By Ben Rodgers
Editor
BROWN COUNTY – The latest results from the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) show how area high school students are dealing with adult problems.
For 2018-19, West De Pere, Preble, Ashwaubenon, Southwest, De Pere, Pulaski, Denmark, West, Bay Port, East, Dr. Rosa Minoka-Hill School, Wrightstown and John Dewey Academy of Learning participated in the YRBS, a joint venture from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A total of 9,515 usable responses were collected from the 13 participating schools listed above. This represents 73 percent of public high school students in Brown County.
Sexual behavior
The YRBS asks about current and lifetime sexual activity by asking whether students engage in sexual intercourse.
The term itself is not defined for students. Of those surveyed, 32 percent have had sexual intercourse and 23 percent are currently sexually active.
Seniors are the highest age group with 52 percent reporting having had sex. Freshmen are the lowest with 13 percent.
Forty-one percent of seniors said they were sexually active, or have had sex in the past three months.
Among those sexually active, 63 percent said they used a condom during their last intercourse, while nine percent said they used no protection.
Alcohol
Of those surveyed, 30 percent of all students said they have had a drink of alcohol in the last 30 days.
Seniors again were the highest group with 43 percent reporting they have had a drink in the past month.
As for those previously consuming an alcoholic drink, 59 percent of students reported doing so, while 70 percent of seniors reported trying alcohol.
In regards to binge drinking – four or more drinks for females and five or more for males in one sitting – 12 percent overall report having done so, with 22 percent of seniors saying they have binge drank in the last 30 days.
Other drug use
When it comes to marijuana, 37 percent of seniors reported trying the drug with 26 percent of all students reported trying it.
Among students who used marijuana, 15 percent started using before age 13.
For heroin and methamphetamine, one percent reported ever trying those drugs.
In regards to misusing legal drugs like prescription pain medicines, 11 percent of students overall reported this.
Tobacco and vaping
Tobacco use numbers are lower than vaping numbers with only seven percent of all students and 13 percent of seniors reporting using cigarettes, chew, or cigarillos in the past 30 days.
For vaping, 18 percent of students admit they currently vape, with 29 percent of seniors reporting the same.
Those who have ever tried vaping is 44 percent of all students and 56 percent of seniors.
Technology use
Students also had high numbers of using technology, like video game consoles and smartphones/tablets for more than 3 hours a day.
Forty-three percent overall report heavy screen time, while the number of seniors is 41 percent. Both freshmen and sophomores reported 45 percent.
Of those surveyed, 50 percent of all students report using technology past midnight on school nights, with 54 percent of seniors reporting this.
Another question asked specifically about the number of hours per day students spent watching TV.
Eighteen percent of students watched three or more hours of TV per day.
Anxiety and depression
The only major category where female students reported more problems than male students are those who have reported significant anxiety and depression problems in the last 12 months.
Sixty-one percent of female students reported this, compared to 34 percent of males.
Overall, 47 percent of students reported anxiety problems.
Female students also reported higher numbers of depression or prolonged sadness over the past 12 months, 36 percent, compared to 18 percent for male students.
The total for all students for depression is 27 percent.
Female students in Brown County are also more likely to seriously consider suicide with 19 percent of females reporting this compared to 10 percent of males.
Help and support
Twenty-three percent of students reported most of the time or always getting emotional help when needed.
Conversely, 51 percent of students said that they rarely or never get the help they need.
Of those surveyed, 53 percent reported getting help from a friend or sibling, compared to 31 percent for help from an adult, like a parent or teacher. Thirty-one percent said they were not sure.
However, 83 percent said they have a supportive adult in their lives.
More information on the YRBS and a complete breakdown for Brown County can be found at dpi.wi.gov/sspw/yrbs/online.