The national Communities That Care survey, which was administered to 12,000 Fairfax County eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders in January and February 2001, had a 40 percent response rate. For more information, call the Fairfax Partnership for Youth at 703-324-5535. Below is a sampling of some of the responses:
* 21 percent of Fairfax County eighth-graders, or 2,600 children, consumed alcohol in the past month;
* 35 percent of 10th-graders, or 4,300 children, felt sad or hopeless for days or weeks at a time;
* 31 percent of 12th-graders, or 3,227 children, engaged in binge drinking, defined as five or more drinks in one sitting, within the past two weeks;
* 18.5 percent of eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders, or 5,912 children, seriously considered suicide in the past year, with 8 percent, or 2,557 children, attempting suicide at least once in the same time frame;
* 46 percent of eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders, or 14,701 children, have been the aggressor by bullying, taunting or teasing a fellow student; nearly 12 percent, or 3,771 children, have done that over 20 times;
* 46 percent of eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders, or 14,701 children, spend between one and four hours each day without adult supervision at home after school;
* 48 percent, or 15,340 children, did something fun with the family once a month or less;
* 12 percent of 10th-graders, or 1,377 children, and 18 percent of 12th-graders, or 1,874 children, have been high or drunk at school;
* 13 percent of 12th-graders, or 1,353 children, and 5 percent of 10th-graders, or 574 children, have used hallucinogenic drugs, most likely ecstasy, at least once;
* 23 percent of the eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders, or 7,351 children, have been sexually harassed.
Information provided by Fairfax Cares.