This section describes different types of indicator data that may be useful in shaping your prevention initiative and suggests where to find these data in your communities. As you review these lists, think about why you are conducting the assessment, what you hope to find out, and where you are most likely to find the information you are looking for. Remember, too much information can be overwhelming, but too little may provide an incomplete picture of what is going on in your community!

The categories of indicator data discussed in this section include the following:

Education Statistics

Schools or school districts collect annual data and report findings on suspensions, expulsions, and disciplinary actions related to violence and substance use such as physical fights and possession, use, or sale of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs on school property. These data can provide insight into the extent of these problems at your schools as well as the efficacy of existing enforcement measures.

Expect to find information on the reason for the disciplinary action(s), any injuries sustained, the type of substance(s) involved, and the grade of the student(s)involved.

Remember that school records only capture incidents which take place on school property. They do not capture what is going on during the many hours that school is not in session. Also keep in mind that districts may have different ways of determining how to address violations of school rules (e.g., warning, detention, suspension, expulsion), which could make comparisons across schools difficult.

In addition, many schools collect other relevant information, including truancy, absenteeism, faculty attendance rates, and numbers of students enrolled or promoted. Other useful sources of information include school "report cards" (as opposed to individual student report cards) and aggregated standardized test results, which can reveal how well a school is performing as a whole. Keep in mind that privacy and confidentiality issues will preclude access to school records that identify individual students.

Crime Statistics

Crime statistics are available from local police departments. Reports often appear in two sections -- offenses (reported crimes) and arrests. Offenses are the best indicator of the volume of crime occurring in the community. Arrests are a better measure of a police department's response to crime. Information on some types of criminal activities may only be available as arrest data or as reported crimes -- not as both. Information available from police departments can include the following:

• arrests for alcohol or drug possession
• liquor law violations
• arrests for the sale of drugs
• drunk driving arrests
• arrests for drunkenness
• arrests for teen violence
• rapes
• aggravated assault
• homicides
• vandalism
• domestic violence
• personal and property crime
• curfew violations
• disorderly conduct

Court Statistics

The Administrative Office of the Courts (in most states) and other state agencies annually publish court statistics (e.g., convictions for various crimes) by county or district. Such reports may contain information on cases that involved drug-related, alcohol-related, or violent crimes.

Health Statistics

State and county health departments, especially maternal and child health divisions, medical examiners' offices, state offices of vital statistics, and state police departments, can help you with health indicators on a variety of issues, such as causes of disability and disease, deaths related to substance use and violence, and alcohol- or drug-related traffic accidents. Many state health departments also have a division devoted to alcohol and other drug services and maintain data relating to substance abuse at the local levels.

Hospital records, including hospital admission and discharge records, emergency room and emergency medical services records, and trauma registries, can reveal patterns of alcohol- and drug-related illnesses and injuries, as well as other injury and violence patterns, in your community. For example, hospital records can provide information on:

• particular drugs that may be creating a problem for community youth

• admissions for alcohol-related psychological problems

• teen pregnancy

• admissions resulting from acts of aggression or violence

In addition, SAMHSA's Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) collects data on drug abuse related visits to hospital emergency departments and on drug abuse related deaths from medical examiners. This data collection system provides information on some of the most extreme drug abuse cases; it may be useful as a supplement to information that you gather from more global assessments of risk behaviors among youth at the local, state, and national levels (see Part 3: Using State and National Data).

Political Data

Information on voter participation by congressional district or state is available from the local chapter of the League of Women Voters or from the Congressional Quarterly. High voter participation is often considered a marker for community cohesion and attachment.

Demographic Data

Economic Data

Economic data can provide information about how difficult or easy it is to obtain tobacco, alcohol, or firearms in your region. For example, you can obtain information on retail alcohol, cigarette, and firearm prices from the American Chamber of Commerce Research Association and information on alcohol outlet locations through state departments of alcohol beverage control. Similar information on firearms and tobacco outlet locations can be found at local police departments and at state and local departments of public health, respectively.

Other Sources of Data

• Social service agencies generally have records on a variety of issues, including demographic data related to unemployment, poverty, child abuse, children in foster care, and families receiving public assistance, including Medicaid, Food Stamps, Aid to Families with Dependent Children, and federally subsidized lunch programs.

• Area college and university researchers may have relevant information about (or current projects that are studying) different aspects of your community.

• Local newspapers and other media often contain information on local health problems, the state of the schools, and prevention programs and policies.

• Service directories provide contact and other information (e.g., eligibility requirements, hours of operation) for local and regional prevention or treatment programs, and related efforts (e.g., recreational programs).

• The reference librarian at your local library may have additional resources that will help you in your search for information.

References

Gruenewald, P. J., Treno, A. J., Taff, G., and Klitzner, P.J. (1997). Measuring Community Indicators: A Systems Approach to Drug and Alcohol Problems. Applied Social Research Methods (45). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Harding, W. (2000). Assessment: A Vital Preplanning Activity. Newton, MA: Northeast Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies, Education Development Center, Inc.