After School Program FACTS

After school programs are critical to youth and their families. After school hours are a peak time for juvenile crime and risky behaviors such as drug use, under age drinking and smoking cigarettes, as well as sexual activity. After school programs provide a safe, positive and healthy environment, help working families and inspire learning. They provide opportunities to help young people develop into successful adults.

• In America today, 1 in 4 youth --14.3 million children, among them are more than 40,000 kindergarteners --are alone and unsupervised after school (America After 3 p.m., May 2004).
  
  
• Between the hours of 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. juveniles are at the highest risk of violence.
  
  
• Teens who do not participate in after school programs are nearly three times more likely to skip classes than teens who do participate. They are also three times more likely to use marijuana or other drugs, and they are more likely to drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes and engage in sexual activity. (YMCA of the USA, March 2001).
  
  
• The hours between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. are the peak hours for juvenile crime and experimentation with drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and sex. (Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 2002).
  
  
• Unsupervised youth are also more likely to be involved in car accidents during the peak hours of 3-4 p.m.
  
  
• The most common activity for children after school is watching television - on average 23 hours a week. (A.C. Nielsen and Company, 1992.

• Students who spend no time in extracurricular activities are 49% more likely to have used drugs and 37% more likely to have become teen parents compared to students who spend one to four hours per week in extracurricular activities. (U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. Adolescent Time Use, Risky Behavior and Outcomes: An analysis of National Data, 1995).
  

• Teens who do not participate in after school programs are three times as likely to skip classes during the school day and participate in the use of marijuana.
  
  
• Students in quality after school programs have better academic performance, behavior, school attendance, and greater expectations for the future (U.S. Departments of Education and Justice, 2000).
  
  
• After school programs have the power to reduce crime, increase safety, bring neighbors together, and foster community pride and ownership.
  
  
• Programs help youth succeed in providing academic support and the chance to form meaningful relationships with adults of their community by encouraging them to get involved in the neighborhood through service projects.

http://www.safeyouth.org
Retrieved November 21, 2007

http://www.afterschoolallstars.org
Retrieved November 21, 2007