Young Persons' Behaviour and Attitudes Survey Bulletin

Author(s): Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA)
Document Type: Bulletin
Year: 2004
Publisher: NISRA
Place of Publication: Belfast
Subject Area(s): Health, Drugs
Client Group(s) : Young People, Children

Abbreviations: NI - Northern Ireland

Background to the Research

  • This bulletin presents key findings from the second round of the Young Persons' Behaviour and Attitudes Survey of 2003. The Central Survey Unit of the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency was commissioned by a consortium of government departments and public bodies to design and conduct a survey, covering a range of topics relevant to the lives of young people today.

Research Approach

  • From a representative sample of post-primary schools in NI, 74 schools agreed to participate in the survey. One class from each year group (Form 1/Year 8 - Form 5/Year 12) was randomly selected. A total of 7223 pupils aged 11 - 16 years took part.

Main Findings

  • 77% of pupils in NI like school at present. The majority agree that school is a place where the things they learn are important to them (93%), they have learned things that will be important to them (94%) and which will help them in their adult lives (91%). Ninety-one percent attach importance to achieving good grades in all their subjects and 82% feel a certain amount of pressure due to the school work they have to do. Thirty-four percent feel that their parents expect too much of them.
  • Seventy-six percent find school boring at least some days, 22% have skipped classes or school this term and 8% have been expelled or suspended form school.
  • When they leave school, 63% of pupils think they will be going to university/further education college; 18% do not know what they will do.
  • The majority of pupils (88%) consider themselves to be healthy.
  • Sixteen percent have a long-standing illness or disability. Of these, 68% feel that this affects their activities in some way.
  • In the past 12 months, 24% of pupils have had allergies/rashes and the same proportion has had a chest infection.
  • Fifty-one percent of all pupils eat fruit, and 37% eat vegetables and salads, at least once a day. Thirty-six percent eat 5 or more portions of fresh fruit or vegetables most days or every day. Thirty-one percent eat meat products every day and 39% eat fish less than once a week or never. Fifty-two percent of pupils eat a school dinner and 30% take a packed lunch; 35% cited the queue as a reason for not eating school dinner, followed by 32% who don't like school dinners or snacks.
  • Ninety-one percent of pupils are aware of the benefits of healthy eating and 94% have been taught about it (mainly in Home Economics).
  • Fifteen percent of girls and 7% of boys are on a diet to lose weight, while 43% of girls and a quarter of boys think that they are too fat.
  • Four fifths of pupils generally enjoy taking part in physical activity or sports. Eighty-three percent of pupils strongly agree or agree that there are lots of opportunities for them to take part in sport. Fifty-nine percent of pupils think that school should be made to provide a minimum number of hours of physical activity per week.
  • Twenty-nine percent of pupils go to a Public Library at least once a month, mainly to borrow books (65%) and to use books to look up information (45%). Thirty-seven percent never go to a Public Library.
  • In the 12 months prior to the survey, a third of pupils have gone to a sports event as a spectator at school, and 55% outside school, at least once every 2-3 months. One fifth has attended an Arts performance or an event as a visitor or member of an audience.
  • At home, 87% of pupils have access to a personal computer and 72% have access to the internet.
  • A third of pupils have smoked tobacco, most for the first time before the age of 13 years. On this first occasion, 65% were given cigarettes by a friend or other person their own age and 61% were somewhere outside such as in a park, street or entry. Thirty-four percent of those who have smoked tobacco currently smoke at least once a week, however 39% of these smoke 20 cigarettes or less.
  • The majority of pupils believe that smoking can cause lung cancer (99%) and it can harm the health of non-smokers (97%). Forty-one percent of all pupils live in households in which adults smoke.
  • Fifty-nine percent of boys and 58% of girls have taken an alcoholic drink. Of these, 42% presently drink alcohol at least a few times a month and almost half report having had a drink in the previous week. Alcopops/spirit based mixers, followed by shots were most common.
  • On at least one occasion, 55% of pupils who have taken an alcoholic drink, have had so much alcohol that they have been drunk and 43% have been in trouble because of drinking alcohol, mainly with parents.
  • Seventy-eight percent of pupils say they know a lot or quite a bit about the effects/risks of drinking alcohol. Three-fifths of pupils who have received education on the use of alcohol and/or drugs state that it has made them less inclined to drink alcohol.
  • On at least one occasion, 18% of pupils have been offered solvents and 27% drugs; 68% have never been offered drugs or solvents. Twenty-two percent of all pupils have used illegal drugs or solvents - 16% have used or tried cannabis, 3% have used or tried ecstasy and 10% have inhaled solvents. In the year prior to the survey, 17% of pupils have used or tried at least one drug or solvent and 11% have done so in the last month. Thirteen percent of pupils have used cannabis in the last year, compared to 6% who have used solvents.
  • Thirty-one percent of those who have used or tried drugs have been in trouble as a result of this, mainly with parents (17%) or friends (14%). Twenty-six percent of pupils who have used solvents have been in trouble because of this on at least one occasion.
  • Sixty-five percent of all pupils say they know a lot or quite a bit about the effects/risks of taking solvents and 74% say they know the same amount about drugs. Eighty-five percent of those who have received drug education on the use of alcohol/drugs state that it has made them less inclined to take drugs. Pupils generally have a good awareness of which drugs are illegal.
  • In the 12 months prior to the survey, 17% of pupils have been bullied and 16% have had their belongings damaged or deliberately broken. Thirteen percent have been called names or harassed because of their religion, race or skin colour and 27% for some other reason.
  • Fifty-two percent of pupils worry about having things they are carrying or wearing stolen and 47% about being physically or sexually abused. Ninety-one percent of pupils feel safe in the area they live in, while 43% of those who do not feel safe are afraid of burglary. Thirty-one percent of pupils are worried about their safety when going into the nearest town centre at night.
  • Thirty-eight percent of pupils have spoken to, or been spoken to by, a police officer in NI in the 12 months prior to the survey, mainly through school. Fifty-one percent think the police in NI treat young people very or quite fairly and 46% are very or quite satisfied with how the police do their job. Nine percent of all pupils say they would be interested in joining the police in NI when they finish their education.
  • In the 12 months prior to the survey, 19% of all pupils have been so noisy or rude near their home that the neighbours have complained, 15% have written or sprayed graffiti and 14% have tried to avoid paying the correct fare on the bus or train.
  • Nine percent of pupils say they have attacked, threatened or been rude to someone in the past 12 months because of their religion, 3% for their race or skin colour and 21% for some other reason.
  • Nine percent of pupils have carried a knife or other weapon for their own protection during the past year. Only 3% claim to have stolen something that someone was carrying or wearing, while 11% have stolen something from a shop.
  • Three quarters of pupils have a girlfriend or boyfriend. Eleven percent has had sexual intercourse, with the most common age being 14. On the first occasion, 79% used some form of contraception, most commonly a condom. Fifty-six percent of all pupils would find it easy to get contraceptives, mostly from shops or chemists and bars.
  • In general, 47% of pupils feel very happy about their life at present and 48% never feel lonely. Four fifths of pupils have three or more close friends and 84% have no difficulty making new friends. Fifty-three percent think their parents are at least as easy going as their friends' parents. A quarter of pupils find it easy to talk to one or both of their parents about sexual matters.
  • An important environmental issue for 74% of pupils is the loss of plants, animals and habitats, followed by litter (70%). Sixty-three percent think their actions can make a difference to litter. Twenty-three percent of pupils always dispose of their rubbish carefully, yet 44% never sort rubbish for recycling. Sixty-nine percent learn most about environmental issues at school.
  • Approximately half of pupils travel to and from school by bus or train. Twenty-eight percent travel less than one mile to school and 45% of these do not walk or cycle.
  • On at least some occasions, 41% of pupils use a mobile phone to text or make a call while crossing the road, and 32% run across the road without checking for traffic. Thirty-eight percent always use pedestrian crossings if available. Forty-eight percent never wear bright coloured clothes while cycling or walking at night, and 57% never wear a cycle helmet.

 

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