YOUTH NEEDS IN MONTANA - A REPORT OF SURVEY FINDINGS, FEBRUARY 1978

• NCJ Number: 48342
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 97 pages
• Corporate Author: Montana Board of Crime Control; Montana Dept of Social and Rehabilitation Services
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEY OF A SAMPLE OF YOUTHS IN GRADES 7-12 IN MONTANA'S PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS IS DOCUMENTED.

Abstract

THE REPORT COVERS THE HISTORY OF THE SURVEY AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT, SURVEY FINDINGS (DEMOGRAPHICS, QUESTION-BY-QUESTION INTERPRETATION OF RESPONSES, SELECTION OF PRIORITY NEEDS FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS, REGIONAL COMPARISONS), AND CONCLUSIONS. THE SURVEY, WHICH REACHED 1,767 OF THE STATE'S 63,671 PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS AGED 11 THROUGH 17, DOCUMENTED THE STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR PROBLEMS, DIFFICULTIES, AND NEEDS. THE RESPONDENTS' MAJOR CONCERNS INCLUDED A DESIRE FOR MEANINGFUL WORK EXPERIENCES (ESPECIALLY SUMMER EMPLOYMENT), THE COSTS OF OBTAINING NEEDED HEALTH CARE, SCHOOL-RELATED MATTERS (E.G., LACK OF INVOLVEMENT IN SCHOOL DECISIONMAKING PROCESSES, PROBLEMS WITH PARENTS, PROBLEMS WITH NEIGHBORHOOD CRIME, AND THE COST OF RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES. ALTHOUGH THE STUDENTS DID NOT VIEW THE USE OF ALCOHOL IS THE MOST PREVALENT AND POTENTIALLY HARMFUL DRUG IN WIDESPREAD USE BY YOUTHS. THE FINDINGS ALSO INDICATE THAT MANY ENCOUNTERS BETWEEN YOUTH AND POLICE PRODUCE ANTAGONISM. IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS ARE DISCUSSED. SUPPORTING TABULAR DATA AND A COPY OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)