POLL SHOWS SUBURBAN TEENS NO STRANGERS TO ALCOHOL, SEX

A student survey on sex, drugs and other pitfalls of adolescence is holding
up a mirror to several Milwaukee suburbs, and some are afraid to look.

>From Brookfield in Waukesha County to Waterloo in Jefferson County,
community leaders - asked to poll students on such issues as underage
drinking and teen suicide - have found themselves squirming over the
sensitivity of the questions and potential explosiveness of the answers.

Parents in one community fought unsuccessfully to block what they perceived
as an invasion of family privacy. In another, civic leaders have declined to
release the survey results for fear of how the community will react.

A School Board member in Mukwonago said the survey, producing new data on
student drug use, sexual activity and violence, confirmed a long-held
suspicion: The suburbs do not shelter young people from modern social ills.

"People were not shocked," School Board member Kathleen Hurdis said. "Though
we like to think this is a nice, little, sleepy community, it's not that
different from a metropolitan area."

In Brookfield, the data show two-thirds of students polled have engaged in
underage drinking and one in five reports being physically abused at home. A
community meeting to discuss the results is planned this week.

The survey was conducted by the Search Institute, a Minneapolis-based
research firm.

The results in Brookfield and Elm Grove are comparable to other area
communities where the survey has been conducted. Of those surveyed there,
25% had smoked marijuana, 10% had attempted suicide and 9% had driven a car
after drinking.

But getting those statistics was not easy.

Elmbrook School District administrators considered conducting the survey
three years ago, but dropped the plans after parents protested what some
called an invasion of privacy.

The survey was revived with support from churches, police departments and
Elmbrook Memorial Hospital.

In Mukwonago, organizers dropped plans to include sixth-grade students when
some parents voiced fear that questions about suicide, sex and drugs might
foster curiosity among impressionable youngsters.

In Oconomowoc, last year's survey covered a range of issues, including
suicide and other violence - but the results are being kept under wraps.

(SIDEBAR)

Taking stock of suburban kids

In the past two years, more than 10,000 suburban students have taken a
survey conducted by the Search Institute, a research organization funded by
Lutheran Brotherhood.

Waukesha Muk- Jefferson Meno- Brookfield/ wonago County monee Falls Elm
Grove

Year of survey 1999 1999 2000 1998 2000

Number surveyed 3,602 818 5,147 1,051 727

8, 6,8, 8, Grades 7-10 10,12 7-12 10,12 10,12

Percentage who reported:

Alcohol use 65% 81% 80% 67% 67%

Alcohol 40+ times 7% 15% 16% 12% 14%

Driving after drinking 5% 12% 14% 12% 9%

Marijuana use 21% 31% 28% 23% 25%

Cocaine use 3% 6% 6% 5% 2%

LSD use 4% 7% 2% 6% 2%

Attempted suicide 12% 15% 16% N/A 10%

Sexually active 14% 30% 25% N/A 16%

Never use birth control 32% 15% 22% N/A 21%

Physically abused at home 25% 29% 31% N/A 20%

Carried knife or gun 10% 9% 9% N/A 6%

Source: Search Institute