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June 2017 Snapshot of our Valley Teens

During one of our general sessions at Kids Camp last summer, we asked the campers & counselors (91 total teens) to put their heads down & raise their hands to answer “yes” to following questions:

  • If you’ve ever felt totally alone? 60

  • If you aren’t happy with how you look: 46

  • If you don’t have a best friend:  18

  • If you don’t have a strong friend group:  26

  • If you’ve ever been bullied: 78

 

We also have campers fill out an anonymous risk evaluation, asking the following questions:

  • I have been offered drugs or alcohol – 19%

  • I know someone my age who uses drugs or alcohol – 48%

  • I have used drugs or alcohol in the past 30 days – 1%

  • I feel like I have a place I belong – 92%

  • I feel loved by my parents – 91%

  • I feel sad or lonely more than half the time – 30%

  • I have thought about hurting myself – 30%

  • I have hurt myself on purpose – 17%

  • I have thought about ending my life – 24%

  • I have attempted to end my life – 11%

  • I have been bullied at school – 57%

  • I have been sexually active before – 3%

  • I have been sexually active in the past 30 days – 1%

  • I feel safe at home – 95%

 

Some of the quotes from info gathered from campers also include:

  • “I feel like no one wants to hear me talk about my uncontrollable depression.”

  • “I feel so alone.”

  • “I’m tired of feeling this way.”

  • “I don’t want to be like this anymore.”

  • “I WANT to talk to my friends, but I don’t trust anyone.”

  • “Everyone is worth something.”

  • “We are not alone.”

  • “It gets better.”

  • “I realize I belong.”

  • “No one is perfect, but that’s what makes us beautiful!”

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For more information on Montana's Teens: http://opi.mt.gov/Portals/182/Page%20Files/HES%20Tobacco%20Use%20Prevention/Tobacco%20Related%20Data/2017_MT_YRBS_FullReport.pdf will give you a complete look at the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, given to Montana high school students for the past 26 years.

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http://dphhs.mt.gov/Portals/85/amdd/documents/Substance%20Abuse/PNADATA/2016/StateofMontanaProfileReport.pdf summarizes the Montana Prevention Needs Assessment conducted in the Spring of 2016 to grades 8, 10 & 12 across Montana.

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