Book of Odds
Page 14
GENDER WARS
The odds a man 18–65 agrees that “it is sometimes necessary to discipline a child with a good, hard spanking”: 1 in 1.3
The odds a woman 18–65 agrees that “it is sometimes necessary to discipline a child with a good, hard spanking”: 1 in 1.4
SOURCE: Child Trends, Charting Parenthood: A Statistical Portrait of Fathers and Mothers in America, 2002, http://fatherhood.hhs.gov/charting02/.
Getting Ready for
Staying Home to Learn
According to a survey by the National Center for Education Statistics, the number of homeschooled children in the United States increased from an estimated 850,000 students in 1999 to about 1.5 million students in 2007. The survey was conducted three times over the eight-year period, and while the total number has increased by 77.4%, many characteristics of the homeschooled population have remained consistent. The vast majority—between 80% and 82%—of homeschooled students receive no instruction from a traditional school. White children make up between 75% and 77% of the homeschooled population. A little more than half have two parents, with one parent in the labor force. And 60–62% of children taught at home live in families with three or more children.
There have also been some interesting changes. More parents of some financial means are choosing to keep their children at home. In 1999, 17% of homeschooled children lived in households with an income over $75,000; by 2007 the percentage had almost doubled to 33%. At the same time, fewer black families were making the choice to homeschool; the percentage fell from almost 10% in 1999 to 4% in 2007.
SOURCES: National Center for Education Statistics, Elementary and Secondary School Grades. National Center for Education Statistics, National Household Education Surveys Program.
Where Kids Go to School
The odds a student 5–17 attends an assigned public school: 1 in 1.4
The odds a student 5–17 attends a chosen public school: 1 in 6.7
The odds a student 5–17 attends a private school: 1 in 8.8
The odds a student 5–17 is homeschooled: 1 in 34.5
The odds a student 5–17 attends a chosen charter school: 1 in 50
SOURCES: TD Snyder, SA Dillow, Digest of Education Statistics 2009 (NCES 2010-013), Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, 2010. S Grady, S Bielick, Trends in the Use of School Choice: 1993 to 2007 (NCES 2010-004), Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, 2010.
GENDER WARS
The odds a child 3–5 who is not in kindergarten can:
Recognize all the letters in the alphabet: 1 in 3.7 for a girl; 1 in 4.6 for a boy.
Write own name: 1 in 1.8 for a girl; 1 in 2.1 for a boy.
Read or pretend to read a storybook: 1 in 1.3 for a girl; 1 in 1.4 for a boy.
SOURCE: CW Nord, J Lennon, B Liu, K Chandler, “Home Literacy Activities and Signs of Children’s Emerging Literacy, 1993 and 1999,” Statistics in Brief, National Center for Education Statistics, November 1999.
The odds a public elementary school teaches foreign languages: 1 in 6.7
The odds a private elementary school teaches foreign languages: 1 in 2
SOURCE: Book of Odds estimate based on NC Rhodes, I Pufah, Foreign Language Teaching in U.S. Schools, Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics, 2009.
Report Card: Public vs. Private
The odds a public elementary school student receives mostly As 1 in 2
The odds a public elementary school student receives mostly Bs 1 in 3
The odds a public elementary school student receives mostly Cs 1 in 7.5
The odds a public elementary school student receives mostly Ds or Fs 1 in 28.6
The odds a private elementary school student receives mostly As 1 in 1.5
The odds a private elementary school student receives mostly Bs 1 in 3.8
The odds a private elementary school student receives mostly Cs 1 in 15.2
The odds a private elementary school student receives mostly Ds or Fs 1 in 167
SOURCE: TD Snyder, SA Dillow, Digest of Education Statistics 2009 (NCES 2010-013), Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, 2010.
Getting There:
How Kids Get to School
The odds a child 5–14 will…
usually take a school bus to school 1 in 2.5
usually walk to school 1 in 8.3
usually bike to school 1 in 100
SOURCE: Safe Routes Partnership, “US Travel Data Show Decline in Walking and Bicycling to School Has Stabilized,” press release announcing data from the US Department of Transportation 2009 National Travel Survey.
Preschool
The odds a child is enrolled in a preprimary education program at age:
3: 1 in 2.5
4: 1 in 1.5
5: 1 in 1.2
SOURCE: TD Snyder, SA Dillow, Digest of Education Statistics 2009 (NCES 2010-013), Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, 2010.
Difficulties in School
The odds a child has been diagnosed with a learning disability:
Age 3–4: 1 in 35.7
Age 5–11: 1 in 13.2
Age 12–17: 1 in 9.3
SOURCE: “Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Children: National Health Interview Survey, 2009,” Vital and Health Statistics 10(247), August 2010.
GENDER WARS
The odds a male is left-handed: 1 in 7.7
The odds a female is left-handed: 1 in 12.4
SOURCE: C McManus, “Precisely Wrong? The Problems with the Jones and Martin Genetic Model of Sex Differences in Handedness and Language Lateralization,” Cortex, 2010: 700–702.
1 in 284 employed people 16 or older is a school bus driver.
SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics, National Cross-Industry Estimates, 2009.
Turn Off That
(Computer, TV, Cell Phone, Etc.)
A 2008/2009 Kaiser Family Foundation study of 8- to 18-year-olds found that the amount of time young people spend sitting in front of screens of all kinds—from TVs to computers to iPods to cell phones—has dramatically increased. About 79% of people in this age group will watch television in a day, and 1 in 5.9 spends 5 hours or more per day tuned in. As for the Internet, at least 1 in 3 children between 5 and 17 is on it every day. Meanwhile, 1 in 8.3 of those 8 to 18 spends at least 5 hours a day texting on a cell phone and 1 in 6.7 spends 30–60 minutes talking on a cell phone in a day.
For people 8–18, 87% live in a house with a video game console. That number is up from 81% in 1999. 60% of children in this age range will play a video game in a given day. The odds a person 8–18 will spend a half hour to an hour playing video games in a day are 1 in 5.3; the odds of playing 1–3 hours per day are 1 in 6.3.
SOURCES: V Rideout, UG Foehr, DF Roberts, Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8–18 Year Olds, Kaiser Foundation Study, March 2005. 2008 Kids and Family Reading Report, conducted by Yankelovich for Scholastic. R Weis, B Cerankosky, “Effects of Video-Game Ownership on Young Boys’ Academic and Behavioral Functioning,” Psychological Science, February 2010.
Good News!
The odds a child 5–17 will read a book not required for school in a week: 1 in 1.7
SOURCE: 2008 Kids and Family Reading Report, conducted by Yankelovich for Scholastic.
“Library Books Due Today!”
The odds are 1 in 3.3 a child 5–17 says he or she loves to read vs. 1 in 11.1 says he or she hates to read.
SOURCE: 2008 Kids and Family Reading Report, conducted by Yankelovich for Scholastic.
Phone Home
The ownership of cell phones by kids has increased dramatically. The odds a child 6–11 owned a cell phone in 2005 were 1 in 8.4 but rose to 1 in 5 by 2009.
The odds a child 6–11 will use a cell phone:
to call his/her parents 1 in 1.1
to call friends 1 in 1.5
for emergency purposes 1 in 1.8
to text message 1 in 1.9
to take pictures 1 in 2.1
to listen to music 1 in 2.9
for picture messaging 1 in 4.1
to download ringtones 1 in 6.1
SOURCE: “Kids’ Cell Phone Ownership Has Dramatically Increased in Past Five Years,” MRI American Kids Study 2009, January 4, 2010.
Bring Back Superman
Kids between 5 and 8 are the most likely to have read a comic book in the past week (1 in 2.5). The odds drop to 1 in 4.6 for kids 9–11. But once kids reach mid-adolescence, interest in comic books is rekindled. 1 in 3.3 teenagers age 15–17 will read one in a week.
SOURCE: 2008 Kids and Family Reading Report, conducted by Yankelovich for Scholastic.
GENDER WARS
By the time kids are in their teens, girls are far less likely than boys to be hooked on video games: the odds are 1 in 25 a teenage girl 13–17 will typically play them after school compared to 1 in 5.3 for a teenage boy.
SOURCE: L Lyons, “What Teens Are Doing After School,” Gallup, April 19, 2005.
Medication
The odds a child took prescription medication regularly for at least 3 months in the past year:
Age 5–17 diagnosed with a learning disability 1 in 3
Age 5–17 without a learning disability 1 in 10.8
Age 5–17 diagnosed with ADHD 1 in 2
Age 5–17 without ADHD 1 in 11.6
SOURCE: GA Simpson, G Scott, RW Manderscheid, MJ Henderson, Mental Health, United States, 2002, US Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Mental Health Services, 2002.
Depression and Learning Difficulties
The odds a child 5–17 is unhappy, sad, or depressed: 1 in 27
The odds for a child:
With ADHD: 1 in 6.9
With a learning disability: 1 in 8.3
The odds a child 5–17 will have contact with a mental health professional: 1 in 15.4
The odds for a child:
With ADHD: 1 in 2.7
With a learning disability: 1 in 3.7
SOURCE: GA Simpson, G Scott, RW Manderscheid, MJ Henderson, Mental Health, United States, 2002, US Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Mental Health Services, 2002.
“It’s not just Kris that’s on trial, it’s everything he stands for. It’s kindness and joy and love and all the other intangibles.”
— From the defense of Santa Claus in Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
The odds an adult believed in Santa Claus as a child are 1 in 1.16.
The odds a girl 6–11 will hope to receive dolls or doll accessories for the holidays are 1 in 1.83.
The odds a boy 6–11 will hope to receive sports equipment or outdoor toys for the holidays are 1 in 1.85.
SOURCES: Miracle on 34th Street (1947), Screenplay by George Seaton, 20th Century–Fox. Results of AP-AOL News Poll on Angels, Associated Press, December 23, 2006. N Zwiers, State of the Industry: A Kid’s Eye View!, KidzEyes/Funosophy, 2005.
GENDER WARS
The odds a boy 3–17 has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): 1 in 8.5 vs. 1 in 18.9 for a girl.
SOURCE: “Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Children: National Health Interview Survey, 2009,” Vital and Health Statistics, 10(247), August 2010.
Go, Team, Go!
The odds a child plays a team sport at:
6: 1 in 2.3
7: 1 in 1.8
8: 1 in 1.9
9: 1 in 1.9
10: 1 in 1.8
11: 1 in 1.7
12: 1 in 1.6
13: 1 in 1.7
SOURCE: Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association Trends in Team Sports 2009, February 2009.
GENDER WARS
The odds a boy 5–17 will receive special education in a year: 1 in 11.8 vs. 1 in 22.2 for a girl.
SOURCE: GA Simpson, G Scott, RW Manderscheid, MJ Henderson, Mental Health, United States, 2002, US Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Mental Health Services, 2002.
Numbers Tell the Story
Bullied at School: Why They Read Lord of the Flies
Over the Course of a Year, Bullying Is Common Across All Grade Levels
Associated Events Can Last Long Past Graduation
Between the ages of 13 and 24, the odds are:
1 in 4.2 females who were bullied by other children at age 8 will be treated with antidepressants.
1 in 8.1 females who were bullied by other children at age 8 will be treated with a psychiatric hospital stay.
1 in 8.1 males who were bullied by other children at age 8 will be treated with antidepressants.
1 in 9.6 males who were bullied by other children at age 8 will be treated with a psychiatric hospital stay.
For Some Bullies as Well
Between the ages of 13 and 24, the odds are:
1 in 6.6 males who bullied other children at age 8 will be treated with antidepressants.
1 in 11.6 males who bullied other children at age 8 will be treated with a psychiatric hospital stay.
SOURCES: R Dinkes, J Kemp, K Baum, Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2008 (NCES 2009–022/NCJ 226343). National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, US Department of Education, and Bureau of Justice Statistics, Office of Justice Programs, US Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Book of Odds estimates based on US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, http://www.census.gov/popest/estimates.php. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/brfss/. US Census Bureau, Age and Sex in the United States: 2008, http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/age/age_sex_2009.html. PF Adams, CA Schoenborn, “Health Behaviors of Adults: United States 2002–04,” Vital and Health Statistics 10(230), 2006. National Sporting Goods Association/NSGA and SBRnet. A Sourander, J Ronning, A Brunstein-Klomeck, D Gyllenberg, K Kumpulainen, S Niemela, et al., “Childhood Bullying Behavior and Later Psychiatric Hospital and Psychopharmacologic Treatment: Findings from the Finnish 1981 Birth Cohort Study,” Archives of General Psychiatry 66(9), 2009:1005–1012.
ODDS COUPLE: Dark Days
The odds a student 12–18 will be bullied at school in a year 1 in 3.1
The odds a February day in Washington, DC, will be rainy 1 in 3.1
SOURCES: R Dinkes, J Kemp, K Baum, Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2008 (NCES 2009–022/NCJ 226343). National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, US Department of Education, and Bureau of Justice Statistics, Office of Justice Programs, US Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Weatherbase. http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/state.php3?c=US&s=&refer=.
Who Gets Hit at School?
The odds a student will receive corporal punishment at school in a year: 1 in 217
The odds a student will receive corporal punishment at school in a year differ by race and ethnic background:
Non-Hispanic black male 1 in 72.8
Non-Hispanic black female 1 in 189
Non-Hispanic white male 1 in 144
Non-Hispanic white female 1 in 617
Hispanic male 1 in 356
Hispanic female 1 in 1,111
SOURCE: Office For Civil Rights, 2006 Civil Rights Data Collection, http://ocrdata.ed.gov/Projections_2006.aspx.
Weekly Planner:
Kids, Stress, and After–School Activities
Scout meeting:
1 in 11.9 K–second graders and 1 in 7.9 third–fifth graders participate in Scouts.
Bring doughnuts for Sunday School:
1 in 7.1 K–second graders, 1 in 5.1 third–fifth graders, and 1 in 4.6 sixth–eighth graders participates in after-school religious activities.
Walk for good cause:
1 in 14.3 third–fifth graders and 1 in 7.3 sixth–eighth graders participate in after-school volunteer work or community service.
Drive to medical office:
The odds a child 5–17 will have contact with a mental health professional in a year: 1 in 15.4
SOURCES: Book of Odds estimates based on data from PR Carver, IU Iruka, After-School Programs and Activities: 2005 (NCES 2006–076). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics 2006. GA Simpson, G Scott, RW Manderscheid, MJ Henderson, Mental Health, United States, 2002, US Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Mental Health Services, 2002.
Out Sick—or Hurt
The odds a child 5–17 will miss school due to illness or injury in a year:
1–2 days: 1 in 3.6
3–5 days: 1 in 3.5
6–10 days: 1 in 8.6
At least 11 days: 1 in 20.4
A whole year: 1 in 143
SOURCE: EJ Sondik, JH Madans, JF Gentleman, ”Summary Health Statistics for US Children: National Health Interview Survey, 2009,” Vital and Health Statistics 10(247), August 2010.
“Pizza Party at School! — 6 p.m. in the Cafeteria”
The odds a child 5–17 will not stay home from school in a year because of illness or injury: 1 in 3.9
SOURCE: EJ Sondik, JH Madans, JF Gentleman, ”Summary Health Statistics for US Children: National Health Interview Survey, 2009,” Vital and Health Statistics 10(247), August 2010.
Be Careful at Recess!
The odds a child younger than 15 will visit an emergency room due to an injury involving playground equipment in a year: 1 in 270
SOURCE: Book of Odds estimates based on US Consumer Product Safety Commission, National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) Data Highlights 2010.
Dangers Around the House
The odds a child younger than 15 will visit an emergency room due to an accident involving…
stairs, ramps, or landings in a year: 1 in 116
a bed, mattress, or pillow in a year: 1 in 225