NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665

February 4, 1999

NDSU Research: Community Influence Important in Adolescent Development

Preliminary results from a study conducted at North Dakota State University show that adolescents living in similar communities may be acting quite differently in terms of their risk-taking behaviors. NDSU researchers believe one reason may be the community itself.

"Most studies tend to focus on family and individual variables in relation to adolescent behavior," says Laura DeHaan, an assistant professor in NDSU's child development and family science department. "We were interested in seeing if the community adolescents live in also affects their well-being."

The idea for the research grew from an earlier study in which DeHaan and NDSU assistant professor Margaret Fitzgerald documented considerable differences in drinking, delinquency and depression among North Dakota youth who lived in seemingly similar communities.

As part of their current research, DeHaan and Fitzgerald interviewed residents from several North Dakota agricultural communities to establish a set of criteria representing low- and high-risk environments. For example, the low-risk community placed more emphasis on providing youth activities, DeHaan says.

In the high-risk community, there were fewer businesses and economic development efforts underway and subsequently, limited employment opportunities for youth and adults, Fitzgerald reports. Also, the high-risk community displayed a greater degree of poverty.

"An individual family's income situation wasn't associated with risk taking, but the community's economic status was," DeHaan says.

Beyond economics, the research data reveal that attitudes about drinking play a role in how adolescents behave. In both low- and high-risk communities, alcohol was a prominent part of the culture. However, in the high-risk community, residents reported feeling powerless to control adolescent drinking. In the low-risk community, adults didn't tolerate adolescent drinking, and they dealt actively with adolescents involved in risk-taking behaviors, Fitzgerald says.

From the adolescents in their study, DeHaan and Fitzgerald assessed levels of alcohol consumption, delinquent behavior and depression. Their data show that alcohol use by teenagers is associated with depression. A number of preteens in the high-risk community said they drink alcohol.

"There were significant differences in all the risk factors between the low- and high-risk communities," says DeHaan. "This indicates that community factors can be just as important as family factors to an adolescent's well-being. At the beginning of the project, I would not have expected that to be true."

From here, DeHaan and Fitzgerald plan to expand their research to other North Dakota communities to see if the risk-taking patterns hold. They also intend to explore other factors that explain the marked differences in adolescent behavior.

Meanwhile, concerned parents can begin assessing their own communities to see if they can identify any high-risk factors, Fitzgerald says. For example, is there a range of options so adolescents with different interests can participate in activities? Are adults in the community tolerant of adolescent drinking?

"The preliminary data show that adolescents really benefit when the adults in the community take an active role," DeHaan concludes. "And not just parents but teachers, law enforcement and clergy. When everyone is aware of what adolescents are doing, it makes a significant difference in their behaviors."

###

Sources: Laura DeHaan (701) 231-8270 and Margaret Fitzgerald (701) 231-8280

Editor: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136