Thursday, November 1, 2007 

ONEIDA COUNTY TEEN ASSESSMENT PROJECT (TAP) REPORT SHOWS TEENS ARE DOING BETTER

New Section Explores Teen Internet and Technology Use

The 2007 Oneida County Teen Assessment Project (TAP) Report shows that overall, local teens are doing better.  They are participating less in risky behaviors and are making more informed choices when compared with the teens in 2003 and 1999.  Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr., and Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES District Superintendent Howard Mettelman held a joint news conference today to announce the release of report. 

The TAP report outlines the results of the 2007 TAP Survey administered earlier this year.  TAP is an anonymous voluntary survey administered every four years to all of the 7^th, 9^th, and 11^th graders in the participating Oneida County school districts.  The survey consists of 150 questions and probes various subjects including: parent/child relationships, teenage alcohol use, sexuality, and new this year, Internet and technology use.  The first TAP Survey in Oneida County was administered in 1999 and again in 2003.

 “The TAP Report has revealed that fewer Oneida County teens are trying tobacco, alcohol, or marijuana, and that is certainly good news,” County Executive Picente said.  “Additionally, when compared with teens nationally, Oneida County ’s teens are participating less in these types of risky behaviors,” he continued.

“BOCES has partnered with Oneida County on the TAP Project in an effort to communicate the needs of our youth.  I was pleased to see the addition of the section on the Internet and technology this year.  With the wide-spread use of cell phones, texting devices, and the Internet among youth, a series of questions on the subject seems not only appropriate but necessary,” District Superintendent Howard Mettelman said.

Until now there was virtually no local data available regarding teens’ Internet and technology usage.  These mediums affect how teens communicate, meet people, entertain themselves and complete school work.  Since technology has become such an important part of their lives, it seemed only appropriate to create a section to gauge their usage rates and thoughts.  The following are some of the findings: 

• Nearly 8 in 10 teens reported having a personal email address; 
• Seventy-eight percent (78%) reported having an instant messenger (IM) screen name;
• Nearly two-thirds of all teens reported having a personal profile or personal webpage on a social networking site such as MySpace, Facebook or Xanga;

• Nearly 6 in 10 teens reported currently having pictures of themselves posted online;
• One in 6 teens said they were asked to meet someone who they previously only knew online; and
• Nearly 40% of teens said they purposely lied or left off personal information on their profile page to protect themselves.

Also included in the findings of the report:

·        Both the percentage of teens who seriously considered suicide and the percentage that planned how they might attempt suicide decreased since 1999;

·        Most teens said they could turn to a friend when faced with a problem;

·        Overall teens were less worried about their physical appearance than in 2003 or 1999;

·        More teens said they felt safe in their homes than in 2003 or 1999, which is a plus since home problems are the most commonly cited reason for considering suicide;

·        A lower percentage of teens said they were bullied or said they themselves acted like a bully than in 2003;

·        More teens thought their teachers cared about them and had high expectations of them than in previous years;

·        Fewer teens said they planned to go into the military or planned to go to a four-year college; and

·        More teens said they thought their parents would help them with a serious problem.  

The information available in the TAP Report helps school administrators, public officials, social agency staff, parents and youth to focus on youth-related issues, to identify gaps in services, and to build on the strengths of our youth, families, schools and communities.  Additionally, the results will be utilized for comprehensive planning efforts and program development. 

The survey was administered by the Herkimer-Oneida Counties Comprehensive Planning Program (HOCCPP) and the Oneida County Department of Mental Health.  It was sponsored by Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES, Oneida County Department of Social Services, Oneida County Department of Public Health, and the Oneida County Traffic Safety/STOP DWI Program.   Additionally, HOCCPP conducted the data analysis of the survey and prepared the report.

The complete TAP Report is available on Oneida County ’s Web site at: www.ocgov.net.