or very often.
Almost a third of the 14-15 year old boys sometimes CARRIED DEFENSIVE OR POTENTIALLY OFFENSIVE ITEMS for personal protection.
The second part examines the 14-15 year old group in more detail and uncovers links between carrying personal protection of the potentially offensive variety (gun, knife, etc.) and other lifestyle characteristics.
For example, it is found that people likely to carry protection are also...
* More likely to have a girlfriend or boyfriend
* More likely to smoke
* More likely to drink alcohol
* Less likely to do homework after school
* More likely to worry about various problems
* Likely to have a higher `income'
* More likely to play on arcade machines
* More likely to have experimented with illegal drugs
This research, which is continuing, is believed to be the first large-scale investigation in the UK into an uncomfortable weapon-carrying dimension within the younger strata of our society. The hope is that these data will support positive action towards creating safer environments everywhere.