Indicator: 1 - Youth Feeling Important

 

 

Why This Is Important

The research on risk and resilience factors for young people has demonstrated that one key
protective factor for them is the degree to which they feel connected or bonded to others in their environment. Young people who feel respected by others in their community are less likely to
engage in risky behavior.

Where We Stand

For 2004 less than half, 48%, agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “adults in my town
or city make me feel important.” For 2004 39% of all respondents stated they neither “agreed
or disagreed” with the statement, and just 13% “disagreed or strongly disagreed” with the statement.
The trend over time, comparing 2000 to 2004, is positive as more youth are feeling important.
However, despite this positive trend, each year the majority of youth in grades 9 through 12 appear
to not feel important to adults in their town or city.

Data Sources and Context

This Maine Marks indicator is adapted from the work of the Search Institute
(www.search-institute.org) and their research into developmental assets of young people.
The developmental assets framework is popular with many who work in the field of youth
development. The data source for this indicator is a statewide telephone surveyof youth grades
9-12 conducted by Critical Insights, a strategic marketing research firm in Portland, Maine. A
total of 403 telephone interviews with Maine youth were done in November 2000, 402 in
November 2001, 400 in November 2002, and 400 in December 2004. Due to inadequate funding,
there were no interviews conducted in 2003.

The youth were asked the following: “Please tell me how much you agree or disagree with the
following statement: Adults in my town or city make me feel important.”

For all years, only the data in the “all” column is statistically representative of youth
statewide in grades 9-12. For 2004 only, the data was weighted by finding an average of
the proportion of students in each secondary grade level, by gender, over the past five
years. Attendance reports from the Maine State Department of Education were used to
develop these weighted estimates. These weighted results are rough estimates and are
primarily descriptive in nature.