SURVEY FINDS MANY KIDS FEEL INSECURE AT SCHOOL

More than half of Vallejo fifth-graders questioned don't feel safe
at school and, in some cases, outside of school, a California
Healthy Kids Survey has found.

Even more students in higher grades said they feel unsafe at school
- - 59 percent of seventh-graders, and more than two-thirds of
freshmen and juniors.

Also, the survey found a growing percentage of students are drinking
alcohol and smoking cigarettes. Slightly more than 10 percent of
freshmen and juniors said they've participated in binge drinking -
having five or more drinks within a few hours.

Administered every two years, the state-mandated survey assists
school districts in determining the health risks and resiliency of
their students.

While the survey indicates Vallejo youth are drinking, smoking
marijuana and abusing inhalants, it also found nearly all of the
students questioned believe they are harmful, Vallejo school
officials said Thursday.

Marijuana use is the lowest, or 2 percent, among fifth-graders, but
rises with each grade level. Some 15 percent of seventh-graders,
one-fourth of freshmen, and 42 percent of juniors reported smoking marijuana.

Inhalant use was found to be 4 percent in the fifth grade. It
increases to 14 percent among seventh-graders and freshmen and then
decreases to 8 percent among juniors.

Youths are also lighting up. Twenty percent of seventh-graders, a
third of freshmen and 43 percent of juniors said they smoked cigarettes.

About half the Vallejo public school students in fifth-, seventh-,
ninth- and 11th-grade took the survey in April. Parents of
fifth-graders were asked for permission for their children to take it.

What caught district officials' attention are results showing
three-fourths of the fifth-graders questioned do not feel safe
outside of school.

Seventh-graders, freshmen and juniors were not questioned on how
safe they feel when not in school, district spokeswoman Tish Busselle said.

Some children also report having brought weapons to school - nearly
20 percent of freshmen, 13 percent of the juniors and 16 percent of
seventh-graders, the survey said. Those weapons included knives or
clubs, according to the survey.

The numbers differ when teens are questioned asto whether they
brought guns to school. Eight percent of the seventh graders, 11
percent of freshmen and 5 percent of juniors reported carrying a gun
on school property in the last year.

Further, the students reported (in varying degrees) having been
subject to harmful teasing, being shoved, and having rumors and lies
spread about them.

Fighting Back Partnership executive director Al Fleming said safety
is a big concern that needs to be addressed. Fighting Back is
studying survey results and working with the school district to come
up with strategies to address concerns.

"Safety is definitely something we all need to pay attention to,
especially to the fact that the kids themselves are saying they
don't feel safe in or around school," said Vanita Finney, district
coordinator of school health services. It will

take parents and the community's help, she said.

Children feeling unsafe at school should not be "a secret" to anyone
in the community, Fleming said. "There is violence in the schools,
and there are gangs in and around the schools. Some kids feel
intimidated by gangs. We need to pay attention to that," he said.

Gang involvement is "relatively minimal," district officials said.

Survey results say 11 percent of seventh-graders, 10 percent of
freshmen and 8 percent of juniors questioned reported being involved in gangs.

The survey does point out problems, but district officials said it's
important to highlight the positive things, too. In a written
summary of the results, district officials say, "The majority of our
students surveyed make safe and healthy choices and decisions," and
"Many of our students treat each other kindly and do the right thing."

A summary of the survey will be distributed to parents, Busselle said.