Children Are SafeChildren and youth are among the
most vulnerable members of society. Keeping children and youth
safe and out of trouble requires preventative action and interest by
the adults in their homes and communities. Juvenile arrests
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Children
and youth often get
into trouble when they do not have a secure and nurturing safety net of
adults. Children and youth with access to childcare or after
school activities are less likely to commit crimes. Felony
juvenile arrests, especially violent ones, are particularly worrying as
they indicate levels of social dysfunction and self-destructive
behavior at young ages.How is Yolo County doing?Yolo County has a low rate of crimes per capita compared to the state crime rate. However, the rate of arrests per capita is higher than the state averages for both juvenile and adult crimes. In particular, there are quite a few more arrests for juvenile misdemeanors than the state average. Despite a high arrest rate, Yolo County’s crime clearance rate is about average. The crime clearance rate is the rate at which reported crimes are solved.Juvenile arrest rates are declining, in both Yolo County and across the state, but Yolo County arrest rates remain higher than the state rates. Burglary is the most comon crime in the county, except in West Sacramento, which has the highest per capita crime rate, and the highest level of moter vehicle theft. |
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Crimes on school campuses
Why is this important?
Awareness of crime on school
campuses, and particularly campus violence, has been increasing due to
several recent high profile events reported by the national media, such
as the Columbine, Colorado, high school shooting. Crime has also
been increasingly recognized as a problem for all schools, including
the affluent and middle class.
How is Yolo County doing?
Not only have crimes on Yolo County public school campuses been increasing since 1997-98, but the violence of crimes also has been increasing. Battery has replaced property crimes as the leading type of campus crime. In 1994 school administrators began implementing the ‘Zero Tolerance’ policy on campuses in California, and it has been gradually expanded from requiring expulsion or suspension for gun possession to other serious offenses.Crime on the University of California, Davis campus has decreased slightly since 1997, leveling off at about 375 crimes per 10,000 students since 1999. Property crimes are the most predominant on campus, followed by drug use and possession, which has been decreasing in recent years. There are very few violent or weapons related crimes on the UC campus.
Children arrested for driving under the
influence
Why is this important?
Motor vehicle accidents are a
leading cause of child and youth mortality, particularly for
teenagers. Reducing teen drunk driving can help reduce teen
accidents, injuries and deaths.
How is Yolo County doing?
The rate of juvenile DUI arrests in Yolo County has been consistently above the state average for at least the past ten years. While the juvenile DUI arrest rate may be higher in Yolo County than the rest of the state, this does not necessarily reflect higher rates of teen drinking, or teen drunk driving. It may reflect the diligence of Yolo County law enforcement officers in targeting youth DUI offenders. Nevertheless, there are still a significant number of juveniles driving under the influence in the county, as this next measure shows.
Teen alcohol and drug use
Why is this important?
Alcohol and drug use can have a
serious impact on the lives of teens. Teens who begin drinking or
trying illegal drugs in high school are more likely to develop into
substance abusers later in life. They are less likely to do well
in school; the California Healthy Kids Survey found a significant
correlation between substance use among students and low API scores for
their schools. Further, alcohol is often a factor in teen
mortality: car crashes, homicide and suicide.
How is Yolo County doing?
Despite the fact that most teens know that frequent use of alcohol and marijuana is extremely harmful, many continue to not only experiment with substances, but also use them on a regular basis.The results of the California Healthy Kids Survey indicate that Yolo County adolescents use alcohol with approximately the same intensity (consuming to get intoxicated) as adolescents statewide. (Note)
The Healthy People 2010 goal is for 29% of high school seniors to have never used alcohol. Between 31% and 36% of Yolo County teens have never used alcohol by the end of their 11th grade year. Data for Yolo County high school seniors was not available.
Domestic violence
Why is this important?
Children whose parents abuse one another are much more likely to
experience abuse themselves. Beyond this, children who experience
or witness domestic violence in their homes are more likely to perform
poorly in school, and grow up and continue the cycle of family
violence. The anxiety or stress produced by the situation puts
children at risk to substance abuse, delinquency, truancy, and
relationship disorders.
How is Yolo County doing?
Yolo County averages 12 domestic violence calls per 1000 households, while the state as a whole averages 17 domestic violence calls per 1000 households. The rate in West Sacramento is higher than all other cities in Yolo County, as well as the state average. West Sacramento is located in the Washington Unified School District, which has relatively high dropout rates, low API scores, and the highest rate of teen pregnancy in the county. All three of these indicators may reflect the consequences of children and youth exposed to violence or stressful home environments.Childhood mortality rates
Why is this important?
Childhood
mortality is often preventable, especially death through unintentional
injury. Increased use of seatbelts, bicycle helmets, and other
safety measures can reduce childhood death rates.How is Yolo County doing?
Approximately 25 children a year die in Yolo County. The leading cause of death for Yolo County children and youth (ages 1-18) during the 1993-1998 time period was motor vehicle injuries. According to the Yolo County Health Department, there has been a decline in motor vehicle accident deaths over the past ten years due to improved road and vehicle safety measures and a decline in accidents due to drunk driving. Unintentional injuries, such as drowning or poisoning were the second leading cause of death. The Healthy People 2010 goal is for no more than 17.5 deaths due to unintentional, and thus possibly preventable, injuries or accidents per 100,000 individuals. Yolo County has not met that goal among children and youth ages 0-24 in 2001; the death rate per 100,000 children and youth dying from external causes was 21.7. West Sacramento and rural areas had the highest youth mortality rates. Between 1998 and 2002 only one child in Yolo County died as a result of domestic violence.Bullying and physical violence at school
Why is this important?
The California Department of
Education defines bullying as "intentional, repeated hurtful acts,
words or other behavior, such as name-calling, threatening and/or
shunning committed by one or more children against another."
Bullying is a very serious problem on school campuses. It can
make students unwilling or fearful of coming to school, adversely
affect their academic performance, and even cause long term social
disorders. However, bullying is harmful not just for the
victims. Students who bully are likely to come from homes where
violence is the norm, and are more likely than other children to enter
the criminal justice system as adults. Bullying on school
campuses creates the risk of escalating, perhaps deadly, violence.
How is Yolo County doing?
According to the California Healthy Kids Survey slightly fewer children in Yolo County report having been afraid of physical violence than the state average, but near average percentages of students report having been physically assaulted. (Note) In general, there appears to be less physical violence experienced by Yolo County children and youth at school. Violence also decreases at higher grade levels.The percent of students at Yolo County Schools who report being verbally bullied at school is close to the state average for 7th and 11th grades, and slightly higher in the 9th grade.
