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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