Wiltshire report on Risky Behaviours now published
Friday 23rd February 2018
To better understand Wiltshire children and young people’s experiences of life, both inside and outside school we have commissioned a Children’s and Young People’s Health and Wellbeing Survey which was delivered for the first time in 2015 and again in 2017. The survey helps schools to identify areas for improvement and address particular issues raised by their own pupils and to provide evidence to influence future services provided by Wiltshire Council and their partners that improve the health and wellbeing of our young people. In 2017 the survey grew to 95 schools and nearly 10,000 pupils.
The 2017 Wiltshire Children and Young People’s Health and Wellbeing report on Risky Behaviours can be found here.
Summary
The Wiltshire Children and Young People’s Health and Wellbeing Survey has shown that a quarter of Year 12/FE respondents and 60% of secondary school respondents do not engage in the risky behaviours of frequent cigarette smoking, frequent alcohol consumption, the misuse of illegal or prescription drugs, or sexual activity. The survey has, however, highlighted some areas for concern in regard to these behaviours, which carry a risk to children and young people’s health and wellbeing.
- 75% of Year 12/FE pupils and 30% of secondary school pupils reported engaging in at least one of the risky behaviours of frequent cigarette smoking, frequent alcohol consumption, the recreational use of illegal or prescription drugs, and/or sexual activity.
- 22% of Year 12/FE pupils, 4% of secondary school pupils and 1% of primary school pupils reported smoking cigarettes weekly or more often.
o Pupils in both Year 12/FE and secondary school who smoked cigarettes weekly or more often were very likely to also engage in other risky behaviours (97% of Year 12/FE smokers and 93% of secondary school smokers reported also engaging in at least one other risky behaviour).
- 64% of Year 12/FE pupils, 21% of secondary school pupils and 3% of primary school pupils reported drinking alcohol monthly or more often.
o These results represent a small increase from the 2015 survey proportions of Year 12/FE and secondary school children drinking alcohol at least monthly (58% in Year 12/FE, 19% in secondary, 3% in primary).
- 28% of Year 12/FE pupils and 7% of secondary school pupils reported having tried illegal drugs.
o In Year 12/FE, young carers and LGBT pupils were significantly more likely than the average to have tried illegal drugs (47% and 43%, respectively, compared to 28% overall).
o In secondary school, pupils who reported smoking cigarettes weekly or more often were substantially more likely than the average to have tried illegal drugs (70% of smokers, compared to 7% overall).
o 11% of Year 12/FE pupils and 3% of secondary school pupils reported taking illegal drugs monthly or more often.
- 12% of Year 12/FE pupils and 11% of secondary school pupils reported having tried the recreational use of prescription drugs (“pharming”).
o 24% of young carers in Year 12/FE had tried pharming.
- 46% of Year 12/FE pupils and 5% of secondary school pupils reported having had sexual intercourse.
o Of these, 71% of the Year 12/FE group and 59% of the secondary school group said that they had used contraception/precautions the last time they had sex.
