Education Working Paper No. 4  January 2004 Sex, Drugs, and Delinquency in Urban and Suburban Public Schools What the Press Said: The Myth of the Wholesome Suburban High School by Jay P. Greene and Greg Forster, The Hartford Courant, 1-29-04 Let vouchers help special-education students by Jay P. Greene And Greg Forster, Rocky Mountain News, 1-11-04 New urgency to talking sex with teens Contra Costa Times (subscription), CA - Jan 17, 2005 Parents need to get a clue about teens, 'hooking up' Baltimore Sun (subscription), MD - Jan 16, 2005 Helping youth foundation for economic growth Elkhart Truth, United States, 9-17-04 Economic and youth development must go hand in hand Evansville Courier & Press, IN, 9-17-04 Denial feeds drug scene in suburbs San Francisco Chronicle, 5-9-04 The Suburban Jungle Atlantic Monthly, May 2004 Youth, Community, and Character Intellectual Conservative, AZ, 4-5-04 Youth, Community, and Character Men's News Daily, CA, 4-3-04 Youth, Community, and Character Opinion Editorials, United States, 4-3-04 High school problems have no boundaries The Florida Times-Union, 3-31-04 Suburban youth are no better behaved Final Call, IL Student-athlete reverses near-fall Indianapolis Star, IN Suburban Youths Are No Better Behaved Sacramento Observer, March 17, 2004 Lawmakers Honored as ‘Champions for Student Success’ US Newswire A Tough, But Visionary, Testing Ground Education Week Suburbs no sure thing for safety Pioneer Press Talk tackles sex dangers for teens The News Press Sex, drug use increasing among teens Tri Valley Herald The Best Education In The Biggest Cities Forbes Study: Suburban teens at risk Tulsa World Report a shocker to suburban parents Oklahoma City Oklahoman Rocky Mountain News Cleveland Plain Dealer WKYC-TV Cleveland Surprise! Teens get into trouble in suburbs too Chicago Tribune Teen trouble, close to home Tennessean Report: Suburbs not safe havens for teens Houston Chronicle Suburban kids just as wild as city ones The Oakland Tribune (Oakland, CA) Suburban kids just as wild as city ones Alameda Times-Star (Alameda, CA) Study: Sins not just in city The Argus (Fremont, CA) City, suburban student behavior similar Centre Daily Times Suburban kids will be kids San Mateo County Times (San Mateo, CA) Study: Teens alike no matter where you live Tri-Valley Herald (Pleasanton, CA) Suburban high schools no safer, study says The Tennessean, TN Suburban kids' behavior mirrors urban students' Detroit News, MI Report: Students Will be Students WXIA-TV, GA Report: Suburban schools not safe havens CNN Suburbs don't shield teenagers AZ Central.com Suburbs don't shield teenagers Arizona Republic, AZ Report: From sex to drugs, student behavior similar in cities Sioux City Journal, IA Parents fleeing city for more wholesome environment won't find it WorldNetDaily City, Suburban Student Behavior Similar Atlanta Journal Constitution, GA Report: Kids are the same everywhere MSNBC City, Suburban Student Behavior Similar Montgomery County Record, PA City, Suburban Student Behavior Similar Guardian, UK City, Suburban Student Behavior Similar WCIV, SC City, Suburban Student Behavior Similar KATV, AR City, Suburban Student Behavior Similar ABC News City, Suburban Student Behavior Similar Newsday City, Suburban Student Behavior Similar Tuscaloosa News (subscription), AL City, Suburban Student Behavior Similar Aberdeen American News, SD City, Suburban Student Behavior Similar Wilkes Barre Weekender, PA City, Suburban Student Behavior Similar Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, GA City, Suburban Student Behavior Similar WJLA, DC City, Suburban Student Behavior Similar Macon Telegraph, GA City, Suburban Student Behavior Similar Wichita Eagle, KS City, Suburban Student Behavior Similar Duluth News Tribune, MN City, Suburban Student Behavior Similar Fort Worth Star Telegram, TX City, Suburban Student Behavior Similar Kansas City Star (subscription), MO City, Suburban Student Behavior Similar The Ledger, FL City, Suburban Student Behavior Similar Wilmington Morning Star, NC City, Suburban Student Behavior Similar Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, IN City, Suburban Student Behavior Similar Grand Forks Herald, ND City, Suburban Student Behavior Similar Biloxi Sun Herald, MS City, Suburban Student Behavior Similar Times Daily, AL City, Suburban Student Behavior Similar Centre Daily Times, PA City, Suburban Student Behavior Similar Miami Herald, FL City, Suburban Student Behavior Similar Fort Wayne News Sentinel, IN From sex to drugs, student behavior similar in cities, suburbs AZ Central.com

EMAIL THIS | PRINTER FRIENDLY EWP 4 PDF (85 kb) WHAT THE PRESS SAID SUMMARY: Parents reflexively believe that suburban public schools provide children with safer and more wholesome environments than their urban counterparts. This report finds that the comforting outward signs of order and decency in suburban public schools don’t reflect real student behavior. Using hard national data on high school students, this report by Manhattan Institute Senior Fellow Jay P. Greene and Senior Research Associate Greg Forster finds that urban and suburban high schools are virtually identical in terms of widespread sexual activity and alcohol use. Additionally, about 40% of 12th graders in both urban and suburban schools have used illegal drugs, and 20% of suburban 12th graders and 13% of urban 12th graders have driven while high on drugs. Both types of students are about equally likely to engage in other delinquent behaviors such as fighting and stealing. TABLE OF CONTENTS: Executive Summary About the Authors Acknowledgements About Education Working Papers Introduction Previous Research Method Results Sexual Activity Substance Use Delinquency Conclusion Endnotes References Tables