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2003 Healthy Hall Focus
Group Report - Youth

Voices of Youth

Gainesville High Christian Education Group
10 Participants

Overview of the Group

This group of five girls and five boys met during an optional class period. The grades of students in the group ranged from ninth grade to 12th grade. One female member of the class was black. There were no Latinos in the class.

Eight of the students were residents of Hall County, most of them life-long residents. Two members of the class were from other counties-one from Banks and one from Dawson. Both out of county students reported their parents sent them to Gainesville High for a better educational experience. Students in the group believe their school is doing a good job of educating them and preparing them for the future. When asked to give their school a letter grade, all but one student responded with an A or B.

The Hall residents in the group believe Hall County is a good place to live and grow up. For the most part they talked openly about the issues posed to them. This is a class that is used to discussing religion, so they are not timid about speaking up on sensitive topics. It seems important to note that while the class was a Christian education group, there was no evidence that members of the group were advancing ideas based on dogma or the philosophies of any particular faith. In fact, it was apparent that many different religious viewpoints were represented in the room.

Priority Issues Affecting Life In Hall County

Like teens all over the world, the first word used to describe life in Hall County was “boring.” They would like to see more places for teens to hang out, such as coffee houses or Internet cafes.

This group does not see the Boys Club/Girls Club as a place for them. That’s a place for “younger kids,” they said. This group also does not see church groups or youth fellowships as a satisfactory solution. “A lot of kids won’t go to those,” was the response.

One boy said he would like to see more alternative sports like rugby or lacrosse to open up more opportunities for students to participate.

When asked if they planned to live in Hall County (or the surrounding areas) after college, only one student said yes. Most see Hall County as a good place to live, with plenty of opportunity for jobs, but not necessarily matching their interests. One student perhaps spoke for the group saying that most will go somewhere else for college and likely not return.

Health Care Issues

Even though teens are likely to have limited experience with health care in Hall County, the issue was discussed, but from a youth perspective.

Though all have used doctors multiple times in their lives, only half of the group reported having a regular doctor, someone they know by name and see regularly. The remaining five reported using clinics, the emergency room or services like QuickCare. When asked if they had ever experienced difficulty getting health care when they needed it, one girl in the group said yes. Though she was reluctant to elaborate, lack of money or insurance appeared to be the reason for her difficulty, based on her comments.

Dental problems, allergies and injuries are the health problems these teens see most often at school.

When asked about health classes and sex education, all members of the group said they have been in such classes and they question their effectiveness. One student said he thought the sex ed classes were too focused on abstinence. Another said he thought the classes would be taken more seriously if there was less emphasis on the negative aspects of sex. One girl said she thought the classes were repetitious, and that after a while students tune out.

When one boy said he thought sex ed should not be taught at school at all, he was challenged by another boy who noted that some students do not have parents to teach them information about sex. Nine of ten in the class said they support sex ed and were glad to have had the classes. When asked at what age sex ed should first be taught, the consensus of the group was age 12 to 13.

When the subject turned to drug use among students at Gainesville High, members of the group seemed somewhat reluctant to talk. Said one girl-“I don’t see any of it.”

It is interesting to note that students separate drug use from marijuana use. Drugs, as defined by this group of students, include crystal meth and hallucinogenics like LSD. The students said these drugs are not widely used and are seen by most students as a negative activity and a serious social stigma.

Marijuana on the other hand seems to have no stigma attached to it at all. It is used commonly and deemed to be socially acceptable among most teens.

Also acceptable is alcohol use, even heavy alcohol use. Said one teen, “I know a good many kids who drink every weekend.” Another explained that it is socially acceptable to drink, even heavily, saying, “It’s certainly not looked down on.” The group explained that drinking does not usually occur at school, but at students’ homes and weekend parties.

All agree that there is a significant problem with smoking at their school. Smoking does seem to carry something of a negative stigma with this group. When asked what programs or messages are effective in encouraging kids not to smoke, the group offered no ideas. “It’s a personal choice,” said one girl. “I don’t think there is anything you can do about it.”

Safety and Security Issues

Participants in this group report they usually feel safe at school and in the community. School violence is not a major concern for them, but they do worry about stealing.

“Don’t bring any money to school or it’s gone,” said one boy. Others in the group agreed that stealing is rampant at school, and that jackets, cell phones, purses or anything of value is vulnerable, especially when stored in gym lockers where there are no security cameras. When asked what percentage of students in the school could be trusted not to steal, the answers ranged from a low of 10% to 75%.

All of the students have had contact or experiences of some sort involving gangs or gang-like groups. Several stories were told of friends or acquaintances who were jumped or beaten or threatened because they wore the wrong colors and ventured into the wrong part of town. One student said he was confronted by a group of 10-to-12 year olds who threatened him as he was walking down the street. The story was treated comically, but it was clear the student was shaken somewhat by the experience. Half the students in the class had a gang story.

Several students talked about the graffiti that is visible throughout the community. One girl said her church was spray-painted. Another said his car was spray painted because it was the wrong color.

There were mixed reactions to the role and effectiveness of police. One female student said officers like to “prey on young girls,” saying they wait and watch for them to drive by. Students do acknowledge that police are important to safety and security, but they express suspicion about police tactics and motives.

One girl also expressed suspicion about security at school, saying she wished there were fewer security cameras. “I feel all they do is watch us,” she said.

It is unclear how much of the students attitude toward police and authorities is molded by myth and teen angst and how much is taken from genuine awareness of community issues. When asked, no student in the class could come up with the name of the mayor of Gainesville, the Hall County sheriff or the Gainesville police chief.

Community Connections

The students in the group said that while racism and prejudice are not high profile problems in Hall County, they are ever present just below the surface. As evidence they cite the proliferation of groups at school that associate only with others just like them. “We have a lot of groupies,” said one student.

Students of different races tend to cluster at school. Several students reported that Latinos are most likely to remain separate at school. One girl explained that during lunch or free time the Latino students always stay together.

There are few fights or other problems related to race, however. The students explained that the races get along, they just don’t socialize much.

Likely because of their interests in religion (as evidenced by their voluntary participation in a Christian education class) several students were anxious to talk about religious prejudice. One girl, a Catholic, said she felt some bias from among her peers.

This comment prompted an interesting discussion about Wicca, which according to one student, is practiced by a number of his friends. He said, and other students confirmed, that prejudice against Wicca’s is common at Gainesville High. Clearly some students view Wicca as a religious practice with standing equal to other, better known faiths and denominations.

Optimism About The Future

Most students are optimistic about their own futures, but are somewhat fatalistic about the future of the community or the world. Most in the group have definite plans for college and some have already planned for specific careers.

Concerns over environmental issues and population growth colored this group’s appraisal of Hall County in the future. Students observed that Hall County’s dramatic growth is having an impact on green spaces. Said one girl, “I’m not that old, but I can drive by places that have built up and remember when their used to be trees there.”

Virtually every student in the class thinks the environmental future of Hall County looks negative, and some cited it as a reason they may choose to live elsewhere. Overcrowding, traffic, declining water quality and loss of woods and forests were cited as concerns.

When asked what they worry about, some in this group cited the war. This session was held near the beginning of the war with Iraq, and it was clear that thoughts of war were fueling some pessimistic, even fatalistic thoughts about the future.

When asked what their parents worry about, one girl summed up for the group saying, “us.” Others said their parents worried about money, jobs and paying for college.

When asked what recommendations they would make to improve the county, this group had little to add. One boy said he would like to see a greater emphasis on developing and expanding parks.

Boys Club-Girls Club After School Group
13 Participants

Overview of the Group

This energetic group of sixth and seventh graders consisted of four boys and nine girls. All participants in the group were African American. They were cooperative, outspoken and very interested in talking about their schools and community.

Priority Issues Affecting Life In Hall County

When asked to describe what a healthy Hall County would look like, this group focused at first on characteristics of personal health-good nutrition, exercise, avoiding drugs and tobacco, and staying clean. It is clear that this group is getting the personal health message either at school or at home, and several talked about embracing these good health habits themselves.

When asked if Hall County is a healthy place to live, however, most in the group said no. The health problems they cited were dirty streets and trashy playgrounds, people fighting, graffiti on buildings, drug use, gangs and air pollution.

This group is very opinionated on the issues of litter, pollution and dirty parks. When asked to cite an example of a dirty park, several girls in unison stood up and pointed out the window to the park outside.

Parks seem to be a very important part of these young lives. They talked about going there to hang out or to play sports. Some complained that the best parks are too far away for them to go to on their own. It is clear they want their parks to be clean, active, non-threatening places.

Health Care Issues

All members of the group had had experiences with doctors, and some had been to hospitals. Almost every member of the group said they have a doctor they consider their doctor. Only one or two seemed to be uncertain about a doctor.

This group was not very interested in discussing health care. One issue of interest did emerge, however-fast food and obesity.

Displaying insight that seemed surprising for the age group, one girl said there are too many working mothers who don’t have enough time to do anything for dinner than to take their children to the drive-thru. She expressed the opinion that she and other children she knows eat too much fast food.

Several in the group expressed genuine concern about friends who are obese, saying they were afraid they wouldn’t live long.

This group has a high awareness of what a good diet should be. When asked how many servings of fruits and vegetables one should eat a day, an entertaining little debate ensued as several in the group argued over the right numbers. It was clear from the discussion, however, that this group has studied nutrition and has learned some valuable information.

Safety and Security Issues

When asked if they feel safe in the community, this group generated some mixed responses. All reported feeling safe at home, but some worry about bullies and fighting at school and at parks.

Bullying and fighting seems to be more a male worry than a female worry in this group (and in an older group to follow). Two of the young men in this group expressed fear of getting beaten up. These same boys said there are times when they are afraid to go to school.

One girl reported there is a bully law that addresses this threat. Another girl said she wasn’t afraid of bullies because she is one.

According to the group, parks become a more worrisome place in the evenings in the summer. Apparently the parks are a hangout for older youth who are intimidating to these younger students. Several in the group mentioned fireworks. One boy said, “They shoot firecrackers at you.” This same threat was mentioned in another group.

This young group expressed interesting attitudes toward gangs, saying the gangs they know are not really gangs, just gang-like. Said one girl, “They don’t go around killing people . . . they’re more like a family.”

Several in the group said the gangs do pick fights, however. When asked if they could name some gangs, kids in the group rattled off more than a dozen names. When asked how many have personally seen a gang fighting, over half raised their hands. But the group insisted, as if defending the practice, that mere fighting is not evidence of a real gang.

This group does seem to have respect for law enforcement. When asked about police and the jobs they do, the group expressed positive attitudes and said police do a good job.

Community Connections

This young group is not overly focused on race issues. When asked if Hall County is a friendly place, the group’s response was very positive in tone. Rather than introducing issues of race, religion or culture as other groups did, these young people defined “friendly” by describing their good relations with friends at school and church.

When asked about relationships between the races, young people in the group echoed other groups saying blacks, whites and Latinos separate themselves. This did not seem to be a troubling notion, just a description of the way things are.

One young man in the group did tell a meaningful story. He said he went into an electronics store at the mall to look at video games, but was told by a store employee he was not allowed to play the games on display and would have to leave. The boy said a few minutes later he saw a white boy go in and play the games without being stopped by the clerk. While the boy did not say so, it was clear he felt he had been a victim of racial bias.

Boys Club-Girls Club Older Group
8 Participants

Overview of the Group

This group of six girls and two boys, all of them African American, meets at the Boys Club/Girls Club in the late afternoon to hang out and work with computers. Members of this group were 8th and 9th graders, aged from 13 to 15.

The youth in this group were friendly with each other and fun loving, but were less interested in talking about issues of health and Hall County than their younger counterparts. In fact, this group seemed to distrust the focus group process, as if it could be a ruse to gather information for some other purpose. There were several times during the discussion that participants seemed to be deliberately withholding information that might be interpreted as informing on themselves or friends.

Priority Issues Affecting Life In Hall County

When asked about what makes a county healthy, youth in this group listed a number of personal health issues like eating right, getting enough sleep and exercise and avoiding tobacco and drugs.

When asked if they believe their friends are healthy, most of them laughed and said no. When asked why, several in the group said many of their friends smoke and some do drugs.

The group seemed to be unanimous that smoking is a major problem and a widespread practice. When asked what percentage of their school smokes regularly, the consensus response was that about half smoke either cigarettes or marijuana. One boy said many youth smoke “blacky mouth.” When asked to explain what blacky mouth is, he said “weed.”

One girl said smoking marijuana, or at least trying it, is far more widespread than tobacco. She said, “All of them are going to try some weed . . . all I know.” Like the Gainesville High group, this group defined marijuana as something other than a drug. In fact, there seemed to be much more of an equation between marijuana and tobacco-some smoke one or the other, or both.

The group responded very little when asked about drugs. They seemed to have little desire to discuss the topic, whether from distrust or disinterest, it is difficult to say. One of the girls said they studied drugs and their effect on the body in health class at school.

When asked about alcohol the group said this is much less of a problem in their school. Some in the group volunteered that they do not drink. Some said they have tried alcohol, at least a little.

The group was more verbal about the topic of sex, volunteering that over half of the people they know are sexually active. It is clear that definitions of sex may be gray in this group. One boy asked what was meant by sex, saying a lot of people are doing things that could be described as sexual activity, but are not really sex.

When asked if they studied sex education in school, one girl said, “We used to.” When asked what that meant, there was no response.

Those in this group exercise very little, or not at all. When asked about their exercise habits, most said they do not play sports nor exercise regularly. One girl does play basketball at the Boys Club/Girls Club, but the others come to the Club only to see friends, play games and use computers.

Those in this group were the least likely of all groups interviewed to report having a regular doctor. All in the group said they had been to doctors, but none could-or would--provide a name of a doctor they go to all the time

Safety and Security Issues

All in the group said they feel safe living in Hall County and at school. The boys, however, expressed some concern over fighting and bullying. One of the young men, admitting that he has a tendency to talk too much, expressed concern that his mouth tends to get him in trouble with older teens.

Like their younger counterparts, this group sees trouble in the public parks, especially in the summer time. One of the boys mentioned having fireworks shot at him. One of the girls talked about fighting at the parks. Several in the group said the parks are not clean. When asked what can be done to change the parks, one of the young women said, “You can’t change them. You can’t change the parks . . . you’ve got to change the people.”

The mention of gangs brought an animated reaction from the group, with all saying gangs are prevalent and are a significant problem. Like the younger group, this group sees a difference in some gangs, noting some are just groups of people loyal to each other, while some are more serious and threatening. According to those in the group, most gangs just exchange threatening words, but the words sometimes escalate to fighting.

When asked if they had personally witnessed any gang violence, the group got very quiet. In fact, this was the only time during the hour-long discussion that the group got totally quiet. Finally one girl volunteered she had seen some fighting. When asked if it was serious, she replied “It’s always serious.”

When asked if they had had any discussions with their parents about gangs and fighting, no one volunteered an answer.

This group expressed very negative attitudes toward police, saying phrases like “crooked cops,” and “bad.” When one boy said that some of the police are dedicated to their jobs, one girl challenged him saying, “They ain’t no kind of good.” There was no meaningful response to questions about their school resource officer, except for one girl who said, “they see too much.”

Community Connections

There were mixed evaluations of relationships between races in Hall County. Some said those of different races do not get along, while others said they do. Like other groups, this group described an environment where youth of different races keep to themselves.

When asked if they have good friends of different races, one girl who said yes was immediately challenged by another girl to provide a name as evidence. She did not provide a name.

As if to underscore the separation of the races, a somewhat disturbing event occurred ironically close to this point of the discussion. A white teenage girl came into the room to get something from a storage cabinet. As the visitor left the room and closed the door, one girl in the focus group said, ‘get your white - - - out of here.”

Views of the Future

When asked what they would do to make Hall County a better place, one youth said do something about homelessness. Asked if homelessness is a big problem in the County, the youth replied that it is, and that there needs to be some housing built.

Two other youth repeated they would like to see the city cleaned up, including with the parks and streets.

Another said she would like to see a new Boys Club/Girls Club built.

 

Minorities

Purpose

Seniors

South Hall

Youth