Big Sister is Asking

November 12, 2006 permalink

A survey of Halton school students in grades 7 and 10 asks them:

• Have you sold any drugs?
• Carried a weapon?
• Been part of a gang?
• How many of your close friends smoke cigarettes?
• Do you use: Smokeless tobacco, dip, chew, Marijuana, Hallucinogens (mushrooms, PCP, LSD), Prescription drugs for recreational use to get high(aderol, Ritalin, Tylonel 3, Percocet), or Other drugs (ecstasy, cocaine, heroin, ketamine)
• Do you use beer, wine, liquor or other alcoholic beverage?

A lot of twelve-year-old kids (and adults) don't understand what some of these questions mean.

The kids are lured with promises of confidentiality, but any positive answers to the following question will bring on the cops, since mandatory reporting trumps confidentiality.

30. How often has your family not had enough money to buy food?

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We always have enough money to buy food

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There has been some 1-2 times that we could not afford to buy food

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There has been more than 2 times but not every month

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Every month we have trouble buying food

The full survey is available from the Halton District School Board, or our local copy (both pdf links).