Agenda - 02-01-1993 - III-B - Laserfiche WebLink

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7 Mortality In North Carolina the five leading causes of death among adolescents ages 15 to 19 are accidents, homicide, suicide, cancer and cardiovascular problems. Nationally, more than forty percent of deaths of sixteen to nineteen year olds are caused by motor vehicle accidents and ten percent by suicide. In Orange County, between 1988 and 1990, the rates of death among people under the age of 20 by accidents, both motor vehicle (9.90/100,000 ) and other (1.41/100,000), are 32% and 85% lower than the state, respectively. However, the suicide rate for Orange County adolescents (5.66/100,000) is 22% higher than that of the state and homicide accounts for four percent of deaths under the age of twenty. Social In Orange County almost thirteen percent of children aged 0-17 live at or below the poverty level. Approximately, 2,050 (21%) of Orange County Public school students receive free or reduced rate for meals. During 1987, 98 cases of child abuse or neglect were substantiated in children and adolescents aged 0-17 in Orange County. According to the North Carolina Advocacy Institute, Orange County ranked 90th in the state for reported cases. Nationally it is estimated that there as many as 1 million homeless and runaway adolescents each year. In Orange County nobody really knows how many children and adolescents are homeless, either living in homeless families or on their own, but in a recent survey done by social service agencies in Northern Orange County it was found that sixteen females aged 16 to 19 were found eligible for a group home setting secondary to homelessness as defined by presently living outside of their nuclear family and lack of a consistent place to live. Delinquency is a major problem in Northern and Southern Orange County. Presently, there are thirty five Northern Orange County youth involved in active probation cases and forty five Southern Orange County youth. The crimes are significant in that, if committed by adults, they would be punishable by the law. There are twenty adolescents who have been referred to the juvenile court as high risk for committing crime and are connected to a court counselor for appropriate referral and intervention. Academic Indicators School absenteeism secondary to medical and psychosocial problems is a significant issue for adolescents in Orange County. During the 1991 school year, there were 492 out of school suspensions and six long-term suspensions (remainder of year) for students in fourth through twelfth grade in Northern Orange County. The 1991 state dropout rate was 3.4 percent compared to Orange County's unduplicated dropout rate of 1.78 percent. The major reasons cited for dropping out were poor school attendance, health problems, child care issues and chronic discipline problems. Summary Orange county enjoys a low unemployment rate, a low school dropout rate, a low pregnancy rate, and a multitude of medical services. The real picture, however, is of a county with a high number of its citizens living below the poverty level, too many students out of school before completion of their education and a large number of adolescents who do not, for various reasons, have a regular source of medical care. Psychological services are limited. The quality of life depicted by the unemployment rate and average income figures does not give us a picture of the group of adolescents who live daily with chronic medical and psychological issues that can be best addressed by a comprehensive approach to medical care that is unencumbered by roadblocks such as confidentiality, transportation and finances.