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The Fairfax County Youth Survey is a comprehensive, anonymous, and voluntary survey that examines the risk and protective behaviors and other factors that influence the health and well being of our County's youth. The survey is administered every two years in Fairfax County Public Schools to a random sample of 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th graders. This year the survey will be administered in randomly selected school classrooms between February 6 and February 8.

The survey's focus areas include:

use of alchohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD)

violence

delinquency

bullying and aggression

mental health concerns such as suicide, depression, body image

sexual health (8th, 10th, and 12th grade only)

nutrition and physical activity

risk and protective factors at home, school, and in the community

In order to gather the breadth of information desired by community stakeholders and to manage the length of the survey, questions for 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students were divided among two shorter survey forms (Forms A and B), which will be randomly distributed to classrooms of students selected to participate in the youth survey.

Both survey forms have a common set of core questions. Youth who complete Form A answer additional questions about risk and protective factors (similar to past Fairfax County Youth Surveys) while youth who complete Form B answer additional questions about health risks and outcomes.




The additional questions on Form A were largely pulled from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Communities That Care Survey, while the additional questions on Form B were largely derived from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Youth Risk Behavior Survey. These questions are predominantly health-related.

The 6th grade survey is a single version, with fewer questions, but includes most of the core items.

All parents of children in classrooms that have been randomly selected for surveying will receive a special letter from the Superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools providing information about the 2008 Fairfax County Youth Survey.

Samples of the surveys appear below:

Fairfax 6th Grade Youth Survey (99 KB)

Fairfax Youth Risk and Protective Factors Survey (148 KB) (Form A for 8th, 10th, and 12th graders)

Fairfax Youth Healthy Behaviors Survey (175 KB) (Form B for 8th, 10th, and 12th graders)

A list of Frequently Asked Questions for the 2008 Youth Survey are available.

The reports produced as a result of the surveys will be posted to this website as soon as they are available. Links to reports from previous Fairfax County Youth Surveys appear below.

2005 Reports:

• 2005 Fairfax County Youth Survey Report (873 KB)
• 2005 Fairfax County Youth Survey Presentation (156 KB)
• Press Release for 2005 Fairfax County Youth Survey
• Everyone's Child....Then and Now (Report is located on the Fairfax County Public Schools web site)

2003 Reports:

• 2003 Fairfax County Summary Tables (129 KB)
• 2003 Protective and Risk Factors (403 KB)

2001 Reports:

• 2001 Communities That Care: Youth Survey Report (336 KB)