Communities that Care Risk and Protection reports

Communities that Care Risk and Protection reports

After successful pilots in Leith and South Edinburgh, Communities that Care was commissioned in 2003 by The City of Edinburgh Council, Lothian Health, Lothian and Borders Police and the voluntary sector to gather information from more than 17,000 12 to 17 year olds living in Edinburgh.

Research shows there are influential risk factors that increase the chances that young people will develop health and behaviour problems as they grow older. The young people surveyed were asked questions about these risk factors such as youth crime, drug abuse, school age pregnancy and failure at school.

The questionnaires also asked young people about protective factors such as strong bonds with family and healthy standards set by parents that help shield young people from problems in circumstances that would otherwise place them at risk.

The young people surveyed in 2006 have been compared in the report to a small sample of around 14,000 young people from across Great Britain, surveyed in 2001. Given the four to five year gap between the dates, comparisons between the two sets of data should be treated with caution.

Summary of City-wide findings:

Risk factors:

Five risk factors are significantly higher than the national norm. They include

Poor parental supervision and discipline
Community disorganisation and neglect
Availability of drugs
Alienation and lack of social commitment
Attitudes condoning problem behaviour

Seven risk factors are lower in Edinburgh than the national norm. They are:

Family conflict
Family history of problem behaviour
Aggressive behaviour at school including bullying
Lack of commitment to school including truancy
School disorganisation
Early involvement in problem behaviour
Friends involvement in problem behaviour

Protective Factors:

Three protective factors in Edinburgh are lower than the national norm:

Family attachment,
Family opportunities for pro- social involvement and
Family rewards for pro social involvement;

One protective factor is higher than the national norm

School opportunities for pro social involvement

One factor equivalent to the national sample

School rewards for pro-social involvement

Download copies of the city wide and five neighbourhood reports using the links below -