Safe Place Fall Youth Survey

Abstract

The Safe Place Fall Youth Survey, administered in 2013, is a comprehensive instrument designed to assess the behavioral risk factors, protective factors, and psychosocial adjustment of youth participating in the Safe Place afterschool program. Specifically, this youth survey focuses on gathering data across several critical domains, including demographic profile, Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), attitudes toward violence and firearms, beliefs regarding conflict resolution, substance use behaviors (drugs and alcohol), gang involvement, and experiences with law enforcement (specifically the Milwaukee Police Department). A final section assesses participant satisfaction with the Safe Place program itself, providing crucial feedback for program evaluation and enhancement.

Keywords

Youth assessment, Social and Emotional Learning, violence attitudes, gang participation, substance use, police contact, program evaluation, self-esteem, Milwaukee youth, risk behavior.

Authors

Program Administrators/Developers (Safe Place Initiative), Safe & Sound, Inc.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Safe Place Fall Youth Survey is twofold: first, to gather baseline and periodic data on the prevalence of high-risk behaviors—such as substance abuse, engagement with violence, and gang propensity—among participating youth; and second, to measure changes in protective factors, such as self-esteem and attitudes toward educational attainment, often targeted by youth development programs. Furthermore, the survey serves as a vital tool for program evaluation, utilizing a dedicated section to gauge participant satisfaction and perceived benefits of the Safe Place afterschool activities.

By collecting detailed information on attitudes toward conflict and violence, the survey aids organizations like Safe & Sound in tailoring their interventions. Questions regarding police interactions also provide a snapshot of youth experiences with law enforcement, which can inform community relations and targeted safety efforts within the region, notably involving the Milwaukee Police officer contacts.

Construct

This instrument is multi-dimensional, measuring several distinct psychological and behavioral constructs relevant to adolescent development and risk assessment:

• Demographics and Identity: Captures basic characteristics (age, sex, race, grade, sexual orientation) necessary for segmentation and analysis.
• Social and Emotional Learning (SEL): Assesses future aspirations (importance of graduation, college, health) and components of self-esteem and interpersonal skills (e.g., satisfaction with self, ability to listen, empathy).
• Attitudes Toward Violence and Guns: Measures the extent to which youth endorse aggressive behavior, view fighting as necessary for pride, and perceive gun possession as conferring safety or power. This is a crucial measure for violence prevention programs.
• Beliefs About Conflict: Examines perceived effectiveness of various conflict resolution strategies, ranging from aggressive tactics (using a weapon) to prosocial responses (apologizing, walking away).
• Substance Use Risk Perception and Behavior: Assesses perceived wrongfulness and risk associated with alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use, alongside self-reported frequency of recent use (e.g., heavy drinking, marijuana, cocaine).
• Gang Participation: Measures attitudes toward gang membership (safety, coolness, danger) and actual self-reported involvement or proximity to gang activity (friends/family members in gangs).
• Police Contact and Respect: Documents the frequency and nature of recent interactions with the Milwaukee Police officer and evaluates the youth’s perception of respectful treatment during those encounters.
• Program Satisfaction: Measures the duration of participation, frequency of visits, and perceived positive impact of the Safe Place program on self-image and overall enjoyment.

Validity

The source content does not provide explicit psychometric data regarding the validity (e.g., content validity, construct validity, criterion validity) of the Safe Place Fall Youth Survey. Given its nature as a localized program evaluation and risk assessment tool, the instrument likely draws upon established scales or items previously validated in youth populations concerning violence, substance use, and SEL domains. However, specific documentation of its validity metrics for the 2013 administration is not included in the provided survey document.

Reliability

Specific metrics such as internal consistency (e.g., Cronbach’s Alpha) or test-retest reliability for the subscales within the Safe Place Fall Youth Survey are not detailed in the source material. Academic application of this survey would necessitate further study to establish the reliability of its multi-faceted constructs, particularly those pertaining to highly sensitive areas like gang participation and attitudes toward violence.

Factor Analysis

Information regarding the factor structure or exploratory/confirmatory factor analysis used to develop or confirm the underlying dimensions of the survey (e.g., whether the items intended to measure self-esteem truly load onto a single factor) is absent from the provided documentation. It is assumed that the nine sections listed in the survey structure represent the intended conceptual factors for analysis.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire; Multi-dimensional risk and protective factor assessment; Program evaluation survey.

Format: Paper-and-pencil or electronic survey utilizing various response formats, including Likert-type scales (e.g., Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree, Very Important to Not at all Important), frequency counts, and multiple-response checklists (for police contact reasons).

Language Available: English (based on the source document).

Population Group: Youth participating in community-based afterschool programs (specifically the Safe Place initiative).

Age Group: Adolescents/Youth (implied by questions about grade level, high school graduation, and high-risk behaviors typical of this demographic).

Population Details: The survey was administered in 2013, focusing on youth served by the Safe Place program, which is affiliated with Safe & Sound, Inc., a non-profit organization typically operating in urban environments, with specific reference to contact with the Milwaukee Police officer.

Test Methodology: Confidential self-administration, likely conducted in a group setting within the Safe Place center, emphasizing that answers will remain secret.

Keywords

Adolescent psychology, risk behavior assessment, self-report scale, urban youth, police relations, SEL, substance abuse screening, program effectiveness, self-esteem.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Not provided in source material)

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A (Not provided in source material)

Correspondence Address: Safe & Sound, Inc. (Implied administering organization).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The survey was administered in 2013. This instrument appears to be a proprietary tool used for internal program monitoring by the Safe Place Initiative/Safe & Sound, Inc. Specific information regarding external commercial licensing fees or formal academic permissions is not available in the source data. The original PDF can be downloaded here: http://www.safesound.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/2013-Safe-Place-Fall-Youth-Survey.pdf

Reference’s

• Safe & Sound, Inc. (2013). Safe Place Fall Youth Survey. Milwaukee, WI. Retrieved from http://www.safesound.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/2013-Safe-Place-Fall-Youth-Survey.pdf

Items of the Safe Place Fall Youth Survey

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

1. About You

This first set of questions ask some general information about you.

1. How old are you?
2. What is your sex?
3. In what grade are you?
4. What is your race?
5. Are you Hispanic or Latino?
6. What is your sexual orientation?

These questions ask your opinion about certain things‚ and request that you reveal how you feel about them. Please answer each one by filling in at least one circle or box.

2. Social and Emotional Learning

7. How important is it to you that in the future….

Point values are assigned as follows: Very important‚ Important‚ Somewhat important‚ Not at all important

• You will graduate from high school?
• You will go to college?
• You will have a job that pays well?
• You will stay in good health?
• You will do community work or volunteer work?
• You will have good friends you can count on?

8. Indicate to what extent you agree or disagree with these statements about yourself.

Point values are assigned as follows: Strongly agree‚ Agree‚ Strongly disagree‚ Disagree

• In general‚ you are satisfied with yourself.
• At times you think you are no good at all.
• You feel that you have a number of good qualities.
• You can do things as well as most other people.
• You feel you do not have much to be proud of.
• You feel useless at times.
• You feel that you are at least as good as other people.
• You wish you could have more respect for yourself.
• Sometimes you think of yourself as a bad person.

9. How often would you make the following statements?

Point values are assigned as follows: Never‚ Seldom‚ Sometimes‚ Often‚ Always

• I can listen to others.
• Kids I don’t like can have good ideas.
• I get upset when my friends are sad.
• I trust people who are not my friends.
• I am sensitive to other people’s feelings‚ even if they are not my friends.

3. Attitudes Toward Guns and Violence

This set of questions asks about your feelings and attitudes concerning guns and violence. If you do not want to answer an item‚ leave it blank. But please try to answer all items as best you can by filling in at least one circle or box.

Point values are assigned as follows: Agree‚ Not Sure‚ Disagree

1. You’ve got to fight to show people you’re not a wimp.
2. If someone disrespects me‚ have to fight them to get my pride back.
3. Carrying a gun makes people feel safe.
4. Carrying a gun makes people feel powerful and strong.
5. If people are nice to me I’ll be nice to them‚ but if someone stops me from getting what I want‚ they’ll pay for it bad.
6. I’d like to have a gun so that people would liik up to me.
7. I wish there weren’t any guns in my neighborhood.
8. I bet it would feel real cool to walk down the street with a gun in my pocket.
9. I’d feel awful inside if someone laughed at me and I didn’t fight them.
10. The people I respect would never go around with a gun because they’re against hurting people
11. I think it would be fun to play around with a real gun.
12. If someone insults me or my family‚ it really bothers me‚ but if I beat them up‚ that makes me feel better.
13. If somebody insults you‚ and you don’t want to be a chump‚ you have to fight.
14. I don’t like people who have guns because they might kill someone.
15. A kid who doesn’t get even with someone who makes fun of him is a sucker.
16. Belonging to a gang makes kids feel safe because they’ve got people to back them up.
17. If I acted the way teachers think I should out on the street‚ people would think I was weak and I’d get pushed around.
18. I wish everyone would get rid of all their guns.
19. I don’t like being around people with guns because someone could end up getting hurt.
20. Kids in gangs feel like they’re part of something powerful.

4. Beliefs About Conflict

These questions ask you to think about certain situations and how you feel about them. Please answer each question by filling in at least one circle describing whether you agree or disagree with a statement or are unsure. Remember‚ your answers are confidential. This means your answers will stay secret.

Point values are assigned as follows: Never‚ Sometimes‚ Always‚ Not sure

1. Threatening to use a weapon is an effective way to avoid a physical fight.
2. Avoiding or walking away from someone who wants to fight is an effective way to avoid a physical fight.
3. Carrying a weapon is an effective way to avoid a physical fight.
4. Apologizing (saying you’re sorry) is an effective way to avoid a physical fight.

5. Attitudes Towards Drugs and Alcohol Use

The next section asks about your experience with alcohol and other drugs. Please answer each question by filling in at least one circle or box.

Point values are assigned as follows: Very Wrong‚ Wrong ‚ A little bit wrong‚ Not wrong at all

1. How wrong do you think it is for someone your age to drink beer‚ wine or hard liquor (e.g.‚ vodka‚ whiskey‚ or gin) regularly?
2. How wrong do you think it is for someone your age to smoke cigarettes?
3. How wrong do you think it is for someone your age to smoke marijuana?
4. How wrong do you think it is for someone your age to use crack cocaine‚ powder cocaine‚ heroin‚ amphetamines or another illegal drug?

38. How much do you think people risk harming themselves (physically or in other ways) if they take one or two drinks of alcohol nearly every day?

No risk‚ Slight risk‚ Moderate risk‚ Great risk

39. How wrong do you think it is for someone your age to use smokeless tobacco?

Very Wrong‚ Wrong ‚ A little bit wrong‚ Not wrong at all

40. Think back over the LAST TWO WEEKS. How many times have you had five or more drinks in a row?

None‚ Once‚ Twice‚ 3-5 times‚ 6-9 times‚ 10 or more times

6. Drugs and Alcohol

41. How wrong do you think it is for someone your age to use pills or other medications that were prescribed for someone else?

Very Wrong‚ Wrong ‚ A little bit wrong‚ Not wrong at all

42. During the past 30 days‚ how many times did you use marijuana?

0 times‚ 1 or 2 times‚ 3 to 9 times‚ 10 to 19 times‚ 20 to 39 times‚ 40 or more times

43. How much do you think people risk harming themselves (physically or in other ways) if they smoke marijuana regularly?

No risk‚ Slight risk‚ Moderate risk‚ Great risk

44. I have made a promise to myself that I will not drink alcohol.

Strongly agree‚ Agree‚ Disagree‚ Strongly disagree

45. Think back over the LAST TWO WEEKS. How many times have you had marijuana?

Strongly agree‚ Agree‚ Disagree‚ Strongly disagree

46. I have made a final decision to stay away from marijuana.

Strongly agree‚ Agree‚ Disagree‚ Strongly disagree

47. Think back over the LAST TWO WEEKS. How many times did you use any form of cocaine‚ including powder‚ crack‚ or freebase?

None‚ Once‚ Twice‚ 3-5 times‚ 6-9 times‚ 10 or more times

7. Gang Participation

This next section asks questions about your knowledge‚ experience and opinion about gangs and gang participation.

Please answer each question by filling in at least one circle.

48. How serious do you think gang activities are in your neighborhood?

Very serious‚ Somewhat serious‚ Not serious

49. I think you are safer‚ and have protection‚ if you join a gang.

Items 49-57; Point values are assigned as follows: Not true for me‚ True for me

1. I will probably join a gang.
2. Some of my friends at school belong to gangs.
3. I think it’s cool to be in a gang.
4. My friends would think less of me if I joined a gang.
5. I believe it is dangerous to join a gang; you will probably end up getting hurt or killed if you belong to a gang.
6. I think being in a gang makes it more likely that you will get into trouble.
7. Some people in my family belong to a gang‚ or used to belong to a gang.
8. I belong to a gang.

8. Police Contact

These questions are about your experience with the police. Please answer each one by filling in at least one circle or box. Where indicated‚ complete the question by checking multiple boxes for all responses that apply.

58. During the past 30 days‚ if you have had any contact with a Milwaukee Police officer‚ what were the reasons for the contact? (Check all that apply)

• I did not have any contact with a Milwaukee Police officer during the past 30 days.
• I was stopped and questioned about a crime
• I was warned about doing something
• I shouldn’t have been doing
• I reported a crime
• I asked for directions or other assistance
• I was arrested
• I was stopped and searched
• I was there when someone else was
• Questioned or arrested

59. During the last 12 months‚ if you have had any contact with a Milwaukee Police officer‚ what were the reasons for the contact? (Check all that apply)

• I did not have any contact with a Milwaukee Police officer during the past 12 months.
• I was stopped and questioned about a crime
• I was warned about doing something
• I shouldn’t have been doing
• I reported a crime
• I asked for directions or other assistance
• I was arrested
• I was stopped and searched
• I was there when someone else was
• Questioned or arrested

60. Do you feel you were treated with respect by the Milwaukee Police officer during this/these encounter(s)?

• I didn’t have contact with a Milwaukee Police officer
• Always
• Most of the time
• Some of the time
• Never

9. Youth Satisfaction Survey

Now‚ you will be asked some questions about how you feel about the Safe Place afterschool program you are attending.

61. For how long have you been going to the Safe Place youth center you are attending now?

1-2 months‚ 3-6 months‚ 7-10 months‚ 1 year‚ Over 1 year

62. On average‚ how often do you visit the Safe Place youth center you are attending now?

Daily‚ Once a week‚ 2-3 times/week‚ 2-3 times/month‚ Once in awhile

63. The program has helped me to feel better about myself.

Strongly Agree‚ Somewhat Agree‚ Somewhat Disagree‚ Disagree‚ Strongly Disagree

64. I like coming to this program.

Strongly Agree‚ Somewhat Agree‚ Somewhat Disagree‚ Disagree‚ Strongly Disagree