Community data âTaranaki (2006 Survey)
Community data –Taranaki (2006 Survey)
Index
Youth Connectedness in Taranaki: Who are the participants?
2
Community Efforts and Youth Voice
2
Potential Services in Case of Need
3
Safety
3
Sense of Neighbourhood
3
Perceived Adults’ Negative Attitudes
3
Community Groups
4
What Youth Want More of
4
Technology Use
5
Summary of Key Findings
6
Youth Connectedness Project ‐ 2006 Survey Community data – Taranaki
Community Efforts and Youth Voice
Youth Connectedness Project: Background Information
We asked participants a) if the community tries hard to
The Youth Connectedness Project is a unique New
give young people what they want and b) if young
Zealand longitudinal study, following young people/
people have a say in what happens in their community.
rangatahi beginning in school years 6, 8 and 10, over three years (2006, 2007 and 2008).
Table 1 presents the responses of Taranaki participants compared to the response rates of the overall sample in
The main objectives of the study are to examine how
the Youth Connectedness Project. In terms of efforts to
connectedness supports youth in negotiating the
address youth concerns, the Taranaki results showed
challenges of adolescence, and to identify modifiable
less positive perceptions than the overall sample. In
factors that foster and enhance connectedness. We are focusing
on
young
peoples’
connectedness
regards to youth voice, Taranaki participants showed a
to:
higher percentage of “Don’t know” answers.
communities and wider society; families and whanau; and schools/kura.
“Youth Connectedness” in Taranaki:
Table 1
Who Are the Participants?
Perceptions of community efforts and youth voice for Taranaki and the overall sample.
The Youth Connectedness Project conducted surveys with 2174 young people from New Zealand’s North Island. Of
Taranaki
this total, 71 (or 3.3%) came from the Taranaki area.
Overall
Males constituted 33.8% and females 66.2% of the total
Effort %
Taranaki sample. In regards to age, 31% were aged 10 to
Yes
28.2
32.5
11, 8.5% were aged 12 to 13, and the remaining 60.6%
No
19.7
14.1
were aged 14 to 15 years. The ethnic composition of the
Don’t know
49.3
51.1
Yes
18.3
24.1
No
25.4
27.5
Don’t know
53.5
46.3
Taranaki sample is as follows: 57.7% identified solely as Voice %
NZ European, 38% identified solely or in part as Māori and 1
4.2% as Other .
The schools involved in the survey were: Opunake High, Patea Area, Tawhiti, Waverley High and Waverley Primary.
1
The “Other” category covers a wide range of ethnic groups.
2
Youth Connectedness Project ‐ 2006 Survey Community data – Taranaki
Potential Services in Case of Need We were interested in knowing which services young people would go to if they had a problem. The majority of
7
Other
participants in Taranaki would not go to any of the services from the provided list. The highest rated services
49.3 47.9 14.1 17.3
Town
were school services and the family doctor (see Figure 1),
Movies 0 3.6 5.6 Cafes 5.3
followed by the Youth Line.
7 7.3 8.5 9.8
Sports clubs Beach Othe r
1.4 4.4 4.2 6.4
Library
4
None
11.5
Bush
Local pool
2 5
31 30.9
Internet/chat rooms Ma ga zine
6
Youth line
Friends houses 0 4.6 7 Neighbours' houses
15
Family doctor
16
16.9 9.9
Local park Interne t
8
4.2
Sports fields School services
18
0
5
10
15
10.2
Streets
25
30
16.1
9.5 14.1 12.3
Mall 20
23.9
0
10
20
Freque ncy
30
40
50
60
Percentage
Tara naki sample (71 participants)
Overall sample
Taranaki sample
Figure 1. Services participants would use in case of need (Taranaki).
Figure 2. Unsafe places to hang out (Taranaki and overall sample).
Safety
Sense of Neighbourhood
In regards to safety, we asked Youth Connectedness
Sense of neighbourhood measures the extent to which
participants about which places, from a varied set, they
young people feel they are growing up in a safe and
considered unsafe. As indicated in Figure 2, Taranaki
supportive environment, with neighbours that they and
participants’ ratings were close to the overall sample.
their families know and can count on. Our results show
Nevertheless, the ratings of unsafe places in Taranaki are,
that Taranaki was in the highest 1/4 of the 12 North
in general, lower, with the exceptions of bush and mall.
Island districts surveyed.
“Other” referred to “alleyways”, “bad parts of town” and “streets at night” (12 answers), “bars” (2 answers) and “skate park” (1 answer).
3
Youth Connectedness Project ‐ 2006 Survey Community data – Taranaki
Perceived Adults’ Negative Attitudes
The majority of participants who belonged to these
This refers to the extent that young people perceive that
groups agreed that it improved their confidence, that it
adults do not want them around and treat them unfairly
was a good way to make friends, that group members
because of their age. Wellington’s results were in the
would look out for each other and that being part of a
highest 1/4 of the 12 North Island districts surveyed.
group made them feel they were giving something good to the community.
Analysis of our wider dataset tells us that belonging to Community Groups
groups outside schools is associated with several
Almost half of Taranaki participants (46.5%) belong to at
positive outcomes, including higher well‐being, life
least one community group. As seen in Figure 3, the most
satisfaction, stronger ethnic identity (for both NZ
common group belonged to is a sports group. The “Other”
European and Māori participants), and more positive
category included references to specific sport groups.
body image.
4
Other
What Youth Want More Of
Dance group
6
We generated a list of things young people might want more of (see Figure 4) and asked our participants to
2
Dama group Marching
indicate what they would desire (they could tick as
1
many as applied). Of central note is that a higher
Music band 0
percentage of Taranaki participants, compared to the Scouts/Guides
2
overall sample, stated they would want more after
Kapa Haka or Polynesian
8
school and also school activities, and more time with
Sports
parents/caregivers.
24
Church youth
8 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Frequency Taranaki (32 out of 71 participants)
Figure 3. Community group belonging in Taranaki (frequencies).
4
Youth Connectedness Project ‐ 2006 Survey Community data – Taranaki
Table 3 shows the percentages of internet and cell
26.8
Freedom from caregivers
32.3
phone use by age by age group and gender. As they
22.5 23.3
Attention from caregivers
grow older, young people tend to increase their internet and cell phone use. As seen for the overall
29.6 26.5
Time with caregivers
sample, girls revealed higher percentages of cell phone
62
Money
67
After school activities
31.2
use, whereas boys showed higher percentages for
40.8
internet use.
45.1 42.8
School activities
Table 3
15.5
Cheaper bus/train services
33
Percentages of internet and cell phone use by age group and gender in Taranaki.
19.7 23.3
Better bus/train services
Internet %
38 37.9
Community places to hang out 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Percentage
Cell %
Age Group 10 to 11 12 to 13 14 to 15
63.6 50 65.1
50.0 83.3 88.4
Gender Girls Boys
61.7 78
80.9 65.9
Overall sample Taranaki sample
Figure 4. What participants would “like more of” in Taranaki and overall sample.
Technology Use As seen in Table 2, a lower percentage of participants in Taranaki use the internet in their leisure time compared to the overall sample; the results for the cell phone use are very close.
Table 2 Internet and cell phone use for Wellington and the overall sample. Internet Cell Overall Sample %
71.6
74.4
Taranaki %
63.4
76.1
5
Youth Connectedness Project ‐ 2006 Survey Community data – Taranaki
Summary of Key Findings
ª Young people in Taranaki, as in the overall sample,
ª About half of Taranaki surveyed participants are
tend to show some lack of awareness about community
already engaged in community groups. Although this is
attempts to address their needs and, especially, about the
positive, one recalls there is still a sizeable percentage
attempts to engage them.
that is not. Given the positive benefits for youth wellbeing of community group engagement, it could be worthwhile to address non‐engaged young people and
ª The great majority of young people stated they would
their families and identify the major reasons underlying
not look for any of the community services we listed.
this fact.
Peer‐support based services, as suggested by some of our youth focus groups participants, could be a possible avenue to (or continue to) explore. School services and family doctors are the two most highly utilised services
ª School and especially after school activities are two
and are likely to hold rich knowledge about common
things that Taranaki youth would like more of. Also,
concerns held by young people.
Also, joint family, children/parents activities could be a way to address Taranaki participants’ desire for more time with parents caregivers.
ª Taranaki is doing comparatively well in terms of sense
ª Taranaki participants, compared to the overall
of neighbourhood. However, the same was not verified
sample, are relatively less connected to the Internet.
for adult attitudes towards young people; Taranaki could
Internet and cell phone use are strongly embedded in
benefit of actions/measures that could address this
young people’s lives and this usage increases as they get
specific issue.
older.
6
Index
Youth Connectedness in Taranaki: Who are the participants?
2
Community Efforts and Youth Voice
2
Potential Services in Case of Need
3
Safety
3
Sense of Neighbourhood
3
Perceived Adults’ Negative Attitudes
3
Community Groups
4
What Youth Want More of
4
Technology Use
5
Summary of Key Findings
6
Youth Connectedness Project ‐ 2006 Survey Community data – Taranaki
Community Efforts and Youth Voice
Youth Connectedness Project: Background Information
We asked participants a) if the community tries hard to
The Youth Connectedness Project is a unique New
give young people what they want and b) if young
Zealand longitudinal study, following young people/
people have a say in what happens in their community.
rangatahi beginning in school years 6, 8 and 10, over three years (2006, 2007 and 2008).
Table 1 presents the responses of Taranaki participants compared to the response rates of the overall sample in
The main objectives of the study are to examine how
the Youth Connectedness Project. In terms of efforts to
connectedness supports youth in negotiating the
address youth concerns, the Taranaki results showed
challenges of adolescence, and to identify modifiable
less positive perceptions than the overall sample. In
factors that foster and enhance connectedness. We are focusing
on
young
peoples’
connectedness
regards to youth voice, Taranaki participants showed a
to:
higher percentage of “Don’t know” answers.
communities and wider society; families and whanau; and schools/kura.
“Youth Connectedness” in Taranaki:
Table 1
Who Are the Participants?
Perceptions of community efforts and youth voice for Taranaki and the overall sample.
The Youth Connectedness Project conducted surveys with 2174 young people from New Zealand’s North Island. Of
Taranaki
this total, 71 (or 3.3%) came from the Taranaki area.
Overall
Males constituted 33.8% and females 66.2% of the total
Effort %
Taranaki sample. In regards to age, 31% were aged 10 to
Yes
28.2
32.5
11, 8.5% were aged 12 to 13, and the remaining 60.6%
No
19.7
14.1
were aged 14 to 15 years. The ethnic composition of the
Don’t know
49.3
51.1
Yes
18.3
24.1
No
25.4
27.5
Don’t know
53.5
46.3
Taranaki sample is as follows: 57.7% identified solely as Voice %
NZ European, 38% identified solely or in part as Māori and 1
4.2% as Other .
The schools involved in the survey were: Opunake High, Patea Area, Tawhiti, Waverley High and Waverley Primary.
1
The “Other” category covers a wide range of ethnic groups.
2
Youth Connectedness Project ‐ 2006 Survey Community data – Taranaki
Potential Services in Case of Need We were interested in knowing which services young people would go to if they had a problem. The majority of
7
Other
participants in Taranaki would not go to any of the services from the provided list. The highest rated services
49.3 47.9 14.1 17.3
Town
were school services and the family doctor (see Figure 1),
Movies 0 3.6 5.6 Cafes 5.3
followed by the Youth Line.
7 7.3 8.5 9.8
Sports clubs Beach Othe r
1.4 4.4 4.2 6.4
Library
4
None
11.5
Bush
Local pool
2 5
31 30.9
Internet/chat rooms Ma ga zine
6
Youth line
Friends houses 0 4.6 7 Neighbours' houses
15
Family doctor
16
16.9 9.9
Local park Interne t
8
4.2
Sports fields School services
18
0
5
10
15
10.2
Streets
25
30
16.1
9.5 14.1 12.3
Mall 20
23.9
0
10
20
Freque ncy
30
40
50
60
Percentage
Tara naki sample (71 participants)
Overall sample
Taranaki sample
Figure 1. Services participants would use in case of need (Taranaki).
Figure 2. Unsafe places to hang out (Taranaki and overall sample).
Safety
Sense of Neighbourhood
In regards to safety, we asked Youth Connectedness
Sense of neighbourhood measures the extent to which
participants about which places, from a varied set, they
young people feel they are growing up in a safe and
considered unsafe. As indicated in Figure 2, Taranaki
supportive environment, with neighbours that they and
participants’ ratings were close to the overall sample.
their families know and can count on. Our results show
Nevertheless, the ratings of unsafe places in Taranaki are,
that Taranaki was in the highest 1/4 of the 12 North
in general, lower, with the exceptions of bush and mall.
Island districts surveyed.
“Other” referred to “alleyways”, “bad parts of town” and “streets at night” (12 answers), “bars” (2 answers) and “skate park” (1 answer).
3
Youth Connectedness Project ‐ 2006 Survey Community data – Taranaki
Perceived Adults’ Negative Attitudes
The majority of participants who belonged to these
This refers to the extent that young people perceive that
groups agreed that it improved their confidence, that it
adults do not want them around and treat them unfairly
was a good way to make friends, that group members
because of their age. Wellington’s results were in the
would look out for each other and that being part of a
highest 1/4 of the 12 North Island districts surveyed.
group made them feel they were giving something good to the community.
Analysis of our wider dataset tells us that belonging to Community Groups
groups outside schools is associated with several
Almost half of Taranaki participants (46.5%) belong to at
positive outcomes, including higher well‐being, life
least one community group. As seen in Figure 3, the most
satisfaction, stronger ethnic identity (for both NZ
common group belonged to is a sports group. The “Other”
European and Māori participants), and more positive
category included references to specific sport groups.
body image.
4
Other
What Youth Want More Of
Dance group
6
We generated a list of things young people might want more of (see Figure 4) and asked our participants to
2
Dama group Marching
indicate what they would desire (they could tick as
1
many as applied). Of central note is that a higher
Music band 0
percentage of Taranaki participants, compared to the Scouts/Guides
2
overall sample, stated they would want more after
Kapa Haka or Polynesian
8
school and also school activities, and more time with
Sports
parents/caregivers.
24
Church youth
8 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Frequency Taranaki (32 out of 71 participants)
Figure 3. Community group belonging in Taranaki (frequencies).
4
Youth Connectedness Project ‐ 2006 Survey Community data – Taranaki
Table 3 shows the percentages of internet and cell
26.8
Freedom from caregivers
32.3
phone use by age by age group and gender. As they
22.5 23.3
Attention from caregivers
grow older, young people tend to increase their internet and cell phone use. As seen for the overall
29.6 26.5
Time with caregivers
sample, girls revealed higher percentages of cell phone
62
Money
67
After school activities
31.2
use, whereas boys showed higher percentages for
40.8
internet use.
45.1 42.8
School activities
Table 3
15.5
Cheaper bus/train services
33
Percentages of internet and cell phone use by age group and gender in Taranaki.
19.7 23.3
Better bus/train services
Internet %
38 37.9
Community places to hang out 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Percentage
Cell %
Age Group 10 to 11 12 to 13 14 to 15
63.6 50 65.1
50.0 83.3 88.4
Gender Girls Boys
61.7 78
80.9 65.9
Overall sample Taranaki sample
Figure 4. What participants would “like more of” in Taranaki and overall sample.
Technology Use As seen in Table 2, a lower percentage of participants in Taranaki use the internet in their leisure time compared to the overall sample; the results for the cell phone use are very close.
Table 2 Internet and cell phone use for Wellington and the overall sample. Internet Cell Overall Sample %
71.6
74.4
Taranaki %
63.4
76.1
5
Youth Connectedness Project ‐ 2006 Survey Community data – Taranaki
Summary of Key Findings
ª Young people in Taranaki, as in the overall sample,
ª About half of Taranaki surveyed participants are
tend to show some lack of awareness about community
already engaged in community groups. Although this is
attempts to address their needs and, especially, about the
positive, one recalls there is still a sizeable percentage
attempts to engage them.
that is not. Given the positive benefits for youth wellbeing of community group engagement, it could be worthwhile to address non‐engaged young people and
ª The great majority of young people stated they would
their families and identify the major reasons underlying
not look for any of the community services we listed.
this fact.
Peer‐support based services, as suggested by some of our youth focus groups participants, could be a possible avenue to (or continue to) explore. School services and family doctors are the two most highly utilised services
ª School and especially after school activities are two
and are likely to hold rich knowledge about common
things that Taranaki youth would like more of. Also,
concerns held by young people.
Also, joint family, children/parents activities could be a way to address Taranaki participants’ desire for more time with parents caregivers.
ª Taranaki is doing comparatively well in terms of sense
ª Taranaki participants, compared to the overall
of neighbourhood. However, the same was not verified
sample, are relatively less connected to the Internet.
for adult attitudes towards young people; Taranaki could
Internet and cell phone use are strongly embedded in
benefit of actions/measures that could address this
young people’s lives and this usage increases as they get
specific issue.
older.
6
